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State of Blackness
THE BLACK SNOB
Blacks and the Online Media Market
15
Who or is the Black Snob? Is he or she a Black person “acting uppity?” Are Black Snobs wealthy Black people, like Oprah? Or, is it a classy beverage? No, the Black Snob is none of those things. The Black Snob is an online blog designed for informative commentary and witty
Nicholas Johnson cultural critiques. Political and pop commentary are found on the site. Essentially, no topics are off limits for BlackSnob.com.
The site has gained national notoriety since the 2008 Presidential election, garnering over two million readers and receiving awards from the Black Weblog Awards for Best Political Blog (2010 & 2011) and the “Shining Star Awards” from Black Politics On The Web for Best Overall Political Blog and Best New Political Blog (2008). The person behind this cyber hot-spot is Danielle Belton. When it comes to the content of her blog, Belton says “I love writing about current events and politics. And the Republican primary has been rich for fodder. I also look for cultural, gender and racial issues to write about as well.” Belton has an extensive history in writing, with 10 years of experience writing and advertising for The Bakersfield Californian. Yet, due to a tightened media market, financial constraints and personal issues, Belton left California and the newspaper industry and returned home to St. Louis, Mo. Missing the experience of writing, Belton began writing her own personal blog, which eventually culminated into the creation of The Black Snob in 2007. Since then Belton has been featured on CNN, NPR, PBS’ To the Contrary, Time Magazine, New York Times, The Observer (UK) and various other mainstream media outlets. “My goal has always been to simply be a writer and to make enough money to not starve at it. My goals really haven’t changed that much since college, in that my dream is to make a living as a writer and eventually be a successful, published author” Belton says. According to the Media Audit’s 2010 National Report, African-American adults engage in Internet-use more so than any other adult group in the U.S. The internet has become the “new frontier” for people looking to express themselves freely, thereby presenting a unique opportunity for minorities. Looking at the success of The Black Snob, one can see the potential for Blacks to gain national attention through self-expression, initiative and creativity online; especially considering the financial and professional limitations of the traditional media industry. Belton says “There are a lot of advantages in that if you have the drive, interest and talent, you can hurdle over the middleman in getting published.” The Black Snob is the perfect example of the growing presence of Blacks on the growing online media market. Not only should it serve as inspiration, but it should also be one of the links on everyone’s “Favorites List.”