1. Arts journalism is a specialized field of journalism that reports on and discusses visual arts, film, literature, music, theatre, and architecture. It educates the public and engages people with new ideas in the arts. 2. Arts journalism requires serious journalistic skills as well as expertise in the arts. It has undergone changes with new technologies and faces competition from bloggers, but professional arts journalists provide deeper analysis and ensure accuracy. 3. While some newspapers and magazines have reduced their arts coverage, major publications like The Guardian still provide extensive coverage online and in print. Arts journalism remains important for supporting and promoting the arts.

1. Arts Journalism: A Profession
Dimple MeeraJom
@00443778
Universityof Salford
Journalism is a field which keeps on evolving and expanding. This indeed resulted in the
emergence of more specialised fields.
Arts journalism is a branch of journalism associated with the discussion of the arts and reporting
the related news which includes, the visual arts, film, literature, music, theatre, and architecture.
But art journalism is not limited to these areas. Generally, journalists and critics writing about the
arts have a background in writing and the arts. Arts journalism has much higher goals and can
impact a community by generating a quality flow of news about the arts. It can educate and broaden
our understanding. It can engage people with new ideas and trends. It can expose reality. And it
can create community. (Lambla, 2013). As art is inevitable in a society, art journalism is also
essential to live in a vibrant community. Arts journalism has a reciprocal relationship to the arts.
Arts journalism depends on the arts for content, on the other hand the arts benefit in various ways
from media coverage.
Arts journalism is a product of passion, so it is connected with imaginative and creative writing
style. It can be emotional, surprising, or entertaining but, to be a professional arts journalist one
must have serious journalistic skills and a solid base for your writing.
In ‘The Need for Art Journalist’, Michael Kaiser, Chairman of DeVos Institute of Arts
Management have written about the gradual decline in the amount of serious arts criticism. Most
of the newspapers are saving money by eliminating their arts coverage or by reducing the amount
of coverage in favour of popular arts coverage. At the same time, many of the traditional
newspapers have cut the number of experienced arts journalists it does not necessarily mean that
the need for specialised arts journalism is diminishing. Quite the reverse, on the internet the
professional arts journalists have to be able to get even deeper into their subject since they face
tough competition from bloggers and other culture buffs commenting in the social media.
Edward Winkelman in his blog post ‘A Conversation with Tyler Green on the Art Journalists
Narrative’ says that arts journalism has undergone a radical shift over the past 20 years, but then

2. perhaps so has journalism in general. A revolution brought about via technologies that bring
tremendous pressure for nearly immediate publication, often even as the described events are
taking place (with the previous practices of reflection and in-depth investigation or analysis
suffering in its wake) has also led to a decentralization of control over how we view the world (i.e.,
over "the message"), which has its up sides as well, but comes coupled with an odd sense that
something is old "news" before we even understand what it was that happened. In a world as rich
with complex ideas as the art world is at its best, that's not necessarily an innovation that makes
things better for understanding.
Tyler Green points out that art journalism is all but dead. It's being replaced by art media, which
reports less (often not at all), cares little about accuracy (when did you last see a correction on your
favourite art media website?) but which is less constrained by tired tropes. (winkleman, 2013).
The four British quality newspapers - The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian and The
Independent - still cover arts and culture extensively and have adopted new tools, such as videos,
blogs or podcasts, for their online editions. The role of mainstream media is important even in the
world of the Internet. Also the number of arts and culture magazines remains high: W.H. Smith,
the biggest magazine retailer in the UK, carries nearly 200 specialised arts publications. These four
newspapers and their Sunday sister papers offered a total number of 1,241 articles on arts and
culture. The emphasis has clearly switched to the internet. While all the articles were available
digitally only 695 of them made their way to the print version. That is only a little more than half
of the articles (56per cent). In print the focus is on reviews which make up 404 out of the 695
articles. The features come second with 202 and news third with 89 articles. The number of reviews
and features is only slightly bigger in the online editions but there are four times more news stories
than in print, which 12 gave a total of 361 out of which 89 were printed. The Internet offers various
new ways of publishing arts and culture journalism but these articles are still in the minority: during
the seven days there were 75 blogs, 37 videos, 4 podcasts, and 25 photo galleries. (Jokelainen,
2013) .
The Telegraph was forced to cut its arts coverage even before The Independent: in 2008 the paper
halved its arts budget which meant less work and less pay for a number of freelance writers. At
The Times a literature editor and a theatre critic had to go in 2013. (Collins, 2010).

