SCOOP: Onyx Impact launches disinformation lab for Black communities
Why it matters: Black Americans are disproportionately targeted by mis- and disinformation. With voting rights under pressure and AI disinformation spreading, media leaders are racing to protect trusted news ecosystems — and reclaim control of the digital conversation.
What they're saying: "Every day it gets harder and more expensive to access the truth — while the cost of spreading lies keeps getting cheaper," said Esosa Osa, founder of Onyx Impact.
"If our stories aren't in the data, we get erased again — just digitally this time."
Zoom out: The Lab's approach combines influencer collaborations, media training, cultural research, and AI tools to spark "healthier cultural conversations" online.
The program is launching with partners like the Washington Informer, Baltimore AFRO, Dallas Weekly, Sacramento Observer, and Houston Defender.
State of play: The effort leans heavily into Black press — long overlooked by legacy institutions and underfunded by tech.
"We've always told our stories — even when others ignored them," Washington Informer publisher Denise Rolark Barnes told Axios.
"But now, if we're not in these digital spaces, we disappear," said Barnes, who inherited the paper from her father, Dr. Calvin Rolark, a civil rights-era activist who used journalism to fight for justice.
Catch up quick: A 2023 Pew survey found that 63% of Black Americans say news coverage about Black people is more negative than coverage of other groups — and just 14% are confident that will improve in their lifetimes.
Despite post-2020 promises to diversify newsrooms, only 18% trust social media, and less than half say traditional media gets their stories right.
Nearly half of Black respondents said having more Black reporters and newsroom leaders would improve coverage.
Reality check: Historically speaking, the Black press served as a counter‑narrative to disinformation—well before the internet.
For example, the Chicago Defender called Emmett Till's 1955 murder what it was — a racial terror killing — while mainstream outlets labeled it a kidnapping or buried the story altogether.
"In this digital space, it's become harder to do what our founders established over 100 years ago," said Barnes. "Speak for ourselves and tell our truth on behalf of the Black community."
Onyx's Information Integrity Lab aims to support Black-led journalism and help communities combat disinformation and algorithmic erasure.
It builds on the 2024 Trusted Messengers Program, which targeted disinfo against Black voters.
"If we aren't in the space and doing the work, we're basically writing ourselves out of history," Barnes said. "Our audiences are moving fast — and if we don't meet them there, we get left behind."
The Lab links influencers with legacy Black newspapers to increase visibility and trust. It's supported by Onyx's Digital Green Book, an AI platform helping Black users identify misinformation, secure data, and find verified Black content.
"This project helps us be more intentional," Barnes said. "It's not just about posting a story anymore. We're creating an ecosystem."
By the numbers: In a pilot with the Washington Informer, influencer Elizabeth Booker Houston helped generate:
34,000+ likes
3,200 shares
6,700 new Instagram followers for the paper
The boost led to more newsletter signups and a noticeable jump in site visits.
What's next: Onyx aims to expand the Lab to include more local creators, enhance training for publishers, and develop a model for other Black media outlets.
The goal is to build a scalable defense against narrative suppression, allowing Black media to not just survive online but lead.
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