(ThyBlackMan.com) We went into how NewsOne delivers its brand of news from the quality of news to the layout of the site. Now let’s look at Black America Web News, another major Black news site that has been around longer than others. Black America Web entered the game in early 2001 and was one of the canaries in the coal mine when it came to utilizing the internet to get the news out to our folks.
Yes, there were other blogs and sites that popped up at that time but few of them were a part of a network and had big stakes behind it. Black America Web News was one of the pillars of the Reach media network. Who knows, if Black America Web never caught on the landscape for online news from a Black perspective might have taken a different path.
With NewsOne as the core for news within the Urban One network, Black America Web isn’t at the forefront as far as constantly innovating how news gets out to a Black demographic. Let’s see what it still has to offer.
The Presentation of Black America Web News
If you’re checking out today’s stories via Black America Web news gives you a mix of current events and entertainment off the jump. The layout of the website is a little on the basic side but looks better on mobile. It happens. Actually, if you don’t go in expecting the most modern or interactive presentation or just want your news straight with no chaser, Black America Web news is perfect.
That isn’t to say that the site is devoid of interaction with readers. You can rate an article which gives other readers an indication on if this is something they should entertain. I’ve always enjoyed this on sites, so bonus points from me.
The headlines for some of Black America Web’s news catch you. For instance, you might be there to check out a piece of national news, scroll halfway down the page, and some eye-catching gossip is right there. Mind you, this is the same piece of entertainment news you’ll see from other sites, it just depends on how hot the gossip or news is.
It’s the headline that hooks you to check out what might just be a morsel of news. Black America Web News tends to stay below that line where headlines are click bait. Other than that, the overall presentation is straight-forward but doesn’t really draw attention to anything of note. “Your news is there, scroll down, we have some image galleries here, some videos” and so on.
Also, there are a few self-playing audio and video pieces that might freeze up your browser if you have several tabs open here. The video is never long—just 2 to 3 minutes in length—but it can slow up your browser if there is another—or a few—tabs playing media.
It’s a bit old hat to have autoplay media on a site but there you go.
Black America Web’s Reporting
Now we get out of the presentation arena and into the reporting part. Reporting is incredibly important since it’s basically the attitude and vibe of the outlet. How aggressive or even-keeled is the approach of Black America Web News? Where does it lean politically?
The first question is easier to identify. While NewsOne has an approach that is standard of sites today and Black America Web comes off as an older site, the reporting has a little more bark to it than NewsOne’s brand—and that’s odd to say. Both sites exist within the same media network but have different approaches to the news.
Personally, I feel that works since you can have different tastes within the same network and demographic. It’s pretty much why I’m doing a breakdown of NewsOne and Black America Web’s news. Black America Web is strong presenting current events although its entertainment news is solid as well.
As for the political leaning of the site, it’s similar to NewsOne. It’s not the most middle-of-the-field digital outlet for Black news. Conservative readers can enjoy the writing on Black America Web just beware of political news on the site. I wouldn’t say a lot of it sits moderate but its not exactly in-your-face left.
Is It Worth Reading?
If you still get value from reading NewsOne, Black America Web kind of goes hand-in-hand with that site. They’re essentially the same site only with news distributed differently and a different tone. I found Black America Web’s mobile site to be more appealing than its desktop site—which I tend to use more often. This is in contrast to NewsOne who has a fine site for desktop and mobile.
The best way to decide on which one to go with for news is to know what your preference is. If you want your news to come stripped down and without any extra razzle dazzle, go with Black America Web but be sure to watch your tabs.
One thing I’d love to see more of is the “Culture Grid” content. Writing on Black America Web is solid but these “Culture Grid” videos keep the site modern even if everything else says otherwise. Is Black America Web still worth reading? The question doesn’t come from a stance of “Is one of the oldest online Black news sites still relevant?” but “Is it relevant even with a similar site in the same network?”
In the case of Black America Web News: yes, it’s still worth reading. Even with NewsOne right there and the YouTube autoplay content at the top, this site still has it.
Staff Writer; M. Swift
This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.