The Grio is an American website with news and video content geared particularly toward African Americans.[1] Originally launched in June 2009 as a division of NBC News,[2][3] It became a division of the progressive-leaning MSNBC cable channel in 2013. It was founded by the team who created the documentary film Meeting David Wilson.
History
TheGrio's editorial mandate is to "focus on news and events that have a unique interest and/or pronounced impact within the national African Americans audience",[4] offering what co-founder, and Executive Editor David Wilson feels "are underrepresented in existing national news outlets". The site's debut sponsor was Ford. It features both original video content, as well as material collected from sources like msnbc.com, and compete with Slate's TheRoot.com, AOL's BlackVoices.[5]
The website's name is derived from word griot, the term for a West African oral historian and storyteller.[6]
Personnel
Founders
- David A. Wilson (Co-founder, Executive Editor)[7]
- Daniel Woolsey (Co-founder, Director of Operations)[7]
- Barion L. Grant (Co-founder, Former Director of Sales)[7]
Editors
- Joy-Ann Reid (Managing Editor)[7]
- Adam Howard (Deputy Editor)[7]
- Perry Bacon Jr. (Political Editor)[7]
Contributors
Criticism
Jon Ham, vice president of the John Locke Foundation and publisher of the Carolina Journal, criticized NBC promos for the The Grio that stated that the website would offer "the African-American perspective on news", as opposed to "an African-American perspective", stating that it was condescending for NBC to assume that African-Americans all share one perspective, particularly in light of the fact black leaders are known to protest this idea. Ham went on to state that the stories on TheGrio on August 10, 2009, which focused on topics such as affordable housing in the suburbs for minorities, the lack of retail medical clinics in the inner city, the first black headmaster at Charlotte Country Day School, and a column by Al Sharpton criticizing talk show hosts for "racist rants", indicated what Ham called a "left-wing, race-grievance worldview that tends to encourage blacks to separate themselves from whites, Hispanics and Asians."[4]
See also
References
- ↑ Kee, Tameka (10 June 2009). "Can NBCU's TheGrio.com Succeed Where RushmoreDrive.com Failed?". CBS News. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
- ↑ "The Grio Web Site". C-SPAN Video Library. August 20, 2012.
- ↑ "TheGrio reveals annual Top 100 list". Today. February 4, 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ham, Jon (August 10, 2009). "NBC’s theGrio.com needs diversity training". Carolina Journal Online.
- ↑ Kee, Tameka (June 10, 2009). "Can NBCU's TheGrio.com Succeed Where RushmoreDrive.com Failed?". CBS MoneyWatch.
- ↑ Mayes, Julia (October 3, 2011). "Positively Black: NBC Launches The Grio". 4 NBC New York
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 "theGrio team". theGrio. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
External links