Episodes of “Writing Black” and “Dear Culture” were recorded live during the 90-minute panel at the NABJ Career Fair and Convention in Las Vegas.
TheGrio Black Podcast Network unveiled its future programming at the 2022 National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Career Fair and Convention on Friday. With a panel titled “Power to the Podcast,” the audience received a glimpse into shows and live recordings of two original programs.
Natasha S. Alford, theGrio’s vice president of digital media, moderated the discussion during the annual convention at Caesar’s Palace Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Panel participants included theGrio’s Black Podcast Network show hosts Panama Jackson, Maiysha Kai, Michael Harriot and Touré.
Byron Allen, CEO of Allen Media Group, which owns theGrio, gave opening remarks commending the NABJ and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) for fusing their conventions for the first time to combine resources.
Allen and Geraldine Moriba, senior vice president of news and entertainment for theGrio, discussed theGrio’s $11 million acquisition of the previously-bankrupt Black News Channel (BNC), which has officially become theGrio. Only Allen Media Group made an offer for BNC, Moriba disclosed.
Additionally, Moriba discussed immediate and future plans for theGrio Black Podcast Network, including the relaunch of flagship podcasts “Dear Culture” and “Acting Up,” and intentions to aggregate additional Black podcasts in the future.
The panel featured live recordings of two podcasts, Kai’s “Writing Black,” a literary show that interviews writers from across the Black diaspora, and Jackson’s “Dear Culture” with Harriot, who hosts theGrio Podcast Network’s “theGrio Daily.”
“Writing Black” premieres August 14, and Kai, theGrio’s senior lifestyle editor interviewed author Robert Samuel, co-writer of the book “I Am George Floyd.”
Samuel, who will appear on the first episode, spoke about the role of Black journalists and the importance of being endlessly inquisitive. “We ask questions not simply because we’re skeptical people but because there are larger truths that can be excavated,” Samuel told Kai.
Jackson’s live recording included a video clip of “theGrio Daily” and a conversation about the day’s topic, playing spades. Together, the two engaged in a spirited and humorous debate about the rules of playing the often contentious card game, ranging from whether or not to remove the deuce of diamonds and the etiquette of talking across the board.
The conversation became so intense during the podcast that even Alford, Kai and Touré would briefly chime in when they all rejoined the panel to close the event. The audience saw a sneak peek of Touré’s show, “Star Series.” The program will feature Touré recounting his experiences with Black celebrities during his time as a writer for publications such as The Rolling Stone. He discussed an intriguing encounter with a young Kanye West and a tense question about the rapper/producer’s Jesus piece.
In addition to “Star Series,” Touré will host “Black in the ’80s,” which analyzes the 1980s sociopolitical climate and events through the scope of a song from that era. Meanwhile, new episodes of “Dear Culture,” “Acting Up,” and “theGrio Daily,” are available on TheGrio Black Podcast Network, as well as trivia show “Blackest Questions” and politic podcast, “What’s In It For Us,” both hosted by theGrio’s Political Editor, Dr. Christina Greer.
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