The Exchange, an initiative spearheaded by Deloitte and a consortium of Black-owned local publishers, has unveiled a new branded article series spotlighting Black business leaders.
Article content, penned by journalists from participating pilot program publishers, has been specially curated for diverse audiences, a press release stated. The Exchange aims to financially empower diverse-owned local publishers, deliver specialized business insights to their audiences, and forge a new collaborative model to ultimately enhance equity across the media landscape.
They feature in-depth interviews with distinguished Black business and finance trailblazers such as LaTanya Flix, senior VP of DEI at the Greater Houston Partnership; Valerie Montgomery Rice, the first woman president to lead two HBCU medical schools; and Bruce Brooks, CEO of Craft3 lending firm. Profiles spotlight Deloitte leaders driving change for underrepresented communities and cover a range of topics like community service, advice for young professionals, health equity, training Black doctors, and lending equity for small businesses.
The Defender Network CEO, Sunny Messiah Jiles, stated, “Diverse voices matter, and we believe it is important to amplify these voices and increase knowledge sharing through a series on successful Black business leaders.” The network supports Deloitte’s vision to “recognize the potential of this project, which helps highlight individuals from underserved communities while
supporting local, diverse-owned publishers.” Jiles expects future campaigns to “support local news and generate audience engagement through valuable content about a range of topics and industries.”Article publishers include The Atlanta Voice, New York Amsterdam News, Houston Defender Network, AFRO-American Newspapers (Baltimore and D.C.), and The Seattle Medium.
Audience responses have been resoundingly positive, according to Knotch’s content intelligence platform. Readers with positive feedback expressed, “The content was inspirational.” The leadership series has garnered a 62% viewership boost compared to the previous series.
The Exchange is funded through Deloitte’s US Purpose Office and managed by the Local Media Association and the Local Media Consortium. The new series and publisher profiles are available to viewers now.