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- By Native News Online Staff
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.—Indigenous-led news outlet Native News Online was welcomed yesterday as the 10th member of URL Media, a network of high-performing BIPOC-owned and operated media organizations from across the U.S.
The announcement came last evening during a one-year anniversary celebration of URL Media, a for-profit company founded by Sara Lomax-Reese, CEO of Philadelphia-based WURD Radio, one of the few remaining Black-owned talk radio stations in the nation, and veteran journalist and media executive S. Mitra Kalita, publisher of Epicenter-NYC, a newsletter to help New Yorkers get through the pandemic.
Born at the height of the 2020 racial justice protests to address persistent underfunding and underrepresentation of BIPOC communities, URL Media launched in Jan. 2021 with eight media organizations representing a diverse mix of cultures, media formats, geography and audiences.
Members of the network share content, distribution, and other resources to enhance reach, expand revenue and build long-term sustainability.
"We are thrilled to welcome Native News Online as our first Indigenous partner. The truth is that the narrative of America is incomplete without this vital, foundational perspective," said URL Media CEO S. Mitra Kalita. "We look forward to working to amplify their powerful storytelling and platform."
Native News Online, which is based in Grand Rapids, Mich., is the first Indigenous news outlet added to the URL Media network. Inaugural members of URL Media are WURD Radio, Epicenter-NYC, Documented, Scalawag, The Haitian Times, TBN24, ScrollStack, and Palabra. Minneapolis-based Sahan Journal joined URL Media’s network in May 2021.
“Native News Online has been elevating Native Voices for 11 years. We are excited about our new affiliation with URL Media because we will now be able to uplift other BIPOC voices as well,” Publisher Levi Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi) said. “We look forward to sharing stories, opportunities, ideas and best practices with these high-performing BIPOC publications and their talented teams.”
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