2014 Schedule
Interactive: March 7–11  •  Film: March 7–15  •  Music: March 11–16

Black Social TV: How Black Programming, Viewers an

#sxsw #BlackSocialTV

Almost every Monday night when the Vh1 reality show Love & Hip Hop Atlanta airs, its black and Latina characters, their actions and the title of the show dominate Twitter’s trending topics (they’re often seven of the 10 top trending topics on Twitter). The same happens when other black television and award shows are broadcast. Black shows are not only a television event but they've also become a huge social media affair. African-Americans watch television an additional two hours more than the national average, and African-Americans use Twitter more than other Americans. African-Americans are not just social television participants, they are major players. The rise of social television, watching television and posting on social media simultaneously, has an important impact on television producers, advertisers and viewers. Social media buzz about television shows has created a new barometer for popularity and a crop of apps that allow viewers to connect directly to the producers and cast

Presenters

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Lynessa Williams

Account Coord

SocialRadius

Lynessa Williams is a social media strategist and public relations professional. She is currently an account coordinator at social media marketing and public relations firm SocialRadius where she has managed the social media outreach and public relations for various tech and multimedia companies. Williams, who has also studied the growing impact that urban audiences have on social media networks, earned a master’s degree at Syracuse University in media studies in 2012. Her thesis “Facebook Ruined My Marriage: Digital Intimacy Interference on Social Networking Sites explored Facebook’s negative impact on intimate romantic relationships. Williams also attended the international social media conference the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity in France and has presented her research on antisocial behavior on television at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication conference.

Sherri Williams

Adjunct Professor

Syracuse University

Sherri Williams is an adjunct professor at Syracuse University. Williams studies social TV and how people of color are represented on social media. She appeared on CNN’s Piers Morgan Live show to discuss social media images of Rachel Jeantel after she testified in the George Zimmerman trial. Williams is completing a PhD in mass communications at Syracuse. Her dissertation explores how viewers discuss television images of women of color on social media.Sherri Williams is an adjunct professor at Syracuse University. Williams studies social media, social TV and how people of color use and are represented on social media. She appeared on CNN’s Piers Morgan Live show to discuss social media images of Rachel Jeantel after she testified in the George Zimmerman trial. Williams, who is completing a PhD in mass communications at Syracuse. Her dissertation explores how viewers discuss tele

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