Wow… what a goofy series of exchanges about the state of criticism today-ish.
You have Glenn Kenny on a blog reading a Brooklyn Rail report by Vincent Rossmeier about a blog entry by and an interview with Michael Atkinson and going ballistic.
But let’s step back a few steps, being as this is allegedly a conversation between three journalists.
First – since he wrote first – you have Atkinson, who wrote in a much more complex way about the status of film criticism in his blog, Zero for Conduct, than Rossmeier reports on or Kenny gives him credit for.
“Of course, those jobs existed to begin with because publishers and editors thought writers were valuable, and paid them to sit on their asses (like they still do at The New Yorker) because they wanted those writers’ availability and flow of copy. But today that’s far less important. The pancaking financial burden, and quarterly losses, of newspaper and magazine publishing is certainly one aspect of it. So is the undeniable sense that critics in general, being the last independent defense standing against a full-court press of consumerist ideology, may be doomed because of their adversarial position toward the corporate sell-machines that pay them.”
This is a completely fair observation. The conclusion within it happens to be dead wrong. But what would Atkinson know about it? He’s a film critic.
Yes, writers are valued in a different way than the people who print the papers, sell the papers, and even, to some degree, edit the papers. The work of a daily Metro writer or a daily political writer is something else. A daily byline is a special kind of grind that is more like a traditional job. But that’s not the part I have a problem with.
What Atkinson misunderstands – and by dint of his own exit from the print work, understandably as an ego protection – is that “writers’ availability and flow of copy” is every bit as valued today as it ever was. What is quite different is that publishers expect to see some cause and effect from those they keep on board. If you are a film critic or highly paid entertainment journalist at a print outlet, you better have a following that cares about what you say – which doesn’t necessarily translate to ticket sales – or you are dead.
What Kenny misunderstands, belligerently, is that no publisher or major editor read The Brooklyn Rail or Michael Arkinson’s blog for insight into the value, or lack thereof, of film critics… I was going to say, “until Kenny brought it up,” but no, I think a simple “period” would do. And Glenn can rage about it. And I can write about the both of them. And still, Sam Zell could not give two of the tiniest little shits about our little intramural argument.
Publishers are trying to figure out how to keep making a buck (and thus, keeping power). Editors are trying to keep their newsrooms (and thus, their power) intact. Journalists of all stripes are trying to survive the boys upstairs.
The hero of this story will be the editor who figures out how to make things look rosy for the publisher or the publisher who has a real vision for the future which includes respect for the cheapest part of the Traditional Media machine… the writers.
The lesson that we all have to learn is that in a niche future – and in spite of Gawker’s Nick Denton foolishly trying to spin that niche is not still the future… he of the most niched (and increasingly so now, with multiple voices on more and more of his blogs) media business in the world – building a personal brand, aka a star profile, is critical in distinguishing any one of us from another. Because as much as none of us want to admit it, determining what “good” writing in a newspaper is comes down to opinion, not objective analysis. Good editing – any editing! – can keep standards much higher. Really… give Nikki Finke an editor who she would actually show respect to and she could do some good work, just as Sharon Waxman – a much saner reporter – could have if the NYT had ever been able to get a handle on her wilder proclivities. And make no mistake, I know my work would be improved a lot by a strong editor pushing me. No question.
But as long as writers keep acting like petulant children, we will mean nothing.

Be Sociable, Share!

• 
•