While researching how coverage of the arts has changed in Anchorage and statewide this past year, with the continuing demise of the Anchorage Daily News, expansion of arts coverage by the Alaska Dispatch and other matters, I checked through the 131 stories listed so far in December at the Alaska Public Radio Network's news site. There wasn't much arts coverage, which is too bad. Ten to twenty years ago, APRN's Alaska arts coverage was the best statewide reporting available. APRN's Johanna Eurich was and is one of the best arts reporters in Alaska history, and it is too bad the network hasn't found a way to keep her coverage going like they once did.Another subject all but missing from APRN's news site was one that is ubiquitous at the ADN, the Dispatch, at at many of Alaska's progressive blogs, including Progressive Alaska: Sarah Palin.
Of the 131 stories, here is my accounting of the subjects covered. I assigned each story only one tag, even though some covered more than one of topics listed:
Human interest, various community stories ------ 26
General environmental subjects -------------------- 15
Tribal & Alaska Native subjects --------------------- 13
Alaska economy and infrastructure ---------------- 10
Gas & oil industry (and their problems) ----------- 9
State politics ----------------------------------------- 8
Health care ------------------------------------------- 8
Alaska Congressional delegation ------------------ 7
Fisheries --------------------------------------------- 7
Education -------------------------------------------- 5
Gov. Sean Parnell ----------------------------------- 4
Anchorage politics ----------------------------------- 3
Cruise ship industry --------------------------------- 3
Game and game regulation ------------------------- 3
Mining ------------------------------------------------ 3
Sarah Palin ------------------------------------------- 3
Logging ------------------------------------------------ 2
Alaskans of note in action outside the state ------ 2
Of the three Palin stories, one was about Andree McLeod's latest request for clarification of executive ethics statutes, and two were about Palin's Elmendorf Air Force Base book signing.
APRN's stories from December 1st through the 21st were almost universally of a very high standard, and attempted to portray important events throughout this huge, challenging news environment that is Alaska.
Good job. APRN!