6pm Productions released a trailer today for the new documentary “The Beat Goes On: The Story of Baltimore Beat.”
The documentary follows Baltimore Beat Editor-in-Chief Lisa Snowden’s career working as a freelance writer for The AFRO, covering the 2015 Uprising for Baltimore City Paper, and co-founding Baltimore Beat. The film explores how media narratives shape a city like Baltimore, the importance of authenticity in reporting, and how the values of the Black press live on in alternative publications like Baltimore Beat.
“Baltimore Beat’s mission is to bring news that’s relatable to everybody and accessible to everybody,” Baltimore Beat editor-in-chief Lisa Snowden says. “When we were thinking about what Baltimore Beat was going to be we thought about the history of the Black press in the United States as always being the truth-tellers.”
Founded in 2017 after the closure of Baltimore City Paper, Baltimore Beat aims to fill the space the 40-year-old alt-weekly left behind, while also creating a news organization that is more inclusive and representative of a majority Black city. Baltimore Beat transitioned from a for-profit publication to a nonprofit in 2018. The paper relaunched in 2022, bolstered by a $1 million gift from The Lillian Holofcener Charitable Foundation.
“We had this opportunity to tell the story of how the legacy of the Black press is still impacting journalists in Baltimore.”
David Elliot
The documentary guides viewers from the beginnings of the Beat, through the death of Baltimore City resident Freddie Gray and the unrest that followed, to the ongoing fight for justice.
“The Baltimore Beat makes me hopeful,” says longtime police accountability activist Tawanda Jones.
Director David Elliot, producer Dion Smith, and producer and recording artist Eze Jackson have been working on the documentary since January 2025. This is the first feature film from their production company, 6pm Productions.
“When I learned the story of how the Beat is the heir of City Paper, I became fascinated and wanted to tell the story of that transition. That sucked me in as a storyteller,” Elliot says.
“We had this opportunity to tell the story of how the legacy of the Black press is still impacting journalists in Baltimore.”
Elliot is a Baltimore-based filmmaker who fell in love with visual storytelling while attending The Baltimore School for the Arts. For the last 20 years, he has used his camera to display Baltimore City’s vibrant arts scene, creating authentic visuals that uplift his community.
Elliot and Jackson have collaborated for years. Elliot has directed five of Jackson’s music videos, including his heavily celebrated song “Be Great.”
“The Beat Goes On: The Story of Baltimore Beat,” captures what it’s like to serve the needs of Black audiences in Baltimore City, which has been plagued by racist tropes and damaging narratives perpetuated by media institutions for decades.
Email lisa@baltimorebeat.com for more information, including screening dates or interviews.