3. While The Fly, the largest free music magazine in the UK, announced it was closing after 15 years.
14 It was the third free music paper to call it quits in about a year: both Propaganda and Stool
Pigeon had closed their print editions early in 2013. The fate of The Fly speaks volumes about the
digital revolution and its effect on the whole music industry. The free paper was not only facing
competition from the online music magazines but it also fell victim to the change in music
distribution. (Baird, 2014)
The legacy media is still pivotal as the British quality newspapers are delivering more than one
thousand articles on arts and culture on a weekly basis. Tony Hall, the new director general of the
BBC, has recently promised “more arts on the BBC than ever before”. Although print magazines
struggle with declining circulations it has not stopped the brave entrepreneurs who are starting up
new magazines for niche audiences. (Plunkett, 2014) .
Arts and culture seems to be a priority for The Guardian, and they are heavily promoting it
themselves. “Summing up The Guardian's arts coverage is simple: it's second to none,” the paper
boasts. “The section brings everything together, deservedly making it one of the most popular
destinations on the entire Guardian website.” (Dickson, 2012). The Guardian has been investing
in its online arts coverage the question remains how long can that go on as the newspaper is deeply
in the red, losing £40.5m in 2013. (Guardian publisher faces more losses as US website struggles,
2014).
Some criticises that that amateur and online criticism is not as valuable for the field as criticism
by professional journalists with a strong background and knowledge in the art form they cover.
Everyone has a chance to express their viewpoint, comment about the quality of a production and
the offerings of an art form in this digital world. There are many remarkable critiques online by
people who are not paid for this expertise but have earned it the hard way: by attending many
operas, plays or ballet performances, reading arts history, and building a great base of knowledge.
Though more laymen have started reviewing arts with the evolution of digital network, especially,
blogs, leading publications hire talented journalists for criticisms. They do not rely on the bloggers
as it entails faithfulness to art and to the text under review. A professional art journalist includes
evidence while reviewing a prose, produce allusions and insights. They focus on the artiste’s
personal life, the historical and social background while the art form is produced and the artist’s

4. intentions. Whereas a blogger criticizes only the art as such and his experience of it. An art
journalist looks into what the writer's intentions were.
More people reviewing arts has not resulted in the decline of this specialized world, instead, it
expanded its network. Professional art journalists are in a consent fight with the art bloggers. This
prevents a specialized journalist to offer timid, easy and glib reviews. They don’t let a production
to repeat a review because it was cheap and time saving to do so.
Since there are more people to discuss and evaluate about a piece of work, most of the art journalist
become their own worst critics.
“Every time I receive a bad review I learn from it. I may not agree with the critic but, at
least, I am forced to evaluate why I liked the production more than they did. And,
surprisingly, I find that my productions receive compliments I feel are unwarranted almost
as often as I receive undue criticism. I have gone to bed weeping about a failed production
only to read a glowing review in the newspaper the next day.
And, truth be told, while I feel a bit better for a day, I ultimately get more depressed by a
good review I did not deserve. I feel like I did when I got a good grade on a test I had not
prepared for; like I got away with something and will be found out in the end.
But as I conclude my arts management career I can honestly say that, on balance, after one
weeds out the few reviews that caused outrage and hurt, I am so glad that I had critics who
nudged, cajoled and pressured me for the past 30 years. I fear for an arts ecology without
them.” (Kaiser, 2014)
Having an audience, credible and objective reviewing will help in standing out. Readers like to
support local talent and chart their progress. Identify the leading lights – best new bands, amateur
theatre companies, best school music, champions at local festivals will help in grabbing stories.
Keep tabs too on social media to see what is out there on Facebook and micro-blogs to know what
is trending in the arts field. An opera preview for a local paper would need to be accessible to the
general reader as well as enthusiasts. For example, previewing the same production for a specialist
publication or website such as Opera magazine might have a different focus and could comfortably
use the language of the aficionado. Arts specialists vary enormously but their passion is usually

