From MJ coverage to ‘Black In America,’ Has CNN Done Better With Black Programming Than BET?
 |
Since
its inception in 1980, Black Entertainment Television has prided itself
on being a voice and source of information for the black community.
Oftentimes, over the last 30 years, BET has been the lone voice for
issues and topics that were pertinent to the black community. But as
the network’s ratings slipped, and parent company Viacom began to
reshape BET to match other youth-driven entertainment channels like VH1
and MTV; it switched its focus to more of the brain-candy that those
types of networks offer. Now, BET is more known for trashy reality
shows and controversial music videos than for addressing anything
topical.
At the same time, CNN, the
No. 1 news network in the world, has sought to diversify the
personalities and content on its network. In doing so, CNN has
presented some of the most topical and thought-provoking specials and
documentaries on television. Many of those specials, like the
award-winning “Black In America” series, center on the black
experience.
“We’ve always said that
diversity is essential to growing our business,” explains Johnita Due,
chair of CNN’s Diversity Council. “That means that the more people that
we can connect to and be relevant to, the better we’ll be as an
organization and the better our journalism will be; because we’re
telling stories that other news organizations aren’t telling.”
That
commitment to giving voice to diverse demographics has led to CNN
gaining a foothold in creating material that relates to those
demographics. For African Americans, it means that CNN may have
surpassed even Black Entertainment Television in providing topical
programming that speaks to the black audience.
BET
hasn’t become totally irrelevant in terms its ability to relate to the
black community — but its role now is that of an entertainment source
more than an informational resource. And while CNN has made great
strides, Due emphasizes that it takes more consistent effort to
accurately depict and effectively reach the African American audience.
“I
think one of the biggest challenges is keeping in mind that it’s
something that we need to do on a regular and consistent basis,” she
says. “[The Diversity Council] helps to facilitate and influence, but
ultimately, the authority rests with each unit across CNN to try to
make a difference and further our efforts.” –todd williams
