DETROIT — New Michigan Media (NMM) has announced a partnership with WXYZ-TV where the two Detroit area media companies will collaborate and share resources through WXYZ’s new project titled “Detroit 2020.”

New Michigan Media board members posing in front of WXYZ station in Southfield after an interview with Chuck Stokes on Spot Light on The News program.

In a press release sent out by both companies, it states “The partnership is to remake the narrative on Detroit by bringing to light all the facets of life in the city. The region does face serious issues, but it is also full of life, investment, activity, artistic energy and potential.”

The goal of the partnership is to focus on important stories which will better define the Detroit area as well as placing a special emphasis on contributions of ethnic and racial minorities. 

“Most of the time mainstream media do not take ethnic media into account,” said Hayg Oshagan, the Wayne State Professor who formed NMM in 2006.  “Detroit 2020 has allowed for us to be included in the conversation about the region,” he added.

When NMM was first formed, Oshagan brought together the five major ethnic media outlets in the Michigan area. The heads of those outlets are now the NMM board members who have since worked closely with him in building NMM’s voice. These board members include Osama Siblani, the publisher of The Arab American News; Bankole Thompson, senior editor of The Michigan Chronicle; Tack Young Kim, publisher of The Michigan Korean Weekly;  Elias Gutierrez, publisher of The Latino Press;  and Arthur Horwitz, publisher of The Jewish News.

NMM has since worked to enhance the visibility of more than 140 media outlets and collaborates with the media outlets to increase visibility of ethnicities to the general population and increase understanding between minority populations in the state. 

WXYZ-TV is the local ABC affiliate, and through its “Detroit 2020” project, covers issues and stories essential to a better understanding of the metro Detroit area.  “Detroit 2020” seeks to make the metro Detroit area a better place to live, work and raise families by the year 2020.

WXYZ is not the only partnership that NMM has collaborated with. They also continue to collaborate with Issue Media group, where they have joined forces on a website (www.semimichiganstartup.com) which features stories on entrepreneurs and businesses started by minorities in Michigan. Participating ethnic medias develop, write, and publish stories about Southeast Michigan entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial successes from their own ethnic communities.

“We’re changing the narrative of Detroit from economic despair to one that publicizes the entrepreneurial spirit of the region,” Oshagan said.