Spring Break
Grady College debuts Web site for poverty reporting
MARK MILLER
Issue date: 7/2/09 Section: News
A team at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication has launched a Web site aimed at helping journalists of all kinds to better cover poverty and its effects.
The Web site, titled "Covering Poverty: a Tool Kit for Journalists," does not give journalists guidance on how to directly report about poverty. Rather, it helps them incorporate poverty into their already existing fields of expertise, or "beats."
"It's about digging a little deeper into your beat," said Carolyn Crist, an undergraduate journalism student in the Grady College and "Red & Black" editor-in-chief for the fall semester. "It could help beat reporters to deepen their understanding in the community and actually put a 'why' behind their stories."
Crist said poverty was a common beat in previous years, but since many publications are scaling back on employees, the poverty beat is often among the first to be eliminated. The Web site, she said, can help reporters incorporate poverty into other beats, such as crime and education.
"Poverty has an effect on crime, education, politics," said Diane Murray, director of public service and outreach for the Grady College.
Murray worked for about a year on the project with John Greenman, a Grady professor, Grey Pentacost, a graduate student in journalism, and Crist.
The team received a grant from the University's Research Foundation to find ways to help journalists cover a subject using limited resources.
The Web site includes tutorials on connecting poverty to different beats, more than a dozen "tip sheets" offering quick facts and advice, and recommended links to use for reference. The resources were developed by journalism faculty from the University, as well as 11 other universities.
The Grady team interviewed journalists, editors, and publishers of newspapers in Georgia's poorest counties to get an idea of their specific needs concerning poverty. While much of the information on the Web site is relevant only to Georgia, it should still be useful to journalists around the country and particularly in the South, Murray said.
Murray said the team hopes to soon see articles published by journalists using information and advice from the Web site. Navigation is simple and easy for both journalists and others interested in poverty and its consequences.
"It's definitely not flashy, but we hope it has everything reporters need," said Murray.
To explore the resources made available by the team, visit www.grady.uga.edu/poverty.
The Web site, titled "Covering Poverty: a Tool Kit for Journalists," does not give journalists guidance on how to directly report about poverty. Rather, it helps them incorporate poverty into their already existing fields of expertise, or "beats."
"It's about digging a little deeper into your beat," said Carolyn Crist, an undergraduate journalism student in the Grady College and "Red & Black" editor-in-chief for the fall semester. "It could help beat reporters to deepen their understanding in the community and actually put a 'why' behind their stories."
Crist said poverty was a common beat in previous years, but since many publications are scaling back on employees, the poverty beat is often among the first to be eliminated. The Web site, she said, can help reporters incorporate poverty into other beats, such as crime and education.
"Poverty has an effect on crime, education, politics," said Diane Murray, director of public service and outreach for the Grady College.
Murray worked for about a year on the project with John Greenman, a Grady professor, Grey Pentacost, a graduate student in journalism, and Crist.
The team received a grant from the University's Research Foundation to find ways to help journalists cover a subject using limited resources.
The Web site includes tutorials on connecting poverty to different beats, more than a dozen "tip sheets" offering quick facts and advice, and recommended links to use for reference. The resources were developed by journalism faculty from the University, as well as 11 other universities.
The Grady team interviewed journalists, editors, and publishers of newspapers in Georgia's poorest counties to get an idea of their specific needs concerning poverty. While much of the information on the Web site is relevant only to Georgia, it should still be useful to journalists around the country and particularly in the South, Murray said.
Murray said the team hopes to soon see articles published by journalists using information and advice from the Web site. Navigation is simple and easy for both journalists and others interested in poverty and its consequences.
"It's definitely not flashy, but we hope it has everything reporters need," said Murray.
To explore the resources made available by the team, visit www.grady.uga.edu/poverty.
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