September 26, 2024 | Stories
In early 2024*, the SHOUT quickly established itself as a hub for art and entertainment news in Wichita and the surrounding area. Founders Emily Christensen and Teri Mott set out to create an online platform that showcases concerts, gallery openings, plays, comedy shows and independent films. To provide comprehensive coverage, they realized they needed to hire freelance writers—and fast.
They brought on skilled writers, videographers and photographers who shared their mission for spotlighting local events. Today, nearly 95% of the SHOUT’s editorial costs go toward paying these contributors.
“They’re professionals and should be paid as such,” said Mott. “We’re not just about supporting the arts community … We’re supporting the journalists that cover the arts community, and without them we really can’t do this in a way that doesn’t sound like it’s narrowly presented.”
In a recent update, the SHOUT revamped its online calendar to improve user experience. Now, readers can add events directly to their Google and Outlook calendars, share event links and subscribe to the entire calendar.
“We did shift to a dynamic calendar platform at the beginning of August,” said Christensen. “We made that change because people were not using our old calendar.”
Before the upgrade, the two publishers were dedicating nearly 60 hours a month to managing the calendar, only to see declining usage. With the new system, they’ve streamlined the process and plan to further automate it in the coming months.
The SHOUT has also begun offering critical reviews for local art. Recently, an artist sought Christensen’s feedback on his work. While she had admired his previous exhibitions, she found herself underwhelmed this time, unsure if he was “trying something new” or had simply “run out of time.”
Though public criticism can be delicate in a close-knit community, Christensen was relieved when the artist thanked her for her honesty. He acknowledged that time constraints had affected his latest pieces, falling short of his usual standard.
“Most leaders of arts organizations understand that having critical dialogue in our community is ultimately going to strengthen their organization and the artists that they work with,” said Christensen.
Looking ahead, Mott emphasizes the importance of developing new revenue streams, including sponsorships and advertising to ensure the SHOUT remains a vital source for arts and entertainment news in Wichita. To learn more about their mission, provide feedback on their publication or support their work, visit their website.
*In December 2023, three local newsrooms were selected as recipients of the Info Challenge, a joint initiative between the Wichita Foundation (WF) and Tiny News Collective (TNC): Planeta Venus, the SHOUT and TMBP Media. Each newsroom received a $30,000 grant from Press Forward Wichita at WF and a two-year TNC membership, providing access to resources and connections with local news founders across the country.
