From Prediction to Reality: The Loss of Platforms for Youth and Communities of Color

I predicted in 2017 that marginalized voices could be silenced by structural shifts in media and technology. That moment has arrived: Teen Vogue is gone, and the recent layoffs when it was folded into the parent magazine mean there are now no Black women working in the teen section. NBC News closed its identity-focused verticals — NBC BLK, NBC Latino, NBC Asian America, and NBC OUT — cutting roughly 150 journalists, and days earlier, CBS News disbanded its race and culture unit as part of a broader layoff wave. These losses highlight a stark truth: when profit drives decisions, platforms amplifying communities of color and youth are often expendable. 

In 2017, I wrote “The Muting of Underserved Voices” for Nieman Lab, warning that independent journalists, activists, and content creators not connected to corporate media or powerful platforms could be squeezed out: 

“The internet ushered in an explosion of opportunities for marginalized communities to participate in national and global conversations they had been largely left out of before. … In 2018, marginalized voices could face diminishment in the level of access, empowerment, and impact they have, including those who already have online platforms and those who may want them.” 

That prediction first came true in 2022, when Elon Musk purchased Twitter. Once a critical space for Black, youth, and other marginalized communities — a platform where activists, artists, and communities could mobilize, share culture, and shape national conversations — Twitter under Musk became rife with racism, bigotry, and hate, creating an unsafe environment for many people of color. The shift illustrates how even widely used digital platforms that once empowered marginalized communities can quickly become hostile when structural and financial priorities change. 

Now, these corporate media cutbacks bring the warning closer to home. 

1. The human cost: Voices lost in the shuffle 

These closures are not just corporate reshuffling; they are losses for communities of color who relied on these platforms to see themselves reflected in coverage. 

As journalist Amber Payne, who helped launch NBC BLK, wrote in a post on LinkedIn: 

“It was crushing to see NBC News cut the community verticals and their editors … We were not ‘covering diversity’; we were bringing in stories about underserved communities who were hungry for authenticity and wanted to see their experiences reflected in mainstream media.”

The human and editorial investment in these teams — from reporters to editors — created nuance, context, and authentic representation. Without them, audiences may only receive filtered, mainstream perspectives, and important stories may never surface. 

2. Why corporate media often fails these communities 

Large legacy media organizations face declining ad revenues, intense competition from digital platforms, and rapidly shifting audience habits. These pressures are amplified by mega-mergers that consolidate ownership, reduce competition, and centralize editorial decision-making, as well as regulatory shifts — including unprecedented FCC actions — that tend to favor large conglomerates over smaller, independent outlets. In this environment, specialized teams serving youth, communities of color, or niche audiences are often the first to be folded or eliminated. 

Teen Vogue’s politics desk, NBC’s identity-focused verticals, and CBS News’ race and culture unit were examples of platforms where communities could see themselves represented. Their removal underscores a painful reality: when profit, scale, or corporate consolidation dictates decisions, editorial spaces for marginalized communities are considered expendable.

3. Lessons for local and community-led media 

These events also highlight where resilience still exists. Local, grassroots, and community-led media outlets operate differently: they are accountable first to the communities they serve, not to shareholders. Many are led by people of color, women, queer, and rural journalists deeply rooted in the places and communities they cover. 

Meaningful representation does not always come from scale — it comes from proximity, trust, and purpose. When corporate media retreats, these outlets often step in to document, explain, and uplift stories that would otherwise disappear. 

4. Implications for communities of color and youth 

The consequences of shuttering these dedicated platforms are tangible: 

• Fewer reporters asking questions that matter to communities of color.
• Less editorial bandwidth to develop stories with depth and nuance. 
• Fewer visible pathways for young journalists and creators to see themselves as storytellers, not just consumers. 

Even if coverage is folded elsewhere, the intentionality and authenticity cultivated over years are hard to replace. What remains is often filtered through a mainstream lens, flattening perspectives and diminishing voice.

5. Why this matters to me 

The 2017 prediction and the events of recent weeks are part of why I helped launch the Racial Equity in Journalism Fund and later led the creation of The Pivot Fund. My goal has always been to support media infrastructure that centers communities of color, youth, and other underserved groups — outlets that can survive and thrive even when corporate media falters. By investing in hyperlocal, grassroots, and mission-driven media, we help ensure that stories from these communities continue to be told authentically and widely. 

6. Lessons for funders, media leaders, and civic actors 

This moment is a call to action: 

• Brand strength is not protection. Even iconic outlets can eliminate editorial teams overnight. 
• Communities need infrastructure. Representation doesn’t survive on goodwill alone; it requires sustained investment. 
• Local journalism is national democracy. When people see themselves reflected in newsrooms, they participate, trust, and act. 
• Equity in journalism is mission-critical. The health of our information ecosystem depends on ensuring that communities of color, youth, and other underserved populations are represented not just as subjects, but as storytellers. 
• Policy and ownership matter. Funders and civic leaders must recognize how mega-mergers, FCC decisions, and consolidation shape whose voices are amplified — and take steps to counterbalance these trends with investments in independent and community-led media. 

The folding of Teen Vogue into Vogue.com, NBC’s shuttering of its community verticals, and CBS News’ disbanding of its race and culture unit are more than business decisions. They are stark reminders that when corporate media prioritizes profit over purpose and audience, the unique platforms amplifying youth voices and communities of color are often the first casualties. 

Supporting independent, community-led media is not charity — it is essential infrastructure. These outlets create space for authentic stories, local insight, and representation that corporate media cannot sustain. When communities tell their own stories, we all gain a fuller, truer picture of who we are. 

When the margins are silenced, the whole story suffers.