The media landscape is shifting and mutating, that's for sure. This is especially true for print media, where publications are struggling to keep up with the new avenues from which people are getting their information -- for example, the internet. Sadly, it seems that cutbacks and reorganization have resulted in stunted arts reporting. At least, that's how those gathered at a two-week NEA Arts Journalism Institute in Theater and Musical Theater program felt.

One of the fellows, Jay Handelman, wrote:

Without trying to overgeneralize, in many newsrooms, senior editors who determine which stories go on the front page of local news sections are so immersed in news and investigative reporting (or even sports) that they tend to play down arts coverage.

But the point of the gathering was not to whine about the problem, but rather to focus on how to fix it. Handelman believes that arts writers and critics need to convince editors that covering the arts is vitally important -- and makes for interesting reading. For instance, he says, reporting the arts can focus on trends, thereby drawing in younger readers.

It's definitely disturbing to hear how little attention is being paid to this area, especially since it's where I see myself heading sometime in the not-so-distant future. On the other hand, there is some good news. According to this New York Times article, Cleveland philanthropist Peter B. Lewis has donated $101 million to Princeton (his alma mater) "to expand its creative and performing arts activities, including the creation of an artists-in-residence program." He is quoted as saying:

the arts are "an important part of life I didn't know when I was at Princeton and didn't know when I was a kid."

Now, if we can just get him to tell that to the editors.