Editorials

515 results
Page 1
Black & white close-up photo on a laptop keyboard with a magnifying glass held closely over it.

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.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 5 minute read
Neil, Alaina & Kyle lean on the railing of a 4th-floor roof-deck on a sunny day, the Philly skyline behind them

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.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 4 minute read
A multi-racial group of smiling colleagues posing together in a lofty coworking space. Alaina holds a tiny dog on the left.

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.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 6 minute read
A smiling, sunny outdoor selfie of Alaina, a white woman, and Kyle, a Black man. They're both wearing sunglasses.

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.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 7 minute read
Backstage at a large theater: large white, red, and blue stage lights shine from the side through misty air.

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.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 4 minute read
Montana on a yellow ladder, with no shirt and paint-splattered shorts, paints tree branches on the wall of the set.

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.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 6 minute read
Six diverse and colorful books laid in a row, partially overlapping.

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!
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 12 minute read
The museum’s boxy brick façade, with white trim. In front, a protestor holds a sign reading “this museum hosts facists”

“Meeting them where they are”: Museum of the American Revolution CEO on Moms for Liberty booking

Locals continue to rally against welcoming a “hate group”

Last week, the Museum of the American Revolution hosted a screening of Black Founders: The Forten Family of Philadelphia while protestors of an upcoming Moms for Liberty party at the museum gathered outside. Alaina Johns was there.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 5 minute read
The boxy, white-trimmed brick exterior and entry plaza at the museum on a sunny summer day.

Why are the Philly Marriott and Museum of the American Revolution opening their doors to Moms for Liberty?

Many in Philly say no to hosting “anti-government extremists”

The Philly Marriott and Museum of the American Revolution are drawing criticism for hosting the anti-government, anti-education, anti-LGBTQ+ nonprofit Moms for Liberty. It’s not just a difference of opinion. Alaina Johns considers.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 6 minute read
A multiracial group of 10 GPCA advocates hold signs supporting arts funding outside of Philly’s City Hall.

Arts advocates rally again to fight proposed cuts to the Philadelphia Cultural Fund

“Dare to imagine” what arts funding can do

In Fiscal Year 2023, the Philadelphia Cultural Fund received $5.5 million in city funding—a lifeline for 275 PCF grantees this year (including BSR). But the mayor’s 2024 budget proposes a $2 million cut. We speak with GPCA CEO Patricia Wilson Aden.
Alaina Johns

Alaina Johns

Editorials 6 minute read