By: Michael Adkison
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.— The University of Arkansas’ School of Journalism and Strategic Media invested in two new digital platforms over the summer, in an effort to create innovative content for Arkansans.
The two websites, ArkansasCovid and Arkansas Soul, launched in the wake of two crises facing the U.S.: the Coronavirus pandemic, and the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Jacob Blake and the ensuing protests.
ArkansasCovid breaks down statewide data regarding COVID-19, providing graphics, statistics, podcasts, and more. Rob Wells, a U of A professor, and his Data Journalism class will helm the website this semester
Mary Hennigan, an intern for ArkansasCovid, said that the project will likely last longer than a single semester.
“While the class may end in December, the COVID-19 pandemic is most likely not going to end in December,” Hennigan said.
ArkansasCovid launched in March as a personal project for Springdale journalist Misty Orpin. Working almost entirely from her laptop, Orpin began working with Wells and Hennigan in May.
“At the end of May, I worked with the demographic data,” Hennigan said. “When you look at those cases and those deaths in proportion to the populations, the Pacific Islander category is really the most impacted.”
Hennigan’s internship was sponsored through Arkansas Soul, ArkansasCovid’s partner, to investigate how COVID-19 disproportionately affects communities of color.
Arkansas Soul, launched in 2019 by U of A professor Niketa Reed, seeks to provide digital media content for Arkansas’ diverse communities.
“We embrace the F.U.B.U. approach: For us, by us,” Reed said. “And if you aren’t a BIPOC in the Natural State, we appreciate your stories with a genuine interest about us.”
The website offers news, editorials, book reviews, and podcasts contributing to the diverse culture of Arkansas. Over the summer, Arkansas Soul offered a digital writing challenge, encouraging high school students of color to share their experiences with COVID-19.