The University of Arkansas will be taking over the operations of Arkansascovid.com, a website that has become a significant resource during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Established by Misty Orpin in March 2020, the site was conceived as a way to understand the ongoing pandemic. It quickly gathered a significant following with its analysis and data visualizations. Currently, its Twitter has more than 12,000 followers.
A Springdale resident, Orphin has a journalism background, having worked as a journalist in Benton and Pope counties previously, according to the Arkansas COVID website. Orpin began the project to understand the virus’ spread and later to share information with her father. She lists the goals of the site as providing “reliable county-level COVID-19 data to help Arkansans make informed decision for themselves and their families,” “fact-check data being presented by state, media and other sources…,” “be available and responsive to questions from individuals seeking data-related information,” “make information easy to access and easy to digest,” “be as apolitical as possible,” and “push for increased testing.’
Orpin partnered with University of Arkansas journalism professor Rob Wells, starting in May. This partnership led to the university’s management of the site, when Orpin asked if the U of A School of Journalism could assume the site’s operation.
“I’ve been so gratified at the way the community has embraced this platform and created a welcoming space to share information about COVID in our state,” Orpin said in a statement. “Its growth in the past few months wouldn’t have been possible without help from the partnership with the UA. I’m thrilled to be handing it off to the UA team, in whom I have utmost confidence to shepherd it to even greater usefulness for everyday Arkansans.”
Through this arrangement, both graduate students and Wells’ data journalism students will provide day-to-day content and operation of the site. Orpin is set to contribute analysis and commentary on an as-needed basis.
The transfer of management is set to be finalized on Sept. 14.
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