About Us

Sign1News (a YouTube partner) is an innovative award-winning media production company delivering news for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community powered by CNN in American Sign Language (ASL).

Sign1News is the first and only cloud-driven digital network, partnered with world news leader CNN, to offer on-line news and information in American Sign Language.  Sign1News provides media production services and equal access to local, regional and national news and information to the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community via live streamed and daily post-produced broadcasts. Sign1News: Your Life. Your Language.

AWARD WINNING
Sign1News was given the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 2019 Adoption Excellence Award in the category of Media/Social Media/Public Awareness.

THE SIGN1NEWS DIFFERENCE
Our talented staff works hard each day to deliver quality news to you. We have backgrounds from notable organizations such as GALLAUDET UNIVERSITY, FOX, ABC, CBS, TBN (TRINITY BROADCAST NETWORK), ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, THE WEATHER CHANNEL and THE ART INSTITUTE OF ATLANTA just to name a few.

OUR VISION
The vision of Sign1News is to be the preeminent and unparalleled news outlet for the Deaf community by providing first-of-its kind network access to news and information.

OUR MISSION
The mission of Sign1News is to provide equal access to up-to-the-minute news and information in American Sign Language, to provide a job skills pipelines for Deaf students, to change the news game forever — and to have a whole lot of fun while we are doing it!

OUR CORE VALUES
“Nihil de nobis, sine nobis.” “Nothing about us without us.”

Sign1News strives to be culturally sensitive to the needs of our viewers. Every effort is made to include the input of the Deaf community in the decisions we make.

CO-FOUNDER AND CO-CEO
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Karen Graham is a 20-year broadcast journalist and co-founder and co-CEO of Sign1News.

Graham, an Atlanta native, started her television career in 1990 as an administrative assistant in the sales department at FOX-affiliate WTVT-TV in Tampa, Florida. In 1994, she was approached by the news director to offer her a position as a general assignment reporter. Two years later, Graham was promoted to sports reporter and fill-in weekend anchor.

In 1997, Graham accepted the position as weekend sports anchor at ABC-affiliate WSOC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina. Three years later Graham moved back to Atlanta to work for FOX-affiliate WAGA-TV as the weekend sports anchor. In addition to covering various sports at the high school, collegiate and professional levels, Graham also co-hosted a weekly 1-hour NASCAR radio talk show with WYAY FM 106.7 radio personality Dallas McCade.

Graham also worked double-duty as a fill-in feature reporter for WAGA’s morning show “Good Day Atlanta.” She eventually moved into the position of full-time co-anchor. In 2007 she was promoted to solo anchor of the 9am hour of “Good Day Atlanta.” The show’s infotainment format allowed Graham to cover captivating and hard-hitting political, business and international news as well as interviewing some of the biggest names in the entertainment world.

In her sixteen years at WAGA, Graham won three Southeast Regional Television Emmy awards (2003, 2006, 2007) in recognition of her outstanding achievement in television and news excellence.

Graham is fluent in American Sign Language. She is also a staunch advocate for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. In 2005, Graham began her academic studies of Deaf culture and American Sign Language through the Interpreter Training Program at Georgia State University (formerly Georgia Perimeter College). She has served as keynote and motivational speaker at Atlanta Area School for the Deaf and Georgia School for the Deaf.  She has also volunteered to assist Deaf citizens apply for employment, college admission and completion of high school graduation requirements. Graham accepted the Georgia Association for the Deaf’s Station of the Year Award for the Best Closed Captioning and commitment to the hard-of-hearing community on behalf of WAGA. She featured several news stories that highlighted social issues and personal achievements in the Deaf community. She served as leader of Ray of Hope Christian Church’s Deaf ministry. Graham is studying for her national interpreter’s certification.

Graham is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in Communication. She also earned an M.A. in Mass Communications from the University of South Florida.

Graham enjoys dancing, hiking, photography, tennis and doing New York Times crossword puzzles.

CO-FOUNDER AND CO-CEO
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Jabari Butler is a 20-year technology, business and event production professional and co-founder and co-CEO of Sign1News.

Butler is a visionary and innovator. His strong values and belief in God is what fuels his passion and belief that people and organizations should seek to display innovation, both in technology and in communication.

Butler was born and raised in the Bay Area, of the sometimes challenging neighborhoods and streets in the Oakland area. Through many life lessons, highs and lows, Butler pressed his way to pursue his bachelors degree at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Butler pressed his way into excelling in college and his profession in technology. Ambitious and determined, with advice from wise teachers and advisors, he pressed on to a career in technology. Through various career stints at Fortune 100 companies, including being an integral part of a technology project team whose contributions in the field are published in Bill Gates’ book: Business @ the Speed of Thought, he finally accepted his call to ministry. Combining his love of both God and technology, he focuses his message on the power of innovation and the power of God’s creative and intentional Word. Butler’s life and career is a witness to this power.  It is this power that drives him to work with and invest in the Deaf community.

During his tenure at Sign1News, Butler is a member of The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Southeast Chapter and volunteers as a Regional EMMY Judge.

As a minister and an entrepreneur, Butler co-founded several businesses across a number of industries including wellness, healthcare and higher education technology across several countries including the United States, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and others.  Butler continues to have a passion for the technology-challenged. Through his personal experiences of overcoming several life challenges, he strongly believes in the power to change any situation around. He is walking in his life purpose and passion.  

Butler holds a Bachelor of Science from Morehouse College and a Masters of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC). He was named one of ITC’s Distinguished Alumni in 2015 and was named to the 2009 list of Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.  

Butler has received a number of awards and is a sought-after speaker.  He is a member of the National Small Business Association’s Leadership Council and was a member of the Forbes Technology Council.  He has been quoted in FORBES, HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) and other notable publications.

Butler currently serves as an ordained Minister at the Ray of Hope Christian Church, where the Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale is the Senior Pastor. He currently serves on several boards including the Pension Fund. He was also a board member with TalkBLACK, Atlanta’s premier African-American discussion group that was previously featured in Black Enterprise.