Democracy & the Informed Citizen Program

Funder: The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (via Federation of State Humanities Councils)

Geographic Scope: Tennessee (statewide, diverse communities)

Purpose: Address critical questions about media access, coverage, and citizens' responsibility to be informed and engage in democratic processes

Focus Areas:

• News outlets and media access for Tennesseans
• Community responses to throttled access or monopolized coverage
• Citizens' responsibilities to be informed
• Engagement with policymakers
• Media literacy
• Rural journalism
• Independent journalism
• New media communities

Key Questions Addressed:

• How do Tennesseans determine which outlets to turn to for news?
• How do communities respond when access is throttled or when coverage is monopolized?

Program Structure:

• Series of five programs over eighteen months
• Public programs across the state in diverse communities
• Partnership with existing and new partner institutions and scholars
• Compelling, challenging, and accessible public programming
• Collaboration with Think Tennessee's "Mayors Growing Civic Engagement" initiative
• Expansion of "Neighborhood Story Project" with five additional projects in 2020

Award Details:

• Total funding: $34,000+ awarded to Humanities Tennessee
• Funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
• Distributed via Federation of State Humanities Councils

Contact Information:

• Humanities Tennessee
• 615 Main St, Ste. B19
• Nashville, TN 37206
• 615-770-0006
• info@humtn.org
• Tim Henderson, Executive Director

Background:
This initiative aimed to encourage public conversations across Tennessee communities (urban and rural, diverse backgrounds and perspectives) about the relationship between access to information and strong, functional democratic institutions. The goal was to help Tennesseans regain trust in institutions and in each other.