Digital divide erased according to new survey by black-focused TV channel; Radio One

This probably won't get much attention, thanks to Barack Obama's seismic visit to St. Petersburg today, but the black-focused cable channel TV One will announce today in Orlando the results of a massive study of black consumers aimed at showcasing the broad diversity of African Americans.

One of the biggest claims of the study, which surveyed 3,400 people aged 13 to 74 nationwide, is that the digital divide -- the gap in opportunity between those who have regular access to online resources and those who don't -- has been erased for black people.

Their data suggests that 68 percent of black folks are online, compared to 71 percent of all Americans and 90 percent of black teens are online. i got an early copy of study from TV One executives at last week's UNITY: Journalists of Color conference.

Other results: 34 percent of those aged 18 and above have some college or a two year degree; 21 percent have a bachelor's degree or higher; one-third of that group makes more that $50,000 annually.

Forty-two percent prefer to be called black, while 44 percent prefer African American, though only 35 percent of those making $100,000 or more prefer African American Only three of 10 prefer being around people of the same race; they reserve their highest level of trust for the education system and black media (30 percent each trust them); police, government and the mainstream media get between 12 and 16 percent of respondents' trust. Credit card companies had the lowest trust percentage at 8 percent.

About 80 percent of their time spent with media was spent on radio, TV or the Internet: 45 hours a week watching TV, 31 hours a week on the Internet and 22 hours a week listening to radio.

Not a great harbinger for those of us working in print media, but an interesting snapshot of a growing media consumer class, to be sure...

Comments

[David]

I'm suspicious of this survey. Yes, statistics can be manipulated to say whatever you need them to say. But a sample of 3400 people cannot represent -- accurately -- the situation for the nearly 35 million black Americans. And the claim that 90% of black teens are online seems rather lofty as well.

I like statistics a lot, but too often, I feel that they are manipulated. A quick read of Freakonomics will confirm!

[joice]

I teach technology, and over the past five to eight years there are very few Black/African Americans enrolled throughout California. As many that are job hunting, the computer literacy skill they have aquired are minimum. Although many schools across the country have technology provided for their students, one must consider the witings of Larry Cuban: Over solde & Under Used regarding computer literacy within schools, which over-flows into the homes of Black Americans. 3400 people do not consitutue 35 million. Review some other source to validate the gap in the digital divide as it relates to people of color.

[Eric Deggans]

Robin -- always a kidder.

Dave -- I think black folks have always had a stronger tradition of listening to radio for black-focused content than TV or print because that was the medium most often available to us. It's also a medium that white companies were more willing to bankroll -- when WTMP started as a black-focused radio station in the '50s. for example, it was owned by a white company.

I think you're seeing more black folks on the internet because of the way cellphones and personal media devices have converged with the web -- and there's lot of well-dne Web sites focused on black-oriented content these days Although it's bee my experience that those sites are a little tougher to keep afloat than you'd think.

[Dave Shafer]

Robin, try looking in the St. Pete times for Eric's writing!

Eric, Maybe AAs are doing an end around and spending more time on the internet than TV, where they can dictate who they watch/listen/read to?

[Robin 'Roblimo' Miller]

What?! You write for print media? I've read your work on this blog and your columns on TampaBay.com, but I have never seen a single word from you on paper.