(ThyBlackMan.com) There are several outlets that present news for and from a Black perspective. NewsOne news is one of those outlets you probably drop by daily. Established in 2008, NewsOne is a part of a larger media network under Urban One. In addition to this, NewsOne’s news serves as the foundation for reporting on Urban One’s cable network TV One.
With such a large network behind it, where does NewsOne shine as far as getting news to Black Americans. How does it differ from other Black news outlets?
The Presentation of NewsOne News
When getting your news from anywhere, what’s being presented up from and the layout of mobile and web are important. It’s not the most important as validity of the story and facts top presentation. However, presentation and reporting are how news is absorbed. This goes for purely factual reporting and erroneous reporting.
In the case of NewsOne’s news, everything is presented as standard. The way you’d expected a news site to be laid out, NewsOne is pretty much in line with that. It’s not doing anything to reinvent the wheel as far as getting you what you need and want to know daily.
The written content is mixed with video content—often together—so the news is covered in two ways in one location. Don’t forget that there’s a radio platform—Radio One—to get the media network’s news on. This means that however you prefer to get your NewsOne news, Urban One has you covered.
So, how does NewsOne news hold up as far as providing fresh news? Pretty well, the outlet has a team that works quickly and regularly to keep the site fresh. It comes off as professional and credible but now we get into the other thing when looking at NewsOne or Black America Web.
NewsOne’s Reporting
How is everything delivered? We got into web and mobile as well as Urban One’s usage of radio. All bases are covered here. Reporting and credibility are the pillars of the news. Sure, it can be chockful of factual information but if it’s too heavy with fact, then either it has to be condensed and issued in a brief fashion, the writings need so pop to them, or the on-screen and audio reporting needs some umph to it.
Yes, “infotainment” and making the news commercially attractive has ruined it to a degree. However, taking the best parts of that approach and using them well is a skill. As for NewsOne’s news approach, it’s digestible. Since news breaks constantly, it needs to be digestible in that moment while later articles break things down more.
This outlet is good in that respect. NewsOne news gives you the important parts, headlines aren’t Bossip-grade eye-catching, and the news isn’t delivered in an in your face way. That’s also important. NewsOne’s approach is mild or safe. While all news outlets should strive to be on point with the facts, the harder an outlet comes with the news, the less leeway there is for being wrong or being loose with the facts.
The other question with a site’s reporting is political leanings. There was a time when outlets were expected to be neutral but with the last decade lines have been drawn. Where does NewsOne lean? Some media watch sites would have NewsOne as leaning more towards the left than being in the middle.
From reading NewsOne regularly myself, I will say that it’s not exactly the most conservative-friendly Black news site. I suppose that’s safe to say. The outlet doesn’t ward off Black conservatives or anything but they’re exactly welcoming them or high-fiving them in reports. Basically, it follows the voting trends of Blacks in America at the moment. That’s where the wider net is for them to get eyeballs on their brand of news.
Is It Worth Reading?
I’d say NewsOne is worth reading depending on how you like your news. If you prefer for it to be delivered with your time in mind, NewsOne news works perfectly. It has a balance of breaking-style news where the content is important but issued quickly and content that is more of a dive into a topic.
Depending on your own political leanings, they might be something you’d skip. Actually, even if your political beliefs jive with NewsOne’s leanings, the way the outlet delivers the news might not even be for you. Yeah, they’ve been critical of the current administration but you might want a takedown with some more umph on it. This wouldn’t be the outlet for you.
Beyond politics and national news, NewsOne covers entertainment pretty well. It should if you factor in that entertainment is a large part of Urban One’s media network. That said, the strongest reporting and coverage here is on politics and current events.
It might not stand out as flashy but the way that their site includes video and the written content are mostly transcripts works. Video is going to be a particularly quick way to take in news before someone reads the article.
Now, you’d expect that the video is a quick breakdown of the story but sometimes NewsOne catches you. It’s not the sneakiest or newest technique for the news but I’ve found out too late many a time. Again, NewsOne is worth reading purely on how it gets the news out and the array of media it has at its disposal to get their brand of news out. It’s something that covers most demographics.
As a news brand—and a Black news brand at that—NewsOne is one of the trusted ones. Next, we’re looking at Black America Web.
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.