Budget and Busyness

http://www.jschool.ca//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=374&Itemid=1

This is the story that came out of covering the provincial budget. It’s about the 1.5 per cent increase in funding for the Saskatchewan Arts Board, and how the artistic community sees that as insufficient. Covering the budget was a drawn-out, stressful, but exciting experience.  It was frustrating because, although we had received an embargoed copy earlier, we couldn't talk to anyone about it until the budget was officially released at 2:15 pm. This meant most of our interviews took place after 3, and the day was very, very long.

I probably would have enjoyed it more if it were not thrown in the middle of ‘shit-week’ (what our class named last week). The week had so much due: a min-doc story board worth 5%, a written feature worth 20%, a class presentation worth 5%, a pitch worth 30%, an editorial worth 10%, and an 11-hour budget day.

Covering the budget was interesting and exciting, though, and I can definitely see it as something I could get into.

-Noah out

Prairie Scene

http://www.jschool.ca//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=355&Itemid=44

My latest Ink piece is about an arts festival that the National Art Centre is putting on in the spring. It, two years in the making, will feature 500 artists from across Saskatchewan and Manitoba. That’s all I’m going to get into here – you can read the article.

While doing research I read both the NAC’s press releases and many other articles. I was shocked to see that many other news outlets simply copied sections of the press releases word -for-word.  That’s pretty lazy journalism.

I wrote this article with a fuzzy head, induced by way too many late nights, cancelled interviews, and approaching deadlines. Although I wasn’t my sharpest, it turned out pretty well (and I didn't even plagiarize any press releases!).

The Johanna interview was particularly interesting – she gave such thoughtful and well-articulated answers. Once again it reminded me how fascinating it is to talk to artists about their art. The amount of thought and reflection that goes into it is often staggering and always surprising.

-Noah out