Breya Jones will be the next arts and culture reporter with Louisville Public Media. She has been LPM’s breaking news reporter since June 2021. A Louisville native, Jones has covered everything from politics to public safety to education in this role.
Jones is a graduate of duPont Manual High School and pursued journalism and political science at DePaul University in Chicago.
Get to know her as she steps into covering a new part of our community.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
What are you most excited about going into this new beat?
I can’t wait to dive deeper into the local music scene! My younger brother is a local producer (shoutout to Dohboiii) and he has introduced me to so many amazing local musicians. I’m also super interested in covering niche Kentucky cultural things, like the Pope Lick Monster and Appalachian lore. Louisville and Kentucky are so culturally rich, and I want to share that.
What will you miss about your past role?
I got to cover so many different things on the breaking beat. It allowed me to explore different beats early in my journalism career, and I really enjoyed gaining all those experiences. I’ll miss dipping my toes across so many different coverage areas, but I know that arts and culture is connected to so many things, so that won’t totally go away.
What’s something people might miss about Louisville arts and culture?
A lot of people know about the big arts organizations in Louisville, but there are lots of smaller organizations and collectives creating amazing work. So many people are creating their own space in the arts and culture scene, and I really enjoy seeing that.
What local icon would you most like to interview and why?
The Pope Lick Monster. They're a local cultural icon, but I feel as though we truly don’t know enough about them.
What book, movie and TV recs do you have for folks?
“Bob’s Burgers.” “The Bob’s Burgers Movie.” And the Bob’s Burgers cookbook. But seriously, I do love Bob’s Burgers. I cannot recommend “Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse” enough; it is by far my favorite movie. And I love graphic novels. “Lumberjanes,” “OMG Check Please!” and “Abbott” are among some of my favorites.
What kind of cultural references can subscribers of the Arts, Culture, Et Cetera newsletter expect with you at the helm?
Louisville and Kentucky specific things, probably some reality TV and of course plenty of Gen-Z humor.
What’s your favorite hot take about regional arts and culture?
Hot browns shouldn’t be our best known city dish. I don't know what should be, but that’s not it. Also, Thunder Over Louisville is better than the Derby itself.