5. directed at extending the audience for the arts. They are generally trying to broaden appeal and
accessibility not just preach to the converted. (Mottershead and Hadwin, 2013)
Though there are core audience for various art forms, if the coverage is credible, then the readers
invest in the publication or website. An art journalist should not prioritise their favourite artists
and genres within the overall remit the publication. Their thoughts should be guided by the
audience’s enthusiasms and should be more objective.
“The way I think about my work, and about art, is infinitely more plural and ambiguous than it
was in 2006.” – Jonathan Jones, art critic for The Guardian (Jokelainen, 2013). For the arts and
culture journalists and critics, this has meant many changes: adopting new tools for the Internet,
working on different kinds of platforms, engaging with the readers, learning social media skills
and branding themselves, to name but a few. (Jokelainen, 2013)
As soon as a review is published, it is being discussed and criticized. Criticisms about the review
and the discussions with the readers can help one to write be a better arts journalist. As there is
less full-time work in the legacy media, arts and culture journalists have to look for different
sources of income.
Traditionally reviews have been published a day, two days or even weeks after the cultural event.
In the social media speed is everything as the conversation starts during the event and heats up
right after it. To take part in this conversation the review should be out there immediately, not a
day or two later
While everyone can now express an opinion, the critics, with all their experience and knowledge,
should be encouraged to come up with their own instead of seeking objectivity. “For a critic's
opinion to have value beyond the mere joy of the savage put-down or the well-constructed defence,
I believe they must have something personal at stake, something they care about and are in danger
of forfeiting. Whether praising or damning a movie, it is the risk to the critic's reputation and
livelihood that ultimately lends weight to their words and ensures the integrity of their review.” –
Mark Kermode, film critic for The Observer (Jokelainen, 2013).
Rolling stone is a perfect example to show the development of the art journalism over a period.
This American bi-weekly art magazine that focuses on popular culture was founded in San
Francisco in 1967 by Jann Werner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason. Rolling Stones focused on

6. music initially and gave political news coverage political news later. it was in the later half of the
20th century that it shifted its focus to a younger readership. From then the magazine came to be
known for television shows, film actors, and popular music (Freedman, 2002). When the magazine
changed its format to appeal the youth, criticisms aroused that the magazine was emphasizing style
over substance.
When the digital media began to gain popularity, this leading art magazine articles, reviews, blogs,
MP3s and other features, such as searchable and free encyclopaedic articles about artists, with
images and sometimes sound clips of their work in its online website. The articles that are
published in the website can be overviewed as another version of the print.
Though with the digitalization, many bloggers and criticizers have risen, rolling stone remains as
one of the leading art and music magazine as this magazine has a quest for news of their specialism
and not focus just on the reviews. For almost four decades, no surer sign has heralded the arrival
of a performer, artist or personality than an appearance on the cover of Rolling Stone. Virtually
every important rock musician and movie star has appeared on one of the nearly one thousand
covers reproduced here, along with the politicians, comedians, cartoon characters, filmmakers, pop
singers and TV actors who have helped to shape our era. (Wenner, 2006).
Like any other field of journalism, specialization in arts also face challenges with the evolution of
the digital age. It is better to call it as an evolution rather than a challenge. With the emergence of
social media, there is more competitions as everyone reviews and update their comments through
this digital platform. Maintaining professional journalism skills and credible outputs with constant
updates helps one to gather a name in this field. “What matters is that you wade through the good,
the bad, and the ugly, all year round, producing accountable reviews that combine pithily expressed
opinion, description, contextualisation, analysis and (at best) entertainment, in whatever medium.”
– Mark Kermode, film critic for The Observer (Jokelainen, 2013). Journalism today is not about
reporting the known truths to the world but it’s all about creating a spark in the readers and invoke
a debate in their mind. An art journalist should keep in mind that each reader is a criticizer of your
criticisms and that demands a highly productive output in order to create a name in this specialism.
References

