NEW YORK, May 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- iOne Digital,
formerly Interactive One, changes the game and launches CASSIUS
(http://www.cassiuslife.com), the definitive
digital destination for urban enthusiasts, millennials and lovers
of Black culture. The inaugural digital cover, "Culture Vultures"
represents both the mission of the new platform to address
contemporary cultural theft—and the savvy of the newly formed
editorial dream team charged with injecting media with critical
commentary about the global impact of Black culture. With cultural
appropriation at the forefront of much of today's conversation,
CASSIUS is in position to best fill the void for a new generation
of urban enthusiasts. Bold, controversial covers, never-seen-before
interactive graphics, and an in-your-face, unapologetic editorial
point of view are what differentiate CASSIUS – a website that pays
homage to the spirit of its namesake and the legacy of print
magazines with a modern twist.
"Cassiuslife.com is not really about the late Cassius Clay [Muhammad
Ali]. We are tremendously inspired by him, however this
movement is not about the greatness of one man, but rather the
greatness of us all," says CASSIUS creator Kierna Mayo, SVP, Content and Brands at iOne
Digital. "We simply tapped into Ali's brash, brave spirit. He
is the globe's foremost icon of what it means to be unapologetic.
Our hope is that CASSIUS speaks to anyone who stands for
something meaningful; for anyone who is unabashedly themselves; for
anyone who questions those in power. This millennial generation has
given voice to this exact spirit—and we've heard them."
CASSIUS is an experience. It presents news and storytelling
differently. It provokes, disrupts, informs and uplifts. As
a 21st century digital platform dedicated to telling the
unvarnished truth, it gives daily voice to those much
talked about, but rarely spoken to. Through original
reporting and sharp commentary, no topic will be left
unturned. CASSIUS editors are relentless in their research
and craft. Moreover, the team doesn't just cover the culture,
they ARE the culture. Representing some of the brightest minds
and recognized voices in media space, the all-star editorial team
hails from the rich history of print magazines, the rigorous
discipline of journalism, the fast-moving pace of digital, and the
trendsetting worlds of fashion, media and entertainment.
"I really believe that what we are building is essentially a
Petri dish where you take young people from all walks of life and
you give them an opportunity that a lot of other companies wouldn't
have given them," says Detavio Samuels, President of iOne Digital
& One Solution. "We wanted to take the genius of Black and
brown innovators, millennials and lovers of the culture; put them
in a media company where they are free to create content that
speaks to their experiences and diversity. Then, watch them
flourish."
Borrowing from the world of print, CASSIUS brings its readers
back to the classic monthly cover. CASSIUS takes on its own unique
spin with digital covers - using them to ignite groundbreaking
conversation around burning social topics. Each month, CASSIUS will
feature original cover art tackling themes such as power, identity,
and race. Topical video exploration with every cover further
amplifies the uniquely informed CASSIUS point of view.
CASSIUS embodies the diversity its editorial team lives—and
mirrors a new American reality. Black, brown and white. Gay and
straight. Male and female. Generation X and millennial. No digital
media company can claim such depth of perspective around the
representation of a culture
appropriated by the world. CASSIUS stakes its claim on the
centrality of Black culture to all of mainstream life—thus creates
content for everyone.
CASSIUS Editorial Team:
Kierna Mayo: Senior Vice
President, Content & Brands
Award-winning former Editor in Chief, VP, Digital Content of Ebony
magazine with over 25 years of editorial experience – starting out
as an early Hip-Hop journalist and later co-founding and serving as
Editor in Chief of the ground-breaking Honey Magazine.
Jamilah Lemieux: Vice
President, News & Men's Programming
Renowned cultural critic and media commentator with a focus on
issues of race, gender, and sexuality, previously served as Senior
Editor at EBONY magazine.
Shani Saxon-Parrish: VP,
Millennial Programming
A leader in the editorial and content strategy space for over two
decades currently overseeing the development and execution of
multi-platform entertainment content, previously served as Senior
Director of Entertainment at BET Digital.
Darnell L. Moore:
Editor-at-Large
A highly awarded prolific writer published in media outlets
including MSNBC, The Guardian, VICE, Huffington Post, EBONY, The
Root, OUT Magazine and Gawker among others – formerly served as
Senior Editor and Correspondent at Mic.
Marielle Bobo: Executive
Director, Style & Special Projects
Widely known as a masterful creative director with over 17 years of
fashion and beauty media experience, Bobo previously served as
Fashion & Beauty Director at Ebony Magazine and later
leveraged her expertise to Essence, Women's Wear Daily (WWD) Vanity
Fair, Glamour, and Harper's Bazaar.
Rae Holliday: Special
Projects Producer
Co-Creator and Editor of Stuff Fly People who has supplied the
'flyest' in fashion, music & entertainment to millions of
viewers, proving his overall reach and influence – previously
served as the Fashion Editor of Roc4Life, Editor-At-Large of Bleu
Magazine and Managing Editor of Necole Bitchie's Bitchie
Life.
S. Tia Brown: Senior
Lifestyle Producer
Passionate journalist, trained life coach & licensed therapist,
who has done everything from interviewing Alicia Keys to writing about personal finance
and self-help - previously worked at an array of popular
publications including In Touch Weekly and currently a Core Team
Expert on The Dr. Oz Show.
Jada Gomez-Lacayo: Deputy
Editor
Pop culture enthusiast, sports buff and
journalistic maven whose career spans TIME, PEOPLE, HipHopDX, and
Latina.
Julian Mitchell:
Deputy Editor, Video & Editorial
An award-winning marketer, instructor, and multimedia
journalist – named one of the Top Voices in Media by LinkedIn
citing him as one of the must-know writers driving culture –
previously worked alongside Sean "Diddy" Combs to launch
REVOLT Media & TV as Social Media and Editorial
Director.
Gideon E. Moncrieffe:
Executive Director, Video Operations
Passionate about music and entertainment with early beginnings at
Emmis Communications working for 98.7 Kiss FM, Hot 97.1 FM, and CD
101, he later went on to leverage his expertise in radio, event
production and video at Power 105.1, NBC, MTV's Sweet 16, BET's 106
& Park, Tyler Perry Studio's, Global Advertising Strategies,
Fuse TV, BBC America, Essence Festival, GlobalHue, and iHeart
Media.
Members of the editorial team are available for
interviews. Contact press@interactiveone.com or Natarsha Gilliard at 646.695.3814.
About Interactive One
iOne Digital (previously known
as Interactive One) is the dominant digital media platform for
brands to reach Urban Enthusiasts. A division of Urban One, Inc.,
we reach 25MM+ monthly digital consumers across a network of online
destinations inclusive of our core brands — CASSIUS (Millennial
Lifestyle & Culture), GlobalGrind ( Millennial Pop Culture),
HelloBeautiful (Women's Lifestyle) and NewsOne (News/Affluent)
— as well as other Urban One owned and operated properties
and affiliates. iOne Digital was launched in 2008 by Radio One,
Inc. [NASDAQ: ROIA and ROIAK, radio-one.com] to complement its
existing portfolio of media companies targeting Black Americans.
Since then, its news, entertainment, video and lifestyle content
has driven its growth. Across digital, radio and television
properties, we are the largest and only fully integrated urban
media company in the world. For more information, visit
www.ionedigital.com.
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SOURCE Interactive One