Grady College students capture the spirit of Athens Porchfest

On Sunday, Oct. 19, Reporting I students spent the afternoon exploring Athens neighborhoods, interviewing performers and community members, and producing multimedia stories as part of their annual coverage of Historic Athens Porchfest.

Porchfest is a free, community-driven music festival that utilizes front porches across Athens as stages for local musicians. Residents volunteer their porches, performers sign up to play and attendees walk from house to house enjoying live music throughout the afternoon.

Led by senior lecturer Lori Johnston, Reporting I students have covered Porchfest since 2021, by gathering photos, video, interviews and observations to produce an Instagram reels and text stories. Portions of the student work have also been published on Grady Newsource.

“These field assignments are vital to students experiencing what it’s like to be a journalist,” Johnston said. “The students learn so much with the Porchfest assignments, from how to write previews and coverage community events, to how to interview strangers — musicians, porch hosts, organizers, elected officials and participants — all in the moment. It brings together so many of our course learning outcomes into one assignment that has them exploring different neighborhoods on what’s usually a beautiful fall day in Athens.”

Johnston noted that faculty place a strong emphasis on preparation. In the days leading up to Porchfest, students discuss interviewing techniques, note-taking, observation skills and how to use mobile devices effectively for digital reporting. “We go through different options for leads depending on how the day unfolds and what they observe and the quotes they get from their interviews,” Johnston said. “Each year, our students find new stories and ways to capture the spirit of the event.”

For students, the assignment is both a professional learning opportunity and a memorable Athens experience. Kara-Marie Mitchell, a journalism student, covered the generational connections she observed at performances and said Porchfest pushed her outside her comfort zone and helped her grow as a reporter.

“Porchfest was an unexpected, fun-filled afternoon,” Mitchell said. “I enjoyed walking Athens streets I never visited before, listening to bands I never thought to seek out. Once I got there, I instantly relaxed. Even though the possibility of rejection or embarrassment sometimes claimed the moment, it was a lot less nerve-racking than I had imagined.”

Mitchell said the assignment helped her translate class lessons into fieldwork. “Going in, I knew what to cover, when to video, and what direction of editing to take,” Mitchell said. “After actually putting myself out there, I feel much more confident in my reporting, digital journalism, interaction skills, and so much more.”

Author: Lauren A. Pike, lauren.pike@uga.edu