This year, journalism found itself at an inflection point. At “Covering A Divided Nation: Lessons from Black and Brown Media,” a summit and event organized by URL Media and co-hosted by and held at the National Press Club Journalism Institute. I was particularly struck by the keynote luncheon aptly titled “Listen to Black Women.” Moderated by Sara Lomax—President and CEO of WURD Radio and Co-founder of URL Media—the session brought together three remarkable speakers, each offering insights on how Black women, long sidelined in mainstream coverage, can help shape the future of our fractured media landscape.
The Master’s Tools? Or a Better Toolbox?
Sara Lomax invoked Audre Lorde’s famous quote—“The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house”—to spark dialogue on reimagining journalism. Rather than perpetuating a broken system, how do we build genuine engagement that reflects the complexities of Black communities?
Jonquilyn Hill, host of Explain It to Me at Vox, emphasized the onslaught of misinformation, fueled by ever-evolving technology like AI and social media algorithms. “Information is moving so quickly,” she pointed out, warning that disinformation accelerates faster than many traditional newsrooms can handle. Indeed, if there was ever a time to rethink digital strategy, it’s now.
Meanwhile, creative strategist and former executive director and publisher of Scalawag, Cierra Hinton underscored that bridging this gap requires news outlets to move beyond surface-level reporting. “If we count ourselves as part of a movement toward a more equitable world, we need a clear theory of change,” she said. In other words, journalism needs to evolve from a “just the facts” model to a deeper, purpose-driven approach that recognizes its power to shape public understanding—and action.
Refusing to Stand on the Sidelines
Among the recurring themes was the importance of meeting audiences “where they are,” physically and digitally. Lauren Williams, CEO and Co-founder of Capital B News, described her organization’s plan to avoid overreliance on a single social media channel. “We shouldn’t overinvest in any one platform,” she cautioned, “because algorithms change constantly.” Capital B places emphasis on face-to-face connections and local events, ensuring that if one digital pipeline suddenly collapses, their readers know exactly where to find them.
Sara Lomax reinforced that spending money and time in ways that uplift Black communities is both ethical and strategic. She cited the example of streaming on Spill—a Black-owned social media platform—instead of more mainstream alternatives. What might seem like a small choice has huge implications for which platforms flourish and how resources circulate within historically marginalized groups.
The 2024 Election: Lessons (Not) Learned
When reflecting on the 2024 Election coverage, panelists recognized the lingering damage caused by false equivalences and the normalization of harmful rhetoric. Lomax lamented that parts of the media “validated Donald Trump’s crazy” instead of interrogating it. “You can’t cover him with both-sides-ism,” she asserted, pointing to the pitfalls of refusing to call out outright disinformation.
Nonetheless, small bright spots emerged. Lauren Williams noted that some outlets genuinely did better in 2024 than in previous cycles, but their work was undermined by the “distribution methods … actively suppressing or overshadowing reliable reporting.” So even strong journalism gets lost unless it appears in front of the right eyes and ears.
From Local Efforts to Global Solidarity
The session also touched on a broader global context—both in diaspora communities seeking reliable reporting on their countries of origin and in the transnational spread of repressive policing tactics. Hinton cited the training of police in Atlanta, which often parallels military training abroad, to illustrate how local realities intertwine with worldwide systems of power.
“People power” deserves just as much scrutiny and coverage as the machinations of presidential campaigns. Local activists, small nonprofits, and community collaborations often provide the best framework for actual change—and they rarely get the spotlight from legacy outlets.
A Call to Truly ‘Listen’
Black women’s perspectives are indispensable if journalism is to serve and inform all communities. As we witness the continued shifts in technology, the precariousness of legacy news models, and the pandemic-level spread of misinformation, it becomes clear that Black women have been forging solutions to these challenges long before they became trendy buzzwords. Whether it’s Hill urging a proactive stance against disinformation, Williams modeling a holistic audience engagement strategy, or Hinton compelling us to “highlight people power,” one thing we can all agree to is that our industry needs a transformative approach—one that doesn’t just acknowledge Black women’s voices but centers them at the heart of telling America’s stories.
Listening is only the first step. Truly acting on that wisdom is what will finally begin to dismantle the master’s house
Moderator – Sara Lomex: President and CEO of WURD Radio and co-founder URL Media
Panelists: Jonquilyn Hill: Host of Explain It to Me, Vox, Lauren Williams: CEO & Co-founder of Capital B News, Cierra Hinton: Former Executive Director of Scalawag; Co-founder of The Lorde Society
This article is AI-assisted: AI helped clean up the transcript used in the article.
