For the past 93 years, the Defender has been committed to inspiring, informing and educating the Black community. The Defender first did this through a widely-distributed newspaper, then adding a focus on the digital dissemination of news via our website, DefenderNetwork.com. Now, a new partnership with KRIV, Fox 26 News, aims to take that effort a step further.
“We’re always looking for innovative ways to expand our reach, and this historic partnership allows us to do just that,” said Defender CEO and publisher, Sonny Messiah Jiles.
Members of the Defender’s editorial team will appear weekly in a segment called Top 3 Takeaways on Channel 26’s 5pm newscast. They’ll be highlighting the original, insightful stories they wrote on a variety of topics that especially highlight Houston’s growing minority community, including health, education, lifestyle, business and racial disparity issues, as well as profiles of prominent citizens.
“We have always been committed to delivering community-oriented, solutions-driven journalism that you don’t typically see in mainstream media. The team at FOX 26 does an excellent job of bringing the daily news to the Houston community, as well as their special reports. This platform will allow us to inform the broader community of stories they may not typically see,” Messiah Jiles said.
“This partnership gives FOX 26 News an opportunity to delve further into stories that are impacting our communities and offers our viewers an enhanced perspective on issues important to Houston,” said KRIV, FOX 26 News Director, Susan Schiller.
Defender Managing Editor, ReShonda Tate (a former Fox 26 news reporter), Associate Editor Aswad Walker and Education Reporter Laura Oneyeho will make up the team appearing on the Top 3 Takeaways. The segment will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays on the 5pm newscast.