7. Art Journalist.(n.d.).Retrievedfromwww.artjournalist.com
Building up a creatice nation.(n.d.).RetrievedfromCreative andCultural skills:www.ccskills.org.uk
Baird,D. (2014, March 07). The Flymusicmagazine closesafternearly15 years. The Guardian .
Collins,L.(2010, march 31). Not-Really-an-EditorInterview.
Dickson,A.(2012). Retrievedfromhttp://advertising.theguardian.com/art-design
Ethical JournalismInitiative.(n.d.).Retrievedfrom http://ethicaljournalisminitiative.org/en
Freedman,S.G. (2002). Literary'RollingStone'sellsouttomale titillation. USToday.
Gompertz,W. (2015). Think Like An Artist. PenguinBooksLtd.
Guardianpublisherfacesmore lossesasUS website struggles. (2014,July1). The DailyTelegraph.
Jokelainen,J.(2013).ANYONECAN BE A CRITIC. ReutersInstituteFellowship Paper,5.
Kaiser,M. (2014, May 31). The Need forArts Journalist. RetrievedfromThe HuffingtonPost:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Lambla,K. (2013). Charlotte ArtsJournalismAlliance Conference. Trendsin the Arts.
MottersheadandHadwin.(2013). SpecialistreportingfromHolmes. 21stCentury JournalismHandbook.
Phillips,A.(20017). Good Writing forJournalists,. Sage.
Plunkett,J.(2014, march 25). BBC promises'strongestcommitmenttothe arts ina generation’. The
Guardian.
Rolling Stones.(2016). Retrievedfromwww.wikipedia.com
Scholl,D.(2011, july6). Challengeseeksnew models forartsjournalism.Retrievedfrom
knightfoundation: http://www.knightfoundation.org/
Turney,E. (2013, November21).WhenI Grow Up I Want To Be AnArts Journalist.
Wenner,J.S. (2006). A Historyof the Most Influential Magazine inPopCulture. Rolling Stone1,000
Covers.
winkleman,e.(2013, july). A Conversation with TylerGreen on Art Journalist'sNarrative.Retrievedfrom
edwardwinkleman:http://www.edwardwinkleman.com/
Works Cited
Art Journalist.(n.d.).Retrievedfromwww.artjournalist.com

8. ArtsJournalist.(n.d.).Retrievedfrom Creative andCultural skills:www.ccskills.org.uk
Baird,D. (2014, March 07). The Flymusicmagazine closesafternearly15 years. The Guardian .
Collins,L.(2010, march 31). Not-Really-an-EditorInterview.
Dickson,A.(2012). Retrievedfromhttp://advertising.theguardian.com/art-design
Ethical JournalismInitiative.(n.d.).Retrievedfromhttp://ethicaljournalisminitiative.org/en
Freedman,S.G. (2002). Literary'RollingStone'sellsouttomale titillation. USToday.
Gompertz,W. (2015). Think Like An Artist.PenguinBooksLtd.
Guardianpublisherfacesmore lossesasUS website struggles.(2014,July1). The DailyTelegraph.
Jokelainen,J.(2013).ANYONECAN BE A CRITIC. ReutersInstituteFellowship Paper,5.
Kaiser,M. (2014, May 31). The Need forArts Journalist. RetrievedfromThe HuffingtonPost:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Lambla,K. (2013). Charlotte ArtsJournalismAlliance Conference. Trendsin the Arts.
MottersheadandHadwin.(2013). SpecialistreportingfromHolmes. 21stCentury Journalism Handbook.
Phillips,A.(20017). Good Writing forJournalists,. Sage.
Plunkett,J.(2014, march 25). BBC promises'strongestcommitmenttothe arts ina generation’. The
Guardian.
Rolling Stones.(2016). Retrievedfromwww.wikipedia.com
Scholl,D.(2011, july6). Challengeseeksnew models forartsjournalism.Retrievedfrom
knightfoundation:http://www.knightfoundation.org/
Turney,E. (2013, November21).WhenI Grow Up I Want To Be AnArts Journalist.
Wenner,J.S. (2006). A Historyof the Most Influential Magazine inPopCulture. Rolling Stone1,000
Covers.
winkleman,e.(2013, july). A Conversation with TylerGreen on Art Journalist'sNarrative.Retrievedfrom
edwardwinkleman:http://www.edwardwinkleman.com/