This Week’s Highlights:
The White House’s 162-page indictment of the Smithsonian turns out to be riddled with errors (Washington Post), while the Kennedy Center drifts on like a ghost ship, technically open and nearly empty (Washington Post). Here’s Hungary’s version of the culture wars being resolved. In Hungary, the state’s broadcasters, which had been turned into propaganda machines during the Orban years, went dark this week with an extraordinary on-screen confession: “Public media should not lie” (The Guardian).
The platforms made had their own version of realpolitik. Sony reminded PlayStation customers that everything digital they’ve “bought” is rented (Wired), ownership of culture quietly swapped for a revocable license (Fast Company).
But now some fascinating about-face from one of London’t most distinguished museums. At the V&A’s East Storehouse, visitors order up Beatrix Potter drawings and hold them in their hands (The New York Times). And in other audience news: Gen Z is driving a revival of America’s independent cinemas (The Guardian). And Joe Hisaishi, a film composer who sells out Madison Square Garden, just became the Philadelphia Orchestra’s composer-in-residence (The New York Times).
All this week’s stories below, organized by topic.
