Culture as Commons: Arts and Community Journalism Resonate in ‘Departures’ within L.A.

Since the world as we know it continues to shape-shift at warp speed, many forms of media that reflect and respond to culture face unprecedented challenges. Yet innovations occur just as constantly, thanks to the tireless efforts of cultural producers. As part of the zeitgeist, participatory models are finally being embraced by public media, whose mandate to ‘educate, inform and mobilize its viewers/users’ can play a vital civic role in democratic societies. These emergent models of arts journalism are by nature experimental, not exactly what public broadcasting has been known for.

The first-of-its-kind National Summit on Arts Journalism, being held through USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and primarily online Oct. 2nd, 2009, received submissions of 109 projects self-selected as demonstrating ’sustainable new models with the potential to support arts journalism.’ From all those considered, five outstanding models are awarded the opportunity to present at the Summit. Then after 500 members of the National Arts Journalism Program and alumni of the NEA Arts Journalism Institutes vote on the five competitively chosen Summit projects, winners will be announced in late October. The summit is an inspired project of USC’s Annenberg School and the National Arts Journalism Program, also made possible with the generous support of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Andrew J. Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Among the 109 submissions to the Summit (all of which can be viewed under Projects) is KCET’S fantastic vision for ‘Departures.’

Los Angeles’ KCET, one of PBS’ three flagship stations, produces widely syndicated television content.  A few years ago, as part of a ‘Beyond Broadcast‘ initiative, KCET New Media launched the award-winning Web Stories. The series explores the ways in which art and culture intersect the daily lives of Southern Californians. It also provides a novel approach to engaging local communities. Columbian-born half-Lebanese Juan Devis, who attended CalArts for his MFA, is Director of Production of New Media at KCET, Los Angeles.

Responsible for the ’online multimedia magazine that offers an insider’s glimpse of the cultural diversity found in Los Angeles.’, Devis is supported in creating this emergent model of arts journalism by two equally passionate associate producers. Art Center grad Justin Cram, a self-described multi-faceted designer with a love of storytelling, is also a member of the Recess Design Collective.

Mathew Williams is a documentary filmmaker, media educator, author and musician who began his teaching career at a junior high school in the South Bronx. Some of the topics explored in the series have included eco-friendly housing, the L.A. backyard party scene, rites of passage in SoCal, L.A.’s moral struggle with AIDS, and local social networks that also exist as off-line communities.

The multiplicity of voices that create the fabric of these narratives ensure a complex rendering of our urban landscape. In what was originally a breakout feature within ‘Web Stories’, ‘Departures’ was created, in Devis’ words, “to provide interactive, subjective, street-level exploration of a neighborhood through the focus of a select few blocks. In this on-line documentary, users navigate a mural or panorama of the neighborhood, meet some of its inhabitants, and learn about its history, landmarks and popular hangouts… The goal of the series is to create a collective, geo-narrative of the city and provide residents, students and community members with an open model of production that includes them not only as subjects of the series, but also as producers of its content.”

In the submission form, Devis writes:

“The Departures series has placed KCET in the community and on the ground proposing a new production model – thanks to new media technologies – in the creation and distribution of content. Our latest installment Departures: LA River, for example, is a vehicle that brings together many of the disparate activities within the station: New Media, Art, Journalism, Education & Outreach (through the programs with youth and the community), Membership with special events tied to River walks, clean-ups and lectures and Promotion. Ultimately, DEPARTURES is a vehicle that brings together neighbors and people in an unprecedented way.”

Recently, Devis began chronicling his process with a production blog for “Departures.’ A pocket video camera he carries captures ‘the nuances of creating public media with and for the Southland’s communities. By creating transparency in ‘Departures’ production process, showing the development of each series, the show, and through it, the station, can reach out to and report to the local communities it serves in an entirely new way.

Images from the KCET’s Departures Series

It is evident by the response and awards that KCET and Devis’ project of curating community through technologies that foster dialogue as well as engagement is the future of public media. And to experience its presence in the L.A landscape is eminently comforting. Perhaps no other city in the world needs media literacy more than this one. ‘Departures’ has been particularly successful involving community participation in the creation of its content and this has led to a partnership with the Adobe Foundation’s Youth Voices for three new installments of the show. Such public private cooperation has traditionally led to PBS programming of a very different kind. When socially conscious artists like Devis receive institutional support in guiding public conversation while informing citizens about local history by involving them in its production, they become media mavericks.

Tune in anytime online at http://kcet.org/explore-ca/web-stories/. If you don’t come away with a deeper more nuanced understanding of where we live, maybe you should just keep watching…

‘Departures’ Blog Posts

• http://kcet.org/local/shows/web_stories/2009/04/3-years-and-counting.html
• http://kcet.org/local/shows/web_stories/2009/04/departures-la-river-kicks-off.html
• http://kcet.org/local/shows/web_stories/2009/04/councilman-ed-reyes-ventures-into-the-river.html
• http://kcet.org/local/shows/web_stories/2009/05/backstage-with-judy-baca.html
• http://kcet.org/local/shows/web_stories/2009/06/it-all-begins-with-paper-and-pencil.html
• http://kcet.org/local/shows/web_stories/2009/06/the-river-rules.html
• http://kcet.org/local/shows/web_stories/2009/06/mo-goes-to-washington.html
• http://kcet.org/local/shows/web_stories/2009/07/the-edge-of-the-western-hemisphere.html