The number of newspaper articles produced over the last 10 years has shrunk by almost half; wire service stories are taking the place of local political coverage; and of the articles still being produced, fewer include coverage of democratic institutions and civic affairs.
Blog
Why Billionaire Philanthropy Isn’t Going To Change The World
It’s a testament to just how unequal and angry and, in many ways, decadent the United States is. We have this situation where the extreme inequities of our time, on one hand, inspire elites to step up, do more, solve social problems. But at the same time, those same inequities have an equal and opposite consequence.
Four Ways Theatres Are Working To Get Out The Vote This Fall
In 2016, dozens of theatres around the country had a booth in their lobby where staffers registered voters during intermission. That has continued for the 2018 elections. Playwrights Horizons in New York City, who spearheaded a national effort in 2016 under the hashtag #PlayOurPart, is registering voters from Sept. 1 to Oct. 11 during performances of I Was Most Alive With You by Craig Lucas. Playwrights Horizons also provides information about other institutions can register voters on their website.
The Color Pink Has A Dark Past
When it comes to interior design, the color pink has been particularly controversial. After some psychologists were able to show that certain shades of pink reduced aggression, it was famously used in prison cells to limit aggression in inmates. Yet pink toes a shaky line. Is it a benign means of subtle manipulation? A tool to humiliate? An outgrowth of gender stereotyping? Or some combination of the three?
The Healing Powers Of An Orchestra For Those With Mental Illness
Hospitals and psychiatric institutes have long employed music therapists in treating patients. While many doctors agree that it can be an effective form of therapy, it’s difficult to explain, qualify and quantify results. But that’s changing. With advances in neuroscience and noninvasive brain scanning, there’s increasing interest in the scientific community in exploring the ways music and the arts affect the human brain. This is leading to new enthusiasm in exploring music’s capacity to heal.
What Comes After “Western Civilization”
Today, few people talk earnestly about western civilisation. Mahatma Gandhi’s jibe – “it would be a good idea” – has stuck. But the veteran critic Desmond Fennell believes it is a useful concept to try to understand where the world is going. He argues that we are “between two civilisations”. Not just that but he believes a tectonic shift took place in the last century when the mask of western civilisation finally fell. In fact, he traces it to a particular date: August 6th, 1945
‘Consolationism’ — Proposing An African Approach To Philosophy
Nigerian philosopher Ada Agada writes about how, building on the ideas of African thinkers such as Léopold Sédar Senghor and Kwame Nkrumah, he found his way to this synthesis of Western academic philosophy and traditional African thought.
The State of Engagement
For too many arts organizations, their level of self-focus apparently makes understanding that effective community engagement is something substantially different from traditional sales/marketing/fundraising/education approaches nearly impossible.
Looking like the outside world
Simon Rattle recently asked, “Why do our groups of classical musicians not look like London looks, and what can we do about it?” This sounds like a great goal. But what’s harder to imagine is how we’d get there.
Son-Of-NAFTA Requires Canada To Cave On Copyright Law
The new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), announced late Sunday night, commits Canada to extending the term of copyright by two decades, from 50 years after the author’s death to 70 years. While that sounds like a relatively minor change, University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist said the costs associated with it could be significant.