Opinion
103 results
Page 1
Six reasons my friends aren’t calling Congress, DEBUNKED
If you hate picking up the phone, these tips are for you
This is no time to wring your hands. If you care about US democracy and its role in our cultural sector, it’s time to act. For some people, that means calling Congress for the first time. Alaina Johns has tips.
Editorials
5 minute read
Remembering beloved WRTI jazz announcer Bob Perkins
The coolest cat in the world
Composer Kile Smith worked with Bob Perkins in the studio at WRTI. He remembers the legendary Philly jazz announcer as an unwitting mentor who imparted the knowledge and the feeling of great music for 25 years at the mic.
Essays
5 minute read
Philadelphia City Council prepares for the “lived nightmares” of the new Trump administration
Will Philly stand as a Sanctuary City in the MAGA era?
Two days after Trump was inaugurated again, City Council held a hearing on how Philly can protect vulnerable residents from the new administration, drawing testimony from civil-rights advocates. Alaina Johns tuned in.
Editorials
6 minute read
Living in America today feels like having a mental illness. Here’s how to protect your sanity.
Symptoms of humanity
Coping with fear of disasters, irrational thoughts, constant crises, and crushing sadness is just an ordinary day in America. Folks who have been in psychiatric treatment have always known how this feels. Alaina Johns has survival tips.
Editorials
6 minute read
10 questions for everyone at this week’s Sixers arena press conference
BSR has questions for City Council, our reigning billionaires, and YOU
After more than two years of painful controversy over a proposed arena on the edge of Philly’s Chinatown and a massive legislative package, the Philadelphia 76ers joined hands with Comcast and walked away. We have questions.
Alaina Johnsand Kyle V. Hiller
Editorials
3 minute read
Looking for that next great book to read? Here are the editor's 2024 favorites.
Build your reading list with help from BSR
Alaina Johns is not going to rate her favorite 2024 reads, but she will offer you some micro-reviews, so you can figure out if you’d like to read them, too! Everyone is different, and books are individuals, too.
Editorials
13 minute read
The 2024 BSR Year-End Recommend: books, films, TV, music, and more
Build your 2025 lists with personal tips from the BSR team
The BSR Year-End Recommend is back for 2024! Our team shares their favorite movies, books, TV shows, podcasts, newsletters, music, and more.
Features
8 minute read
At BSR, our values do not change based on elections.
Justice is not a self-improvement project.
We offer a huge range of opinions here at BSR from journalists who know what they’re talking about. But this diversity of opinion is built on the value of respect for our shared humanity. We will keep that respect no matter what. Will you join us?
Editorials
5 minute read
I met James Earl Jones when I was six, on TV together thanks to our shared language
In the lap of James Earl Jones
By the time she started grade school, Anndee Hochman was known as the girl who learned
to read when she was three—and whose talent landed her (literally) in the lap of iconic actor James Earl Jones.
to read when she was three—and whose talent landed her (literally) in the lap of iconic actor James Earl Jones.
Essays
5 minute read
I won’t turn my back on Chinatown: Black and Asian people must stand together in Philly
A Black elder protests the proposed Sixers arena
As a woman in her 70s, West Philly native Constance Garcia-Barrio finds protest marches challenging, but she knew she had to turn out for Chinatown at the No Arena in the Heart of Our City rally on September 7, 2024.
Essays
4 minute read