{"id":1790,"date":"2026-04-09T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/?p=1790"},"modified":"2026-02-24T06:52:39","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T06:52:39","slug":"traditional-news-and-nonprofit-art-youre-no-longer-in-charge-they-are","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2026\/04\/09\/traditional-news-and-nonprofit-art-youre-no-longer-in-charge-they-are\/","title":{"rendered":"Traditional News and Nonprofit Art: You\u2019re No Longer in Charge. They Are."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Here\u2019s another reason for nonprofit arts organizations to make that scene change toward charitable activities.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

What is \u201cnews?\u201d <\/strong>I was in the process of researching communications and public relations strategies and came across an article written by the people at the Pew Research Center<\/a>. The article, written by Kirsten Eddy, Katerina Eva Matsa, Michael Lipka, Naomi Forman-Katz, Christopher St. Aubin, Luxuan Wang, Kaitlyn Radde, and Justine Coleman, tackled a simple question with a baroque set of answers: \u201cWhat Is News?\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What really stopped me in my tracks was right up front. It is no secret that traditional news services are struggling to exist, collapsing upon themselves, firing large swaths of journalists, and have teetered into the \u201cobsolete\u201d aisle, between the buggy whips and 8-track players. The reasons have a great equivalency to the reasons that so many large-scale nonprofit arts organizations are ready to join them. Read the following carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Before the rise of digital and social media, researchers had long approached the question of what news is from the journalist perspective. Ideas of news were often tied to the institution of journalism, and journalists defined news and determined what was newsworthy. \u201cNews\u201d was considered information produced and packaged within news organizations for a passive audience, with emphasis (particularly in the United States) placed on a particular tone, a set of values and the idea of journalism playing a civic role in promoting an informed public.

In the digital age, researchers \u2013 including Pew Research Center \u2013 increasingly study news from the audience perspective, what some have deemed an \u201caudience turn.\u201d Using this approach, the concept of news is not necessarily tied to professional journalism, and audiences, rather than journalists, determine what is news.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

