NewsOne
U.S. left, Black-focused
Background
NewsOne launched in 2008 as part of Interactive One, the digital arm Urban One created to expand beyond radio. Urban One itself traces to 1980, when Cathy Hughes purchased Washington, D.C. AM station WOL after being turned down by more than 30 lenders; the company grew into one of the largest Black-owned media enterprises in the country. Hughes's son Alfred C. Liggins III took over as CEO in 1997 and took the company public in 1999, making Hughes the first Black woman to chair a publicly traded U.S. company. The company rebranded from Radio One to Urban One in 2017 to reflect its expansion into television, digital, and other platforms. Interactive One, the digital division that houses NewsOne, subsequently rebranded as iONE Digital. NewsOne now sits alongside other Black-focused digital properties — including Bossip, MadameNoire, and HipHopWired — that together reach more than 25 million monthly digital consumers. Media Bias/Fact Check originally rated NewsOne as Left-Center but downgraded it to Left in 2019, citing story selection that consistently favors progressive positions and content that at times blends news and opinion without clear separation. Coverage consistently centers on the intersection of U.S. politics and Black American life, with editorial positions that challenge policies the outlet characterizes as harmful to Black communities, including Trump administration actions on DEI programs, voting rights, and immigration enforcement.
Sources
- About Us – NewsOne
- NewsOne – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
- Urban One – Wikipedia
- Cathy Hughes – Wikipedia
- iONE Digital 2023 Brand Repositioning
- NewsOne – Grokipedia
- Black People Did Worse Economically Under Trump In 2025 – NewsOne
- iONE Digital Solidifies Itself as Largest Digital Player in Black Culture – PR Newswire
Profile compiled 2026-07-16; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.