Who Really Controls The News Media?! – Ep. 154 w/ Britt Hunter & Blake Stoner

podcast December 31, 1969

What Up Doe?! In this special crossover episode between Black Fridays Podcast and Thanks But No One Asked You, hosts Denzell Turner and Britt Hunter sit down with Blake Stoner, founder and CEO of Vngle — a civic insights company on a mission to revolutionize local news. Based in Atlanta, Vngle trains everyday citizens to become verified community reporters, ensuring that real stories from underrepresented neighborhoods are told with accuracy, authenticity, and heart.

Blake discusses how his family’s deep history in civil rights inspired his commitment to media equity, how the 2014 Ferguson uprising shaped the creation of Vngle, and why the future of journalism depends on collaboration between communities and technology. He also gives insight into Atlanta’s South Downtown revitalization project and his work building one of America’s next great innovation districts.

We’re talking

How Vngle empowers communities to share real stories and combat misinformation
The evolution of local journalism and the rise of “news deserts”
Why civic engagement and entrepreneurship go hand-in-hand
The vision for Atlanta’s South Downtown as a tech and cultural hub
How storytelling can rebuild trust between people and media

This episode dives deep into what it means to build technology with purpose — and why democratizing storytelling is key to shaping the future of cities, culture, and connection.

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