I remember talking to a reporter several decades ago who noted that the difference between newspapers and television news, especially in the network evening news programs, was that Walter Cronkite merely read the newspaper to the viewers in clipped, two minute pieces. As long as audiences trusted Walter Cronkite, all would be well. When those interested in the news wre given a story at 6:00pm that interested them, they inevitably read into great detail about it at 7:00am the next morning. One would tease the other and both would flourish by that arrangement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Walter Cronkite, CBS News, \u201cThe Most Trusted Man in America\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s versions of news are different, as you well know. Because of the democratizing aspects of the internet, people now get the news they want from the sources they want to believe. There is no single storyteller such as Cronkite. Nor are there viable news media that lead their audience anymore. It is not up to the journalist to decide what is news; it is up to the public. That change has wrought chaos in the news industry and the speedy shuttering of just about every aspect of journalism except one-sided commentary (which, like this column, is not <\/em>news).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now go back to the quote and substitute the subject to the nonprofit arts sector instead of the news. The story is eerily similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Artistic directors and the equivalent in all the varieties of nonprofit arts organization have, to date, traditionally chosen the art that they want to produce. They may employ a stylistic choice unique (or not) to the community, but, in general, they consistently speak of \u201cleading the audience.\u201d To them, their job\u2019s main focus is to curate information that outpaces their community members\u2019 sensibilities and expectations, just as journalists used to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a>
Stop leading the audience. Your community members each have their own idea about art.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Artistic leaders, it\u2019s no longer your art to curate. It\u2019s theirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as failing newspapers are those sticking to the notion that news should emanate from the journalist\u2019s perspective, failing nonprofit arts organizations believe that art should emanate from an \u201cartistic vision.\u201d If you serve on a board for a nonprofit arts organization, you may have become brainwashed to the idea that an \u201cartistic vision\u201d is a good thing. It is not. It is a killer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every member of your community has their own idea about art. They are doing the curating, not the artistic director. They feel no compulsion to supporting any particular theater, opera, symphony, ballet, or museum. The old ways of supporting a single nonprofit arts organization as \u201ccivic rent\u201d \u2014 an admirable trait among people who recognized that the arts added something to their community, even if they didn\u2019t particularly like the programming (as long as they got a plaque on the wall) \u2014 have fallen by the wayside. Those kinds of donors are in their dotage now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In case you misunderstand, this is not about paying audiences. That activity is a mere contract and popularity contest, which is why it is irrelevant to the metrics of success for a nonprofit arts organization (hear that, foundation leaders?). The metrics of success for a nonprofit depend on mission impact: people helped, lives changed for the better, community well-being, increased literacy levels, improved health outcomes, breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness, etc. Everything else flows from that: donor retention, financial sustainability, ability to attract partners and corporate donors, government support, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your mission has no measurable charitable impact, you\u2019re failing to meet your community\u2019s needs. If that\u2019s the case, just convert to a for-profit company and be done with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Either way, whether it concerns newspapers or nonprofit arts organizations, it\u2019s change or die. Pick one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT ON MAY 14<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
If you want your nonprofit arts organization to thrive, just pick up this inexpensive trilogy. If not, I can let you know how to throw “Going Out Of Business” sales.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
Thank you so much for reading all the way to the bottom. That takes a lot of patience. If you like what you read, would you please consider contributing to the coffee fund by clicking on the cup above these words? Or better, if you’re in Seattle, let’s have a cup together. My treat.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here\u2019s another reason for nonprofit arts organizations to make that scene change toward charitable activities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1791,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,20,22,100,40,32,29,25,28,23,24,19,18,17,99],"tags":[85,10,80],"class_list":{"0":"post-1790","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-culture","8":"category-board-of-directors","9":"category-board-of-trustees","10":"category-book-recommendation","11":"category-change","12":"category-charity","13":"category-dei","14":"category-development-and-fundraising","15":"category-diversity-equity-inclusion","16":"category-executive-director","17":"category-freedom-of-speech","18":"category-leadership","19":"category-nonprofit","20":"category-nonprofit-arts-organizations","21":"category-scene-change","22":"tag-community","23":"tag-impact","24":"tag-journalism","25":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/New-article-about-nothing1.jpg?fit=1298%2C730&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1756,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2026\/03\/26\/dog-on-a-cold-stone-floor-or-when-nonprofit-arts-organizations-obsess-about-the-art-more-than-the-people\/","url_meta":{"origin":1790,"position":0},"title":"\u201cDog on a Cold Stone Floor,\u201d or When Nonprofit Arts Organizations Obsess About the Art More Than the People","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"March 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Art is a universal good. No argument. Nonprofit arts organizations are not art, and therefore are not a universal good. No argument there, either.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Dog-on-a-Cold-Stone-Floor.jpg?fit=950%2C634&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Dog-on-a-Cold-Stone-Floor.jpg?fit=950%2C634&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Dog-on-a-Cold-Stone-Floor.jpg?fit=950%2C634&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Dog-on-a-Cold-Stone-Floor.jpg?fit=950%2C634&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1517,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2025\/10\/07\/a-punchy-outspoken-argument-for-how-nonprofit-arts-organizations-should-be-run\/","url_meta":{"origin":1790,"position":1},"title":"“A PUNCHY, OUTSPOKEN ARGUMENT FOR HOW NONPROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE RUN.”","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"October 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\"An example-driven new map to success in the realm of nonprofit theater.\" \u2014 Kirkus Reviews.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Scene Change, Scene Change 2, and Scene Change 3 - 3 books to improve your arts organization","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/3-book-titles.jpg?fit=1200%2C606&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1647,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2026\/02\/26\/short-and-sweet-teachers-that-teach-teachers-that-educate-arts-nonprofits-that-produce-arts-nonprofits-that-are-worth-a-donation\/","url_meta":{"origin":1790,"position":2},"title":"Short and Sweet: Teachers : Educators :: Arts Organizations : Nonprofit Arts Organizations That Deserve Donations","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"February 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Back to the basics, because the message is only going so far. It\u2019s up to you to save the sector from its own worst instincts.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/differential-calculus-2820672_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/differential-calculus-2820672_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/differential-calculus-2820672_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/differential-calculus-2820672_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/differential-calculus-2820672_1920.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1048,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2024\/09\/17\/nonprofit-arts-organizations-whats-a-community\/","url_meta":{"origin":1790,"position":3},"title":"Nonprofit Arts Organizations: What\u2019s a \u201cCommunity?\u201d","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"September 17, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Say it, out loud. What is the definition of \u201ccommunity\u201d to your nonprofit arts organization? It may not be the community to which you claim membership.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/inigo-square.jpg?fit=1000%2C864&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/inigo-square.jpg?fit=1000%2C864&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/inigo-square.jpg?fit=1000%2C864&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/inigo-square.jpg?fit=1000%2C864&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":989,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2024\/07\/01\/this-just-in-a-new-and-unedited-review-for-scene-change\/","url_meta":{"origin":1790,"position":4},"title":"This Just In: A New (and Unedited) Review for \u201cSCENE CHANGE\u201d","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"July 1, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"\"It clearly comes from a place of love for the subversive and utopian possibilities of the arts.\"","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Collective-Ink-Book-Cover.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Collective-Ink-Book-Cover.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Collective-Ink-Book-Cover.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Collective-Ink-Book-Cover.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Collective-Ink-Book-Cover.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1683,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2025\/12\/30\/scene-change-3-just-named-to-kirkus-reviews-25-best-indies-of-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":1790,"position":5},"title":"“SCENE CHANGE 3” Just Named to Kirkus Reviews’ “25 Best Indies of 2025!”","author":"Alan Harrison","date":"December 30, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"If you're serious about succeeding as a nonprofit arts organization, you're going to want to pick up the trilogy at your favorite bookstore.","rel":"","context":"In "Arts and Culture"","block_context":{"text":"Arts and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/category\/arts-and-culture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Scene-change-3-with-sky.jpg?fit=1200%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Scene-change-3-with-sky.jpg?fit=1200%2C640&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Scene-change-3-with-sky.jpg?fit=1200%2C640&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Scene-change-3-with-sky.jpg?fit=1200%2C640&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Scene-change-3-with-sky.jpg?fit=1200%2C640&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1790"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1790\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1796,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1790\/revisions\/1796"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}