Written by award-winning journalist Nadine White, Pressing Forward is a definitive study of Black British media over the past 25 years—charting the rise, transformation, and enduring impact of Black-led platforms across the UK.
From legacy print newspapers navigating the digital revolution to the emergence of online-first newsrooms, community magazines, and cultural platforms, this work maps the infrastructure behind the headlines. Through archival research, exclusive interviews, and in-depth industry analysis, it offers a rare, insider view into the forces shaping Black media in Britain.
At its core, Pressing Forward interrogates the key dynamics that define the sector: funding models, relationships with the state, editorial independence, ownership battles, and the fundamental question—who controls the narrative?
Produced in collaboration with Brixton Heights Media and Black Current News, this study honours the pioneers who built Black media institutions from the ground up, often with limited resources and minimal institutional support. It also examines moments of tension, compromise, and silence, presenting a nuanced and honest account of both progress and ongoing precarity.
As conversations around representation, trust, and media accountability continue to evolve, this study stands as an essential resource for the Black British community, researchers, students, and academics. It documents how Black British media has influenced, challenged, and, at times, outpaced the mainstream.
More than a historical record, Pressing Forward is a blueprint for the future of Black media in the UK.
