KCUR.org, the website for Kansas City’s public media station, made a concerted effort from 2014-18 to expand its arts coverage. It even had two-full-time reporters on the arts beat. When one of these reporters switched to another beat, freelancers filled in to make up the gap. 

Despite all of these efforts, web traffic suggested KCUR readers were not all that interested in the website’s arts coverage. Something had to change. 

The editorial team developed a new strategy that grew audiences and even helped “soccer dads” care about Kansas City’s arts scene. Digital editor CJ Janovy wrote about KCUR’s new approach to its arts coverage for the American Press Institute’s Better News initiative. She also shares her insights on the Better News podcast. 

The Better News podcast is a partnership between It’s All Journalism and the American Press Institute to a) showcase innovative/experimental ideas that emerge from the Knight-Lenfest Newsroom Initiative and b) to share replicable strategies and  tactics that benefit the news industry as a whole. Sign up for the Better News newsletter to receive news about the latest resources, case studies and insights. For more news about the It’s All Journalism podcast and future episodes of Better News, sign up for the weekly IAJ newsletter.