"Local arts and culture coverage as we've known it is all but non-existent in local news platforms. It was among the first topics on the chopping block amid consolidation and "vulture capitalization" of local news in the early days of digital. It was in need of innovation, to be sure, but it was cut before real, concerted efforts to try new things got off the ground."
"As longtime Colorado arts and culture journalist John Moore has written, "When you have fewer journalists covering the arts, it's bad for journalists, and it's bad for local arts organizations. But more than anything, it is bad from everyone...who is becoming increasingly oblivious to the cultural lifeblood of their communities." Without this coverage, local news neglects one of its fundamental roles: supporting a robust quality of life for communities."
"Covering local culture - the values we share, the opportunities to gather together to share experiences - is vital to combating isolation and polarization as these shared experiences, be they restaurant openings or rock concerts, allow for the construction of social capital that makes the discussion and deliberation essential to functional democracy possible. Additionally, with the $1.1 trillion that the arts contribute to the U.S. economy, arts and culture coverage represents an important story of"
Local arts and culture coverage has largely disappeared from local news due to consolidation and "vulture capitalization," and innovation efforts were cut before they could scale. Many communities now lack a common resource for activities and culture that build a sense of place and bring neighbors together. Reduced arts reporting harms journalists, arts organizations, and residents who lose connection to cultural lifeblood. Coverage supports quality of life, combats isolation and polarization by fostering shared experiences that build social capital, and underpins functional democracy. Arts contribute $1.1 trillion to the U.S. economy, making cultural reporting vital for community sustainability and audience and revenue diversification. Small new ventures, like SHOUT in Wichita (April 2024), indicate early signs of renewal.
Read at Nieman Lab
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