Douglas McLennan

Doug is a longtime journalist who writes about journalism, the arts and technology. He's the editor and the founder and editor of ArtsJournal.com and co-founder and editor of Post Alley. He's a frequent keynoter on arts and digital issues, and works and consults for a number of arts and news organizations nationally.

Reasonable Human Versus The Oleaginous Pence

While Trump tries to bludgeon you with brute force with his version of the world, Pence oozes over-the-top sincerity wrapped in a constant spew of faux flattery for the all-wise ā€œAmerican people.ā€ While the styles are different, the intents are the same. The ever-obsequious Pence is, in fact, the almost perfect complement ā€“ the Mini-Me ā€“ to the crude and erratic Trump.

Lang Lang: A Goldberg Variations For Our Time

Surprise: A new recording of JS Bach's Goldberg Variations shows Lang Lang in a new light.

NPR Listenership Plunges, KING-FM on the Rise, and Other Evolving Media Habits

The COVID lockdown has meant less time in cars and cars are the place people listen to the radio.

The Arts Online: Ten Great YouTubes that wouldn’t have been made without Lockdown

Deprived of their usual performance venues, artists have turned to the internet to make and disseminate their art. The art is evolving quickly

New Numbers On Arts Losses, New Seattle Leadership at the Local and National Levels

Two marvelous leadership opportunities. Two chances to make a historic difference. Bad as the arts needs money right now, leadership is even more important.

The Virus has Flattened the Arts. But Why Rebuild When You Could Make Better?

You can see this as nothing but loss. Or perhaps some of our most intractable debates are now suddenly shaken free of their old moorings.

And Now For Something Completely Cynical: The COVID-Era TV Ad

Been noticing that the TV ads you see are all starting to look and sound the same? Mournful piano music, poignant images, nostalgic voice-overs and hopeful messages telling us to "stay strong"? America's Big Brands are here to help. Here's a video that parodies the new form - watch and you'll never look at these ads the same way again.

The Authoritarian’s Guide To COVID [video]

In this first Post Alley video, Carol Williams and Douglas McLennan talk about Russia's sudden shut down to deal with the COVID virus after claiming for weeks it wasn't spreading there.

Empty Seattle as Seen by Drones

The Seattle Downtown Association produces this video of a city emptied out.

Cringey: Late Night Talk Shows Return And It’s Painful To Watch

It's jarring to see these late night hosts, stripped of their tech armor and studio wizardry trying to tell jokes for a camera in their living rooms, basements and closets.

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