Podcasting gave Black creators a new door. David Shands says walk through it

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ATLANTA (ABNN) - David Shands says the media gatekeepers are still there. But for Black creators, the path around them is more open than it has ever been.

Shands, host of "Social Proof Podcast," spoke with The American Black News Network about podcasting, ownership and why Black creators should stop waiting for traditional media to give them permission.

For Shands, the issue is bigger than microphones and cameras. It is about access, control and who gets to be heard.

Shands said he entered the podcasting space after looking for places where creators like him could learn the business. What he found, he said, were major industry events where Black creators were barely represented.

Photo courtesy of David Shands

He described one event as "a mountain of salt with dashes of pepper" and said he believed Black creators needed information delivered in a way that matched how they build, learn and communicate.

"There was nothing for our creators in delivering information in the way that we receive it," Shands said. "We need a little more energy. We need practical steps. We're not taking a fluff."

Shands said the opportunity is not just learning how to turn on a microphone. It is learning how to use media to build a business and a brand.

"I am a business entrepreneur first and a content creator second," Shands said.

That distinction matters in a media environment where ownership can shape who gets heard and who gets ignored.

Shands said there was a time when someone else had to decide if a person was good enough to be on radio or television. Now, he said, creators can buy a camera, get a microphone and build an audience directly.

"Now, we can go to Best Buy, get a camera, a microphone, and get our voices heard and start to build our brand," Shands said.

For Black creators, that shift matters.

Traditional media has not always made space for Black voices, Black ownership or Black storytelling. Shands said podcasting and digital media give creators a chance to build their own platforms instead of waiting for approval.

He said the first step is not chasing fame. It is knowing exactly who you are trying to reach.

Photo courtesy of David Shands

"You need to identify who you're talking to, who's the audience, and make a decision to talk to them every single week," Shands said.

He said creators should give the same audience a different message each week, then turn each episode into clips that can live across platforms.

Shands also said successful creators do not build by copying everyone else.

"They lean into their gifts that they already have," Shands said. "Struggling creators try to be what they're not."

The media landscape is also changing because audiences are demanding more substance, Shands said.

"People want information now," he said. "We're just in a space right now where it's very important to have something to say."

Shands said creators still need to understand the basics. Asked which tools matter most, he pointed to camera, lighting and audio. But he said sound may be the most important.

"People will tolerate a video that's kind of blurry if it sounds good," Shands said. "But even no matter how crispy it looks, if it doesn't sound good and people have to struggle to hear it, they're leaving."

He also said artificial intelligence is changing content creation by helping creators research, plan and produce faster. Shands said tools such as ChatGPT, NotebookLM and Opus Clips can help creators generate topics, structure conversations and turn long-form content into short clips.

But the larger message from Shands is not about technology.

It is about using technology to control the story.