On Thursday, journalist and Chief Audience Officer of nonprofit news organization Capital B, Akoto Ofori Atta, and Athena Center director Umbreen Bhatti discuss the need for news-writing for Black audiences in the wake of divisive elections and the rise of social media misinformation. 

“On a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you want to burn it down right now?” 

The discussion, held on Thursday, December 2 from 6 to 7 pm by SPARK of Barnard’s Athena Center Barnard’s Ella Weed room began with this question from the Athena Center’s director, Umbreen Bhatti. 

The “it” in question referred to the current status of journalism in the United States, which Atta noted has to be “demolished.” Atta then continued to discuss her vision of an equitable society–one where everyone, including Black Americans, has proper access to information. Atta plans to accomplish that goal as the Chief Audience Officer at Capital B, an upcoming non-profit news organization meant to inform Black audiences with accurate and unbiased news.

Atta, who had known that she wanted to be a journalist since 10 years of age, has worked in several journalistic roles throughout her career, including writing and marketing. However, the events of a harrowing year for Black people fueled the launch of Capital B–a divisive election year, the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that disproportionately affected Black Americans, and the summer 2020 Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd. “I had just become so…part-panicked, part-frustrated. There was a point in my position where I could see myself doing the same things anymore…there was no other way but to do something different,” Atta noted. The protests also launched conversations of how Black professionals across all fields are treated, particularly in journalism, and from this, Atta and fellow journalist and former Vox editor-in-chief Lauren Williams began thinking of ways to make an impact on how journalism operates. 

“I have always believed that news and information is just key to living a full life, to striving for a better world–and there are so many forces at play that are threatening that right now.” What are the forces in question? The advent of search engines and social media. Akoto Atta discussed at length the impact that Internet-based advertisements have on how news is transported to audiences in the United States. In recent years, advertisers have found that it is more effective and less expensive to advertise on social media, a haven for unverified facts and misinformation. Another obstacle to the fair distribution of information is the lack of diversity in leadership in newsrooms. While newsrooms themselves tend to be somewhat diverse, Atta noted, the leadership is always predominantly white, which has directly affected the way that news is delivered to Black audiences. Atta offered a striking but relevant example–journalists were often expected to remain “neutral” in the face of a clearly racist event by refraining from using the word racism. 

Atta and co-founder Williams  are prepared to break these cycles by centering the needs of a group who have “been ignored but have a lot to lose right now.” Atta detailed the steps being taken to differentiate Capital B from other news sources–establishing a local and national newsroom to account for different cultures across cities and cultivating socioeconomic, sexuality-, and gender-based diversity in their newsrooms. She also noted that Capital B is already discussing working with college students and “thinking about” what they (we) need to know. 

During a Q&A segment, one student inquired about possible internships at Capital B, to which Atta responded that they will be established and “absolutely” paid, an impressive feat for nonprofit journalism. Bwog inquired about the specific steps that will be taken at Capital B to make journalism more effective and accessible for Black audiences. Atta noted that the nonprofit news organization is working to understand how Black Americans obtain their news currently, which will allow them to then present information in a style where all of the audience can participate. 

The event ended with another heavy question from Umbreen Bhatti–how has Atta’s identity as a Black woman shaped the way she has navigated journalism? In response, Atta noted the “the burden of having to “make choices and trade-offs every minute” as a Black woman in leadership, a plight that she compares to all women of color in professional fields. 

Capital B is launching in January 2022 with the goal of centering Black audiences by making information accessible and relevant to them. Atta and Williams plan to dissect their audience through demographics and catering to the ways Black Americans obtain their news. This new approach to journalism is a necessary one to begin creating equitable means of receiving information. To learn more about Capital B or possibly become a founding member, visit their website. 

Akoto Ofori Atta and Umbreen Bhatti speaking via Sahmaya Busby