Editorials
518 results
Page 1
Six tips for news and social-media sanity in the 2024 election cycle (you won’t believe #6)
The news is stressful. Here’s how to stay engaged while keeping your cool.
Our democracy, our climate, our rights, our health, our wars and protests—it’s hard to look at any news at all without feeling like the world is ending. Spend seven minutes with Alaina Johns now and get six tips to help you navigate today’s media.
Editorials
7 minute read
Quintessence director Alex Burns addresses community concerns about his “all-male” Shakespeare productions
“When does the community get to abort someone else’s creative impulse?”
When Quintessence artistic director Alex Burns announced plans for his latest all-male Shakespeare production, he struck a nerve with the local theater community. He talks with Alaina Johns in defense of his vision.
Editorials
9 minute read
The man who called me an optimist: remembering writer Tom Purdom
“This is my editor.”
In January, the BSR community lost one of our founding members: science-fiction and music writer Tom Purdom. Near the end of his career, he never balked at having a youngster for his editor. Alaina Johns remembers a treasured friend and colleague.
Editorials
7 minute read
I’m an editor, but I want 2024 to be the year we stop harping on typos
Everyone makes mistakes. Why are we so anxious to point them out?
One drawback of working in the media is that your smallest mistakes are extremely visible to the public. Everyone loves to point out typos and errors, but only some of us are helping. Alaina Johns wonders why it matters so much.
Editorials
5 minute read
BSR Behind the Scenes: An inside look at our editorial process
Going backstage at BSR: How do we publish so many writers?
Did you know that BSR is Philly's top destination for professional arts journalism ... and that we're a small, independent nonprofit made up entirely of remote-working part-timers? Here's how we do it.
Editorials
4 minute read
BSR Behind the Scenes: Why do we need arts criticism?
Going backstage at BSR: The truth about reviewing
In our experience, some people opine that the critics are just dragging the cultural scene down—especially when a review is mixed or negative. But is that true? Not at all. Alaina Johns explains in this BSR Behind the Scenes editorial.
Editorials
6 minute read
BSR Behind the Scenes: What does public relations have to do with arts journalism?
Going backstage at BSR: The PR connection
What does arts journalism have to do with PR? As arts writers and editors, we often work closely with PR people. How do we collaborate? And what are the boundaries between our roles? Alaina Johns explains in this BSR Behind the Scenes editorial.
Editorials
7 minute read
As we close out 2023, BSR is taking you behind the scenes of our arts journalism
Going backstage at BSR
When we ask for your support, we want to be sure we’re stepping up to explain our work. But whether or not you can donate, if you’re a BSR reader, we bet you’ll enjoy this window on how our stories come to be.
Editorials
4 minute read
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A closer look at depictions of domestic violence in Gunnar Montana’s BLACK WOOD
What does it mean to empower survivors?
BLACK WOOD, the latest from Gunnar Montana Productions, is an immersive, creepy, atmospheric experience perfect for spooky season. But we shouldn’t view it without talking about the violence it depicts. Alaina Johns considers.
Editorials
6 minute read
Discover books by BSR writers
Is your favorite BSR writer an author, too? Find out here!
For the first time since BSR’s founding 18 years ago (wow, we know), we’re spotlighting books written by our contributors, who are some of the region’s top critics, essayists, and arts journalists. Dive in!
Editorials
12 minute read