There’s a chance to fill some gaps in Baltimore arts coverage with a free paper focused on arts which includes a hilarious satire section. Just take the Baltimore Beat, rebrand if necessary, and have it focus entirely on art.
Financing it
Little Tax or Fund
If every art venue in Baltimore paid a tiny bit of money, I think the paper could support itself while staying free and without super-annoying ads everywhere.
Creative and clever AI ads
Just a few, and maybe the cost of the entire paper can be covered by five ads. Satire, humor, or concept-based and made by the paper — then approved whoever is placing the ad — or approved beforehand. If it’s truly a unique art-based paper then it needs a creative way to deal with ads. For example, having just a handful of very creative ads.
Baltimore Beat
If I understand correctly — the Baltimore Beat is one of these bold, risk-taking ideas. Maybe I’m wrong — can’t tell. I think the idea of covering police brutality and politics in the same paper as arts doesn’t work. At least for me, the paper is too charged up (agitated) for me to view it as anything arts related. There should be one online-only police brutality / politics focused paper — then a print-based arts only paper that also serves as promo. When they added the Tarotscope and magical Florida water to this it went totally bonkers. Also, when they keep printing police brutality in the paper non-stop, they essentially re-victimize the entire city. Imagine 9/11 non stop in the papers. There should be a dedicated source for this — online, where it can have a forum too.
Escape (into arts)
This is the type of paper where you might even be able to win a two-person trip somewhere. In other words, a newspaper that pretty much always leads to something incredible — either through the content or other means. Content should feel the same — an escape, an epiphany, something inspiring.
AI / Satire
Satire helps eliminate social barriers by exposing the absurdities and contradictions in cultural norms, hierarchies, and prejudices. Through humor and exaggeration, it disarms defensiveness and invites people from different backgrounds to laugh at the same truths, creating a shared space for critical reflection and dialogue. In doing so, satire can level the playing field—mocking power while empowering the marginalized to speak.
Satire helps eliminate social barriers by exposing the absurdities and contradictions in cultural norms, hierarchies, and prejudices. Through humor and exaggeration, it disarms defensiveness and invites people from different backgrounds to laugh at the same truths, creating a shared space for critical reflection and dialogue. In doing so, satire can level the playing field—mocking power while empowering the marginalized to speak.
Satire helps eliminate social barriers by exposing the absurdities and contradictions in cultural norms, hierarchies, and prejudices. Through humor and exaggeration, it disarms defensiveness and invites people from different backgrounds to laugh at the same truths, creating a shared space for critical reflection and dialogue. In doing so, satire can level the playing field—mocking power while empowering the marginalized to speak.
lemondo.art 