Press
Seeing Through an Anti-Racist Lens
Theatre criticism for BIPOC productions, performers and theatres must be written through the lens of anti-racism. If press outlets cannot train their white writers to use an anti-racist lens, we demand that they not review BIPOC productions until they contract BIPOC critics.
SUB-COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
- We do agree that all white writers should have training to write through an anti-racist lens - see the next bullet about advocacy work we can do with theatreWashington on working with the media to put these practices into place.
Training Critics in Anti-Racism
We demand that theatre institutions and commercial producers invest in critic training programs and fellowships for BIPOC critics
With 5% or greater contribution from theatre budgets to allot for this training with BIPOC Critic Training organizations and/or consultants.
With 15% or greater contribution from prominent press outlets, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Time Out NY, The Washington Post, New York Magazine and Chicago Tribune, among others, to allot for this training with BIPOC Critic Training organizations and/or consultants.
SUB-COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
This feels like it may be unethical - if we pay to train these critics won't we create a situation where these writers feel like they have to give us good reviews? Also 5% of the budget they want us to invest for a critic training program in a normal year would come out to $650K, which for reference is in the range of we would pay for an entire production or would equate to over 25% of full-time staff salaries. We don't think this part of the demand is a reasonable expectation and isn't something we would commit to.
We do think that DC theaters should do anything we can to support more BIPOC arts writers and critics. Perhaps a critic training program is something theatreWashington could take on with the support of the theaters. Jen or Maggie can bring up this as a topic in a theatreWashington meeting in the future.
Transitioning to Contract Critics
We demand that prominent press outlets divest from salaried positions for critical review and feature writing, and invest in contract-based positions that are filled with at least 50% BIPOC writers
As in the example of The New York Review of Books -- where the perspective of critical review is broadened by its commitment to a roster of rotating contract-based writers.
Including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Time Out NY, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, Chicago Tribune and other influential press.
SUB-COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
We agree that we should support press outlets hiring 50% or more BIPOC writers, salaried or not.
Noting that contract writers are paid significantly less than staff writers, we do not know that it would be best for the writers, especially for writers of color, to not have salaried staff positions available to them.
We feel like the press would be responsive now, as they have not been before, about us as the theater asking if they could also assign a writer of color to review shows about and written by people of color - and if that means two sets of comps for shows to one outlet we will provide those. Again, this could be a discussion theatreWashington has with the DC outlets as a goal for all productions.
Guiding Publications to Anti-Racist Practices
We demand commercial theatre producers and theatre institutions divest from buying ads in trades that do not have 50% BIPOC feature writers and BIPOC critics.
We expect this action to be taken within the timeline of 1.5 years from the release of these demands.
This includes The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Time Out NY, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, Chicago Tribune and other influential press.
SUB-COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
Honestly, we could pull all of our advertising money from The Washington Post and they wouldn't even notice, or as what we believe this point is looking for, have it be a pressure point on the outlets to hire BIPOC writers because they are losing ad revenue.
We will continue to place ad dollars where we think they will work to gain audiences, including as per the point below and some above in the marketing sections, make room in budgets to also invest in BIPOC outlets and increase audience development to BIPOC communities for all shows, not just for shows that represent a particular culture.
Investing in Independent Media
We demand that theatres invest in independent media run by BIPOC journalists, including
Hiring BIPOC marketing and PR agents for all shows (including work featuring BIPOC artists).
Buying ads in independent BIPOC press outlets and other press that have BIPOC journalists and critics.
Giving exclusive features to BIPOC journalists and media outlets.
SUB-COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
We agree that we should spend more money on advertising in BIPOC media across the board.
We do not currently hire marketing and PR agencies for ALL shows, but again, per sections above, we need to increase our investment in audience development with BIPOC audiences and for that work we would use outside agents where we do not have that culture represented on our in-house marketing staff.
We don't generally turn down exclusive features to anyone but agree we should be more cognizant of recruiting BIPOC press for more stories.
Diversifying the Critics
We demand that BIPOC press be present at ALL artists’ work in the theatre (including work featuring BIPOC artists).
Recognize that the gaze of the media is disproportionately white and male, and that even non-BIPOC artists are being reduced to this limited lens on their work.
Pull quotes from BIPOC journalists (and properly credit them for the quote).
Provide priority and premium seating for BIPOC critics and journalists at ALL shows and productions.
Provide invitations for BIPOC critics and journalists at ALL opening night performances for Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in the Regions.
Limit current critics to single tickets and not pairs, thereby opening up the opportunity for more BIPOC media presence at ALL shows.
ALREADY DOING
- Signature doesn't typically deny press comps for any press at all if they are writing about the show at any outlet. If we have run out of seats at press night, we will accommodate the critic at another performance. We also only hold excellent/premium seats for press and no press get Tier 3/4/OBS seats. If the critic can only come on a certain night, and we literally do not have any good seats we let them know that we can get them in but the seat would be less than ideal. We never use a pull quote without giving attribution to the outlet, but we rarely name the writers. In places where we are naming the writers for pull quotes we would name all of them.
SUB-COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
We should do more work to pitch to and recruit BIPOC press and BIPOC media organizations to cover all of Signature's productions.
Since we rarely turn critics away for inventory reasons, we don't feel like we need to limit comps to one per press instead of a pair. If we have a time where inventory is extremely tight, we would limit all press to 1 ticket and not just some of them.
The only time we start to deny comps is if - 1. the critic does not have an assignment to write about a show from any outlet or 2. They have repeatedly requested comps and then have not shown up to use them and never contacted us about the fact that they weren't coming or even after the fact why they didn't come. We won't kick out writers in this case without a discussion.
Harboring BIPOC Critics
We demand the protection and indemnity of all BIPOC journalists and critics who promote accountability of their parent press contractors and employers.
There must be no retaliation against BIPOC journalists and writers who stand up for anti-racist practices while holding staff positions at all press institutions.
There must be no retaliation against BIPOC artists and institutions who stand up and call out racist practices in reviews, features, ads, etc., from all press institutions.
This includes The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Time Out NY, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, Chicago Tribune and ALL other press engaged in the theatre journalism circuit.
SUB-COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION
We will not deny media comps or stories to any writer who tries to hold their organization accountable.
We will not deny media comps or stories to any writer who tries to hold their organization accountable.