While most people who think about Black media consider its historic role as a leader and purveyor of the needs, wants and desires of the African American community, those same people sometimes forget that at the very foundation of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations owned by African-descended people are some fundamentals—these entities are businesses that in order to exist, must make money.
For years, this has been the struggle with Black media which often seems to be left out of the loop when it comes to advertising. This is despite the studies that highlight the wealth in the Black community and aside from the well-known fact that Black people utilize Black media.
According to a recent Nielsen study, African Americans represent about 14.4 percent of the nation’s population, yet only 2.6 percent of the major media advertising is spent on African American media. In numbers, the Neilsen report noted that advertisers allot only 3 percent of their $2.2 billion yearly budget to media aimed at Black audiences, despite the fact that according to “The State of the African-American Consumer Report” Black buying power in America is expected to hit $1.1 trillion this year.