The Ohio Conference of Branches of the NAACP is forming a strategic partnership with the Ohio Black Media Collective (OBMC).
The Ohio Black Media Collective is a joint venture comprising more than a dozen black-owned media outlets that span the from Youngstown and Cleveland in the northeast to Cincinnati and Dayton in the southwest. The collective aspires to be the preeminent source for the state’s black-owned multi-media outlets, while also sharing information that strengthens the black community.
The Real Deal Press is a founding member of the group.
“In our current hyper-fragmented media environment, it’s imperative that we support black-owned media,” said Tom Roberts, president of the Ohio Conference of Branches of the NAACP. “This strategic partnership is about helping amplify the black community’s stories and perspectives throughout the state.”
The strategic partnership comes with good timing. The NAACP’s State Convention and Media Luncheon is coming up on Sept. 16. The OBMC is slated to have a prominent role in covering the convention and other state NAACP events in the future.
Content sharing among OBMC members will occur in several ways. OBMC members can liberally republish each other's content. The collective’s website will serve as a hub to host all content from founding members and affiliates.
A news service is in the works to make the OBMC a formal black media wire for Ohio.
“Having the support of the Ohio Conference is invaluable,” said Dr. Mike McNair, managing member of the OBMC, and publisher of The Buckeye Review. “The insights and perspectives of their leadership and branches will be a great asset as we tell the black community’s story in every corner in Ohio. I hope other legacy organizations see this strategic partnership as a model to coalesce around an agenda for the black community.”
The collective was introduced to the public during the Ohio Conference’s State Convention in September last year.
Beyond news, the OBMC plans to be the state’s black-owned media hub. The collective’s website hosts additional services including business directories, events and classifieds. The OBMC plans to enhance these offerings as it upgrades its website in the future.
Founding member publications include The Buckeye Review [Youngstown], The Dayton Weekly News, The Real Deal Press [Cleveland], The Reporter [Akron], The Sojourner's Truth [Toledo], and WNZN-FM [Lorain]. Jasper Browne LLC in Dayton and CityPark League of Toledo are also among the founding members.
Learn more by visiting the OBMC website at ohiobmc.com.
