The Official writing
The official writing on BlackPlanet is mostly comprised of recent news (most of which is geared at the black american community). Such as: recent news on Lebron James, titled "Cavs Owner Calls LeBron A Coward" and "Black Inventor Could Save the Planet." They are pretty short and if the user wants to read more they must click the link. The news is pretty formal since it is really coming from news sources such as The Urban Daily.
Member writing
The users of BlackPlanet can really write about whatever they want. They are able to comment on stories, update their statuses and write blogs. For the member writing I checked out some of the users blogs. Many of these I found to be quite personal and sort of used for a venting purpose and letting things off the users chest. There is a most popular blog section, even though I found those to not have many (or any comments) by other users.
The users can also obviously join groups divided into categories such as: Entertainment & Arts, Family & Home and Relationships (which hold the most members). The largest group in the Relationship section is called So Black, So Beautiful and allows users to post on this subject. I'm not sure what the education level is as to introduce the groups purpose, but it is greatly lacking in the "traditional" spelling/grammar rules.
Worthy site?
I feel that BlackPlanet is a worthy site for those who fit the niche targeted audience. I especially like how there is a special music, blog and news section. Also, I like how the news is right on the home page, as opposed to opening up another tab and reading the news. Users do not have to go far to find anything they need as most is provided for them on the website alone.
It is indeed as a you say, a niche blog; however, it is a huge niche--and, as a result, has profound cultural impact.
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