Winners of Knight/NEA Community Arts Journalism Challenge Announced

Art Attack

Philadelphia, PA

Art Attack will increase arts coverage in the Philadelphia Daily News by publishing coverage produced by staff, students, faculty, and journalists affiliated with Drexel University. The university already publishes high-quality reports through two websites: Cultural Passport and The Smart Set. Art Attack will emphasize quality, critical writing, and "think pieces," giving readers a better understanding of the arts in the city. In addition, courses in arts journalism will be offered at Drexel University by critics-in-residence throughout the academic year.

Charlotte Arts Journalism Alliance

Charlotte, NC

The Charlotte Arts Journalism Alliance (CAJA) is a collaboration with the University of North Carolina and five major media players: the daily newspaper The Charlotte Observer; commercial station WCNC-TV; public radio station WFAE; African-American interest website QcityMetro; and online civic and cultural magazine Charlotte Viewpoint. Within its first year, CAJA will provide specialized training for aspiring citizen journalists under the guidance of the university, and develop an app that will highlight CAJA's work and solicit reader interaction. By commissioning trained arts journalists to produce compelling stories to be shared among the partners, the project will improve the quality and quantity of local arts journalism and highlight the city's cultural diversity

CriticCar Detroit

Detroit, MI

CriticCar Detroit is a mobile recording system that will criss-cross the city, offering event-goers the opportunity to record video reviews as they exit performances and exhibitions. Those interviews will later be broadcast on a variety of web channels accessible via smartphones and computers. The critiques generated through CriticCar will not only create buzz about cultural events, but will document in words and images the diversity of Detroit's cultural life and audiences, and help connect residents and visitors to local arts organizations. Jennifer Conlin, a long-time contributor to the New York Times, and Dan Shaw, former New York Times reporter and co-founder of the online cultural magazine RuralIntelligence.com, lead the project.