Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Media, Law & Policy
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • Videos
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Library
    • Research
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Media, Law & Policy

Sustainability of the Black News Channel

Friday, February 14, 2020, By Hailey Womer
Share

Shelvia Dancy and Elliott Lewis, Professors of Broadcast and Digital Journalism at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School and former freelance reporters for Black Entertainment Television (BET) and CNN offer their thoughts on the new Black News Channel.

 

We live in a media marketplace saturated with countless channels that target a demographic slice — whether gender, politics, or even interest in crime documentaries. Plenty of content gets ignored or overlooked by other news outlets — BNC is wise to cater to that.   There has always been a demand for cable news among different audiences, and that is no less true for segments of African Americans. A network that focuses on content that is ignored or overlooked by other news outlets is feeding a starving audience. And plenty of African Americans are hungry for content that they don’t see covered anywhere else. That’s a void that BNC can step up and fill.

 

Giving voice to an underserved community certainly has merit and I hope they’re successful, but there are questions about the sustainability of such an operation. MSNBC and Fox News have their larger parent companies behind them and their local affiliated stations to draw content from. Will the Black News Channel have the resources to provide the kind of coverage it hopes to deliver? And will that generate a large enough audience? It’s a challenging environment to be launching such a venture. As you recall, Al Jazeera America came on the air with a lot of optimism and fanfare about providing something fresh and different as an alternative to the established cable news channels. They lasted only a few years. 

 

For an interview with Profs. Dancy and/or Lewis, please contact Keith Kobland at kkobland@syr.edu.

 

  • Author

Hailey Womer

  • Recent
  • Falk Professor Advocates for Including Autistic Adults in Research That Shapes Their World
    Monday, April 19, 2021, By Matt Michael
  • Campus Resources Available for Faculty, Staff and Students
    Monday, April 19, 2021, By News Staff
  • Call to Volunteer: Give Back at The Big Event
    Monday, April 19, 2021, By News Staff
  • Fusion of Art and Science Leads to Discovery
    Monday, April 19, 2021, By Ellen de Graffenreid
  • Architecture Instructor Wins 2021 Ragdale Ring Competition
    Monday, April 19, 2021, By Julie Sharkey

More In Media, Law & Policy

‘Biden is Considering Overhauling the Supreme Court. That’s Happened During Every Crisis in US Democracy’

  Thomas Keck, professor of political science in the Maxwell School, wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post titled “Biden is considering overhauling the Supreme Court. That’s happened during every crisis in U.S. democracy.” Keck, who serves as the Michael…

‘Putin’s Rules of the Game’

Brian Taylor, professor of political science in the Maxwell School, wrote an op-ed for Foreign Affairs titled “Putin’s Rules of the Game.” Taylor is an expert on Russian politics and recently authored “The Code of Putinism,” published by Oxford University…

‘Should the COVID-19 Vaccine Be Required for the Military?’

Mark Nevitt, associate professor in the College of Law, authored an op-ed for Just Security titled “Should the COVID-19 Vaccine Be Required for the Military?” Nevitt specializes in national security law and previously served as a tactical jet aviator and…

Alumni Provide Support to WAER Students at the NCAA Tournament

When the Syracuse University men’s basketball team ended its NCAA Tournament run last month, it also marked the end of a long season for the student media broadcast team at WAER. Newhouse School of Public Communications seniors Corey Spector, Cooper…

‘Has Marijuana Changed or Have We?’

Dessa Bergen-Cico, professor of public health in the Falk College, authored an op-ed for Syracuse.com titled “Has marijuana changed or have we?” Bergen-Cico is the coordinator of Falk’s addiction studies program and has expertise in addiction, drug use and mental…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Youtube
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2021 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.