Sacramento City Council approves $250,000 journalism program to support creative economy
Sacramento City Council last week approved a $250,000 grant for local media outlet Solving Sacramento Journalism Collective to support the recovery of the arts and creative economy.
The program aims to support local arts journalism to increase awareness and engagement with arts and cultural activities, support new journalism models, tell the story of the city’s creative economy, promote diversity in journalism, and align with the goals of the City’s Creative Edge Cultural Plan.
“Sacramento creative industries are a significant driver of economic benefit to the region,” said City Grants and Program Manager Melissa Cirone. “This program not only seeks to shine a light on the vibrant arts scene in Sacramento but also to cultivate a new generation of journalists who are responsive to the needs and interests of our communities.”
Solving Sacramento will generate approximately 120 feature stories, previews, reviews, and coverage of cultural and creative economy events through an array of formats including online and print publications as well as other media vehicles.
Additionally, the program will include training for student journalists, aiming to meet the needs of both contemporary audiences and emerging journalists.
Solving Sacramento is a journalism collaborative of seven local nonprofit and for-profit local newsrooms and one civic engagement organization working together to produce stories on the issues that impact the greater Sacramento region.
Their partners include California Groundbreakers, CapRadio, Outword, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review, Sacramento Observer and Univision 19.
“This grant from the City will help Solving Sacramento greatly increase the volume and quality of arts reporting in our community, which has been woefully under-resourced since the pandemic,” said Solving Sacramento’s Project Manager Larry Lee. “We believe by doing much of our arts coverage through a solutions lens, we will engage audiences who feel more invested in local arts and then are inspired to be an active part of this vibrant and diverse community.”
Supporting this journalism collaborative is an efficient model that holds the potential for sustained coverage of arts and culture in the longer term, according to officials.
Funding for the program comes from the $10 million allocated from federal American Rescue Plan resources to support the creative economy impacted by the pandemic in Sacramento.
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