Television

Black Entertainment Television is returning to limited journalism after abandoning its nightly newscast in 2005. The network will feature periodic reports and interviews from the floor and will broadcast Obama's acceptance speech live.

It also will air a special live edition of its new weekly news show, The Truth With Jeff Johnson.

Kevin Brown, BET's vice president of news and public affairs, rejects the suggestion that his network might be biased in its coverage.

"I really take offense to the charge that black journalists can't be objective. There is the celebratory nature of the moment, that's true," said Brown.

"But we're going to call the candidates on their agendas. We can't give either of them a free pass. We do have to keep in mind our demographic, which is the 18- to 34-year-old viewer, and be responsive to that. But that will not taint the integrity of the journalism that goes into it."

But not everyone regards possible preferential treatment of Obama by black cable networks as damaging.

"I don't have a problem with the cheerleading," said Darnell Hunt, head of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA. "The black press will provide a perspective and viewpoint you won't get from other press."