Editing African Americans (section)

==Media and coverage==
{{See also|Representation of African Americans in media|African-American newspapers}}
[[File:President George W. Bush is welcomed by Bob Johnson, founder and chairman of the RLJ Companies.jpg|thumb|upright|BET founder [[Robert L. Johnson]] with former US President [[George W. Bush]]]]

Some activists and academics contend that American news media coverage of African American news, concerns, or dilemmas is inadequate,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blackandbrownnews.com/|title=BBN|publisher=blackandbrownnews.com|access-date=October 7, 2010|archive-date=November 22, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122124035/http://blackandbrownnews.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4608039|title=Examining the Future of Black News Media|date=April 20, 2005|publisher=NPR|access-date=April 4, 2018|archive-date=April 3, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180403234608/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4608039|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4608042|title=How Will African Americans Get the News?|date=April 20, 2005|publisher=NPR|access-date=April 4, 2018|archive-date=July 21, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721103026/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4608042|url-status=live}}</ref> or that the news media present distorted images of African Americans.<ref>{{cite web|first=Mikal|last=Muharrar|title=Media Blackface|publisher=FAIR|date=September–October 1998|url=https://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1431|access-date=July 21, 2018|archive-date=September 8, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120908145032/http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1431|url-status=live}}</ref>

To combat this, [[Robert L. Johnson]] founded Black Entertainment Television ([[BET]]), a network that targets young African Americans and urban audiences in the United States. Over the years, the network has aired such programming as [[Hip hop music|rap]] and [[Contemporary R&B|R&B]] music videos, urban-oriented movies and television series, and some public affairs programs. On Sunday mornings, BET would broadcast Christian programming; the network would also broadcast non-affiliated Christian programs during the early morning hours daily. According to [[Viacom (2005–2019)|Viacom]], BET is now a global network that reaches households in the United States, Caribbean, Canada, and the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web|title=BET Networks|url=https://www.viacom.com/ourbrands/medianetworks/betnetworks/pages/default.aspx|access-date=September 6, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120828171159/https://www.viacom.com/ourbrands/medianetworks/betnetworks/Pages/default.aspx|archive-date=August 28, 2012}}</ref> The network has gone on to spawn several spin-off channels, including [[BET Her]] (originally launched as ''BET on Jazz'').<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bet.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070829101056/https://bet.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=18|archive-date=August 29, 2007 |title=BET J}}</ref>

Another network targeting African Americans is [[TV One (Radio One)|TV One]]. TV One is owned by [[Urban One]], founded and controlled by [[Cathy Hughes|Catherine Hughes]]. Urban One is one of the nation's largest radio broadcasting companies and the largest African American-owned radio broadcasting company in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.blackamericastudy.com/|title=BlackAmericaStudy.com|publisher=BlackAmericaStudy.com|access-date=January 20, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110207200823/https://blackamericastudy.com/|archive-date=February 7, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In June 2009, [[NBC News]] launched a new website named [[TheGrio]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thegrio.com/|title=TheGrio.com|date=January 16, 2011|access-date=January 20, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120223126/https://www.thegrio.com/|archive-date=January 20, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is the first African American video [[news site]] that focuses on underrepresented stories in existing national news.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thegrio.com/about/|title=NBC News & TheGrio|date=June 2, 2009|publisher=Thegrio.com|access-date=January 20, 2011|archive-date=January 7, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110107105701/http://www.thegrio.com/about/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Black-owned and oriented media outlets===
* [[The Africa Channel]] – Dedicated to programming about African culture.
* [[Aspire (TV network)|aspireTV]] – a digital cable and satellite channel owned by businessman and former basketball player [[Magic Johnson]].
* ATTV – an independent public affairs and educational channel.
* [[BET Media Group]] – The most prominent multimedia outlet targeting Afro-Americans.
** [[BET]]
** [[BET Her]]
** [[VH1]] – Originally a [[MTV]] spin-off focused on light genres of music, the network's programming became slanted towards African American culture during the 2010s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Why VH1 Gets to Be Black Without the Burden|url=https://www.theroot.com/why-vh1-gets-to-be-black-without-the-burden-1790877558|work=[[The Root (magazine)|The Root]]|date=October 29, 2014|access-date=August 26, 2019|archive-date=August 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190815195120/https://www.theroot.com/why-vh1-gets-to-be-black-without-the-burden-1790877558|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Bounce TV]] – a digital multicast network owned by the [[E. W. Scripps Company]].
* [[Fox Soul]] – a digital television and streaming network primarily airing original talk shows and syndicated programming
* [[Oprah Winfrey Network]] – a cable and satellite network founded by [[Oprah Winfrey]] and jointly owned by [[Warner Bros. Discovery]] and [[Harpo Studios]]. While not exclusively targeting African Americans, much of its original programming is geared towards a similar demographic.
* [[Revolt (TV network)|Revolt]] – a music channel and media company founded by [[Sean Combs|Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs]].
* [[Soul of the South Network]] – a regional broadcast network.
* [[TheGrio]] – a digital multicast network focused on news and opinion-based programming.
* [[TV One (U.S. TV network)|TV One]] – a general entertainment network targeting adults.
** [[TV One (American TV channel)#Cleo TV|Cleo TV]] – a sister network targeting [[millennial]] and [[Generation X]] women
* [[We TV]] – Owned by [[AMC Networks]], became slanted towards Black women during the 2010s