Elevate Dayton joining Ohio Black Media Collective

Elevate Dayton is building partnerships and expanding its reach across the state. The outlet is the newest member of the Ohio Black Media Collective (OBMC).

The OBMC is a joint venture between eight founding member Black media outlets and six affiliate members. The collective aspires to be a bridge between corporate sponsors and Black media outlets, while also sharing information that strengthens the Black community.

“Elevate Dayton joining the OBMC is the next logical step in terms of gaining a larger foothold throughout our home state,” said Elevate Dayton publisher Nate Dillard. “I appreciate the collective for bringing us on board and I can’t wait to help the collective tell more stories about the Dayton community.”

Content sharing takes on a few different forms. The OBMC’s founding members and affiliate members can liberally republish content when it suits their publication needs. The collective’s website serves as a hub that houses all content from founding members and affiliates. A news service is in the works to make the OBMC a formal Black media wire for Ohio.

“Elevate Dayton brings a fresh perspective and needed technological know-how to the OBMC,” said Montrice Terry, managing member of the OBMC. “They further augment our presence in the important Dayton market.”

The OBMC started as a loose idea in June 2020. Meetings were held between 50 to 60 media outlets from around the state about coming together to amplify their reach. Over time, the number of media outlets at these meetings dwindled to about a dozen.

Traction started to pick up in August 2021 when the founding eight media outlets incorporated the OBMC. The collective was introduced to the public during the Ohio Conference NAACP’s State Convention in September of that year.

Beyond news, the OBMC aspires to offer more than just news. The collective’s website hosts additional services including business directories, events and classifieds. The OBMC plans to enhance these offerings as it upgrades its website in the future.