As demands, resources and priorities change at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution so too does our coverage of various topics. Some might argue that the newspaper’s coverage of the arts over the last decade has undergone a transformation. And if you’re in that camp I’d agree with you.
Nonetheless, while our commitment may look different, our coverage of the arts and cultural activities in metro Atlanta has always been a priority. The AJC has a responsibility — the same as it does to hold government officials accountable through our investigative reporting — to help readers navigate the area’s vast music, arts and cultural scene from downtown Atlanta to the suburban communities.
Earlier this year, AJC Cultural Institutions Reporter Howard Pousner accepted the Gwinnie award from the Hudgens Center for the Arts. The award was given to the AJC for our increased arts coverage. The organizers emphasized it was not just for our coverage of the Hudgens but for arts coverage in general.
It was nice acknowledgement of all the hard work that our arts and entertainment staff has done to reclaim our ownership of this topic that is so vital to our community and important to our readers.
I’m proud to be part of a staff awarded such honor but it’s not how I came to write about this topic. I was reminded how important it is for us to be committed to arts coverage last week after attending some of the incredible events being offered by the 2012 National Black Arts Festival. As part of NBAF’s Jazz Around Town series I heard vocalist Alex Lattimore perform at the West End Performing Arts Center. I’d never been to the arts center on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard. The truth be told I never knew it was there until I visited nbaf.org after we wrote an article previewing festival events.
Before Lattimore’s performance, I was moved by the passion with which Collette Hopkins spoke about the NBAF. Hopkins, NBAF’s director of education and public programs, greeted guests into the center with a pleasant welcome and escorted people to their seats. She made the experience personal.
Hopkins spoke passionately about NBAF and what it means to Atlanta. Today, you can catch the final day of the NBAF’s International Marketplace and Music Stage at Centennial Olympic Park.
Visit ajc.com to read more about the NBAF and some of its highlights this month. In a story Saturday, Pousner wrote that the once-sprawling NBAF is notably smaller this year. He reported that it is transitioning into a year-round cultural presenter and, at the same time, preparing for a 25th anniversary celebration next summer that “will be so dynamic and so engaging,” executive director Michael Simanga promised, “that it will remind people very much why this institution is so important.”
Pousner believes his role is to “not only point you to worthy events but also give you the context of why institutions do what they do.”
Of our arts transformation, Pousner said, “our mix is richer. Accessibility and usability are important aspects of our coverage. ...I try to pull everyone in and try to make everyone an arts reader.”
The transformation of arts coverage is not unique to the AJC. The National Arts Journalism Program at Columbia has reported that more Americans than ever are participating in cultural activities and the arts have gained in size and complexity. But, at the same time, the resources that metro-area newsrooms allocate to the arts are generally flat or in retreat.
Acknowledging these reports, the AJC remains committed.
“Many nationally and internationally acclaimed musicians, writers, painters and actors have gotten their starts here and been shaped by the city. And the city, in turn, has been shaped by the arts,” said AJC Features Editor Suzanne Van Atten. “These are things our readers are deeply interested in, and they expect us to keep them current on what’s happening.”
If you aren’t a follower of the AJC living and arts coverage you can start today with our Sunday Living & Arts section. Then read the Living section on weekdays and our Go Guide entertainment section on Fridays. Ajc.com and accessatlanta.com also keep you informed on area arts and entertainment.
And watch for more signs of commitment from the AJC. In our conversations with readers, we’ve learned that you like good stories — and good storytelling — when you sit down to enjoy your Sunday AJC. Next month, we plan to give you more old-fashioned story telling with a new magazine-style feature article on the cover of Sunday Living & Arts.
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