Latest news with #OnyxImpact
Axios
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Axios
SCOOP: Onyx Impact launches disinformation lab for Black communities
Onyx Impact is launching an effort to counter digital disinformation in Black communities — tapping influencers, local Black media, and digital tools to strengthen trust, boost engagement and fight suppression ahead of elections. 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.
Axios
23-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
Digital Green Book fights misinformation targeting Black communities
As the erasure of Black history intensified — through book bans, assaults on diversity, and digital disinformation — Atlanta-based technologist and strategist Esosa Osa observed it unfold and decided to take action. Why it matters: Instead of just calling it out, Osa built The Digital Green Book — an AI-powered platform designed to help Black communities spot misinformation, protect their data, and access trusted, culturally informed content. The big picture: Osa was concerned that Black voices were being suppressed, diversity initiatives were under attack, "woke" was being weaponized, and book bans were raising barriers to historical knowledge. The Digital Green Book is a roadmap for digital empowerment. Flashback: The name is a deliberate nod to the Negro Motorist Green Book, the Jim Crow-era guide that helped Black Americans navigate safely through a hostile country. "We needed a name that instantly communicated to Black folks: this is for you; this has your best interests at heart," Osa, founder and CEO of Onyx Impact, told Axios. Zoom in: Launched this month, Onyx Impact's platform provides tools to combat misinformation and navigate a challenging digital landscape. Osa, a former political strategist and financial analyst, founded the organization after working at Fair Fight Action, BlackRock and Morgan Stanley. Friction point: Researchers and critics have documented how AI systems often reinforce the very stereotypes Black Americans have spent generations trying to dismantle. Last year, the Congressional Black Caucus warned that without intentional design, AI will deepen racial inequities in hiring, housing, education, and finance — a phenomenon experts call "algorithmic redlining." A 2023 study by linguist Sharese King found that AI consistently assigned Black language speakers to low-prestige jobs and imposed harsher sentences in hypothetical cases — further entrenching bias. Yes, and: Osa notes that social platforms don't just reflect public opinion — they shape it. Right now, they're: But the problem went deeper. "We are not built to see the same headline 20 times, then the responses, then the reactions to those responses," she says. She realized the problem wasn't just misinformation—the sheer volume of manipulated content created a false sense of consensus and urgency. "We've got to tell people—this isn't real life," Osa said. "Forty-two percent of your online content might be bad bots." Zoom out: The Digital Green Book is designed to cut through the noise and give Black communities control over their digital lives. What it offers Misinformation detection – Assists users in recognizing digital manipulation and disinformation in real time. Data control guidance – Offers clear steps to curate social media feeds and regain ownership of online spaces. Child safety tools – Empower parents with strategies to shield children from the dangers of social media while fostering digital literacy. AI-powered knowledge base – A groundbreaking tool trained on Black media and historical sources to provide unbiased answers to questions. State of play: Osa's team fed the model vetted Black media, historical context, and trusted sources like the NAACP and the Legal Defense Fund. "You don't want AI to 'figure out' what it means to be Black from the internet—you'll get a horrible product." The goal: lower the barriers to discernment, making it easier to identify misinformation. Unlike traditional AI tools that pull from the open web, this system prioritizes Black-led sources and historically accurate information to prevent distortion. What's next: Osa's vision includes The Digital Green Book and Onyx Impact's initiatives to boost access to Black-led news, enhance digital literacy, and protect users from manipulation. "We are fundamentally in an information war—and we're losing. We need to understand how to navigate mass propaganda and misinformation now more than ever."
