{"id":253,"date":"2009-10-05T12:58:12","date_gmt":"2009-10-05T16:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/2009\/10\/everybodys_talking_about_arts\/"},"modified":"2011-04-28T16:33:39","modified_gmt":"2011-04-28T20:33:39","slug":"everybodys_talking_about_arts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2009\/10\/everybodys_talking_about_arts.html","title":{"rendered":"Everybody’s talking about arts journalism"},"content":{"rendered":"

After last Friday’s summit<\/a> on new media affecting those who write, read and listen produced by the\u00c2\u00a0National Arts Journalism Program\/USC Anneberg Center, I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s Future of Music Coalition<\/a> session “Critical Condition: The Future of Music Journalism.”<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
It comes as a climax of the FMC’s Sunday-through-Tuesday “Policy Summit<\/a>” on digital options and challenges for musicians, with an emphasis on intellectual property rights and compensation as well as new tools for music-making. A “high-quality, interactive webcast” of the FMC event is being produced by web.illish.us<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0and you can get a free\u00c2\u00a0“virtual seat” from which to watch it\u00c2\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/div>\n


\nHere’s are questions I’ve been asked to consider by the two moderators:<\/p>\n

<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

a) How, in such a noisy media
\nenvironment, can artists win the attention of music writers?\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n


<\/span>b) What’s the value of music writing
\nwhen listeners can rapidly access the sounds themselves?<\/span>

<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

c) How is niche music coverage faring
\nin the age of American Idol? Should it be left to the citizen and fan blogs or
\nis there a reason for maintaining coverage “beats” at trad outlets?<\/span>

<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

d) What impact has user-generated
\nreviews at Amazon, etc. had on criticism? Is there a need for professional
\narbiters of culture?<\/span>
<\/p>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n

A) As we fret over the crisis in
\njournalism, it’s worth asking: Were traditional media really doing such a great
\njob to being with? What were we not doing well before that new outlets and
\nsources provide? <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n

B) Given that the old business model
\nfor journalism is broken beyond repair, how will we pay for the kind of music
\njournalism — be it criticism or reporting on the music industry — that new
\nsources (amateur, logarithmic, etc) don’t consistently provide?<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n

C) How has the form changed the
\nfunction? How has the change in how we access music as listeners\/consumers
\naffected the job writers and critics perform? Is the tweeted record review
\nreally useful? How about the 10,000-word essay?<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n


\n\u00c2\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n
and here’s list of other panelists, only two of whom I already know (starred*):<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

– Maura Johnston, Editor, Idolator<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

– Greg Kot, Music Critic, Chicago
\nTribune; Host, Sound Opinions, NPR<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

– David Malitz, Staff Writer,
\nWashington Post<\/span><\/p>\n

– *Tom Moon, Music Critic, NPR;
\nAuthor, 1000 Recordings to Hear Before You<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Die<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

– Scott Plagenhoef, Editor-in-Chief,
\nPitchfork<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

– Mike Riggs, City Lights Editor,
\nWashington City Paper<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

– Todd C. Roberts, Co-founder, The
\nDaily Swarm; Artist Manager\/Consultant,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Truant Media<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

– Raymond Leon Roker, Co-founder, URB\/URB.com;
\nPresident, NativeSon Media,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Inc.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

– *Molly Sheridan, Managing Editor,
\nNewMusicBox.org; Director,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

CounterstreamRadio.org<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

– Eliot Van Buskirk, Staff Writer,
\nWired.com<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

– Fiona Morgan, Journalist
\n(co-moderator)<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

– Casey Rae-Hunter, Communications
\nDirector, Future of Music Coalition<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

(co-moderator)<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

I understand though our condition is critical, we will NOT be webevised, but perhaps audio-documented. I’ll either blog from the panel, or report after it’s all over. Panelists are encouraged to come up with our own questions, too (good thing) and we’re going to have general statements followed by smaller group action-oriented brainstorming. If you as readers, writers, listeners have questions you’d like me to bring to the august group, post them here, please, for consideration . . ..<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
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