I hope that everyone will read about Don Rosenberg, the long-term, deeply respected music critic of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, being reassigned so that he will no longer be reviewing The Cleveland Orchestra.
The music journalism perspective has been covered very well, very quickly and if you haven’t taken a look, you can find it on the pages of artsjournal.com. However, beyond the question of whether a music journalist or any arts journalist might have to think twice about dishing out negative reviews, there’s the simple matter of freedom of press/media and the question of whether this is really isolated or connected to a much larger web that should give us all a chill.
Of course it’s a push-pull, the key function the press plays in a free society, the Fourth Estate, as it were, versus the need to make money. Few have illuminated this conflict better than the late Edward R. Murrow and Fred Friendly. We see it playing out today in the troubles at the LA Times, and changes underway at the Wall Street Journal.
Many wondered what happened to the press when it should have taken a closer look at the WMD theory that got us into Iraq. While it may appear to be a long leap from WMD to what’s happened to Don Rosenberg, it’s worth a good look. The critical importance of the free press demands nothing less.
I have felt the chill, running an organization that has sometimes taken a publicly critical position regarding decisions by the New York City Department of Education, with me serving as the spokesperson for the board of directors. The chill has come in the form of pressure applied to stop the criticism, as well as being labeled someone who spread “misinformation,” “bad data,” and more. And as I have heard from a number of reporters, the chill has come in the heavy pressure exerted upon them to soften their reporting.
So, if Don Rosenberg can be reassigned in order to aide in sunnier notices of Franz Welser-Most, well imagine what happens when arts and arts education advocates rile up presumably much more powerful people and interests, including mayors, school district leaders, civic elite, unions, etc.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer, whose publisher is on the board of directors of The Cleveland Orchestra, should be ashamed of itself. At the very least, even if you give the Plain Dealer some benefit of the doubt on this action, it looks just plain bad and helps to stoke an atmosphere of fear.
2 responses to “Feel The Chill: Don Rosenberg’s Reassignment”
I wrote to the editor of The Plain Dealer and haven’t heard a peep, but my son received the pat response they are using that it had nothing to do with Rosenberg’s reviews of the great and powerful FWM. This has been a shock and a travesty. This particular critic was one of the most intelligent and interesting critics today. His reviews were fascinating and I believe right on! Those of us who agreed with him just weren’t writing The Plain Dealer I guess — they were only hearing from that mindless group of zombies who blindly accept their leader no matter what is actually happening to the quality of the orchestra.
Thank you, Mr. Kessler, for drawing attention to the ominous larger implications of this inexcusable action by the Plain Dealer. Rosenberg was an outstanding critic who did tremendous work in fostering the musical life of Cleveland. He wrote intelligently and honestly about musicians in Cleveland, including conductor Franz Welser-Moest. His lukewarm-to-negative views of FWM were shared by many critics around the world, and many of us in Cleveland. Thanks to the scandalous action of the Plain Dealer (whose C.E.O. is a member of the Cleveland Orchestra board) Cleveland is now the Censorship Capital of the nation. Moreover, Rosenberg has been replaced by his former INTERN who has already demonstrated that he’s in over his head when it comes to reviewing a world-class orchestra.
Let’s not tolerate censorship! There have been examples in other cities where newspapers have attempted to devalue the roles of their arts critics, but relented in the face of opposition from the community. If enough of us write and demand Rosenberg’s reinstatement as Music Critic, the PD may back down.
If you prefer safety in numbers, (especially if you are a musician in Cleveland, fearing reprisal) you can join us in signing our petition (see below). Please email me at FreePressCleveland@live.com, to indicate that you want to be listed as a signator on the letter. If you are willing to have your title or affiliation also listed, please indicate that.
When we have collected a healthy number of signators, we’ll send the letter to the PD.
If you prefer to write your own letter, go to http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/lettertoeditor.ssf and send 200 words or less.
Free Press
Free Criticism
Free Rosenberg!
FreePressCleveland@live.com
Here is the text of the petition:
LETTER TO THE PLAIN DEALER
To: Terrance Egger, President & C.E.O.
Susan Goldberg, Editor
We, the undersigned, protest the Plain Dealer’s treatment of nationally respected Music Critic Donald Rosenberg. Your decision to ban him from reviewing the Cleveland Orchestra is an act of censorship and an embarrassment to the city. Since you failed to clearly report the action to your readers, we had to find out the truth from the New York Times, the Baltimore Sun, the Boston Globe.com, etc.
Rosenberg did not resign, as the Plain Dealer seemed to imply. He was demoted, for having respectfully and intelligently criticized a conductor who has met with mixed reviews around the world. As stated by Musical America.com, Rosenberg is “among the most respected music critics in the business.” His reviews were not biased; he reported what he heard, and fostered healthy and intelligent debate. That is a critic’s job. The integrity of the Plain Dealer is in question. Your action has sullied the reputations of both the PD and the Orchestra. Since Plain Dealer C.E.O. Terrance Egger is a trustee of the Orchestra, the politics behind the decision are obvious.
Restore Donald Rosenberg to his post as Music Critic, with no restrictions. Restore our faith in the Plain Dealer.
IF YOU WANT TO ADD YOUR NAME TO THIS PETITION, SEND AN EMAIL TO: FreePressCleveland@live.com.
Free Press
Free Criticism
Free Rosenberg!
FreePressCleveland@live.com