young & ambitious
Akosua Annobil-Dodoo
Editor of overgroundonline.com
H
aving made her name as a Naomi Campbell, Grace Jones and and Caribbean entertainers. The
music and entertainment Oprah. They’re strong women who events are just another simple
journalist captivating people I respect and admire. All three have way to help promote talented
with her weekly column The Gist successfully worked in the media newcomers and unsung heroes.
in New Nation newspaper, Akosua for a long time and I’m sure you’d
Annobil-Dodoo has now moved learn a lot having a conversation How and why did you start
on and become the editor of with any one of them. up your communications
overgroundonline.com – an online company Fire Media UK?
newspaper for British African- Why did you decide to leave It was a case of supply and
Caribbeans. Here she tells Flavour journalism in the end? demand. I started the company
about her new venture. I stopped working full-time at New because at that time (2004)
Nation last year, but continued to London’s underground music
Why did you decide to study give them a weekly entertainment scene was thriving and there was
Journalism at university? column until last August. a huge number of singles, albums
It runs in the family; my grandfather Overgroundonline.com launched and artists that needed specialist
was a journalist in Ghana and the following month, so it was a promotion. The industry has
Britain – so it was an easy choice. natural progression for me. moved on since then, so we’ve
had to diversify into events, theatre
How did you land your first job You are the current editor of productions and celebrities. I
at the New Nation newspaper? overgroundonline.com. What is stepped down as director of the
I’d been working as a sub-editor the objective of this website? company earlier this year, so I
for a TV listings magazine, but was African-Caribbeans are among the could spend more time working on
made redundant when the firm most technology-aware consumers the individual campaigns.
went bust in 2001. I called New in Britain. But publications such as
Nation, who were looking for a Who is the one person that
sub-editor, and got the job. Two inspires you in your field?
weeks later, one of their reporters Orantes Moore, founder of
left and the editor suggested I take overgroundonline.com.
the vacancy. I didn’t plan to be a
journalist; that’s how it turned out. Give me one issue (under each
heading: Politics, Entertainment,
As a former freelance journalist Culture) that you are passionate
how difficult was it to get well- about and deem important in
known publications like The society and briefly explain why.
Observer and Pride Magazine to Politics: Projects for young
publish your work and how did people are greatly under-funded in
you make it happen? Britain. As a result we’re seeing a
When mainstream publications generation of youths growing up
want to get an African Caribbean without any real sense of social
perspective on a news story they responsibility.
might contact New Nation or
The Voice and ask one of their Entertainment: Over the past
journalists to write an article, but five years, we’ve seen a number
this is quite rare. I wrote for Pride of underground entertainers
in 2006 and 2007 after then- successfully cross over into
editor Sherry Dixon asked me to mainstream markets. But I’d
contribute a column. I’d known like to see more young people
Sherry for sometime and had New Nation, The Voice and Pride progressing in positions that
always respected her work. I’ve have been slow to react to the complement those entertainers;
made a point of getting to know as internet. Overgroundonline.com is taking behind-the-scenes,
many editors and press officers as an alternative newspaper focusing management and production roles.
possible as having good contacts on entertainment and politics. The
always gives you an advantage. aim is to create a place where Culture: Whatever your culture,
anyone interested in British, African you should embrace it and allow
How did you build up your or Caribbean culture can go online people from other cultures to do
reputation within the media to read articles and watch videos the same.
industry to begin with? about these cultures for free.
Hard work, networking and When you’re not working,
honesty. I tend to focus on the UK Why did you decide to provide a what do you like to do?
music and entertainment scene, platform for underground talent I enjoy cooking and try to jog a few
which is a niche market so your with Overground Events? times a week if possible. The only
name can spread quite quickly. The UK music scene is notoriously time I really stop working is when
ds by Rachelle Hull
difficult to crack and there are I’m out of the county.
or
Who would you most like to very few people who know how to
W interview most and why?
promote unsigned British, African www.overgroundonline.com
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