Here’s a great piece on the future of criticism from the good people at Time Out New York (TONY). In Bloggers vs Critics, TONY has surveyed a wide range of media critics and bloggers (including those of the theatre variety) and asked them to answer questions about the state of contemporary criticism – specifically, how it’s changing in the new media landscape.
It’s a short, sharp and insightful collection of voices.
Here’s a taste:
What basic prerequisites should all critics have to meet? How should we know whom to trust?
“A professional critic needs a deep familiarity and a passionate engagement with the subject that he or she discusses, period. That can take the form of an advanced degree in an arts specialty, but it can also result from a serious self-directed pursuit of knowledge and exposure. A careful reader can generally gauge for him or herself the level of genuine expertise that a particular critic or blogger brings to bear in his or her work; in blogging, mutual acclamation also plays a part. The recommendation of one or a few established, respected bloggers can go a very long way in welcoming another voice into the ongoing discussion. Voices we trust help to guide us to new voices that we learn to trust.”– Steve Smith
editor, music blog Night After Night
Check out the full piece here.