Challenge Accepted

In one of my regular ‘inspiration sessions’ (translation – sitting in a coffee shop catching up on my online reading) I came across an excellent commentary on the state of arts criticism in Australia. In CringeFestival, published in Kill Your Darlings’ online theatre and performing arts column, Jane Howard bemoans the proliferation of unpaid reviewers that clog our media, observing that few writers are actually fulfilling the brief of ‘critic’.

In summary, Howard believes that the current practice of paying reviewers in tickets alone has lowered the standard of our critical culture. Reviews have become less a platform for unpacking performances and prompting deep pondering, and more a tool for promoters to pimp their productions. Potentially problematic – yes indeed.

A similar view was articulated by Andrew Stafford in his blog (and later as a column for Mumbrella) back in November 2013. A music journalist of 20 years, Stafford confided in his post that he had turned down a role as music writer for The Daily Review, despite his adoration of the site’s parent publication, Crikey. Why this decision? The monetary compensation offered for the position was zero.

Stafford argued, and quite rightly I would suggest, that a journalist of his experience and renown should be appropriately remunerated for his skills. He would bring eyeballs and a level of quality to the then fledgling online magazine; surely these would be things The Daily Review would consider worth paying for? Apparently not.

Aside from the obvious reason (needing to put food on his table), Stafford said he felt that working for free would make him ‘complicit in undermining’ the careers of his peers and colleagues. He felt that media outlets which purport to provide quality content should be able to afford to pay the people best qualified to do the job.

I myself am operating on the ‘will work for tickets’ model right now. Having eschewed the corporate nine-to-five for an as yet to be determined career in the writing field, I naturally looked to write about what I know. And as a graduate of theatre studies from QUT, and a some-time amateur actor, I thought reviewing theatre could be a good first step.

Once I started digging, I uncovered numerous online publications who were prepared to ‘pay’ me to publish my critical thoughts. I have signed-up to write for a few of these sites, and so far have been treated to a number of free nights out. But in much the same way as I did when I worked as a finance trade journalist receiving regular invitations to media briefings in five-star restaurants, I have realised that such invitations have the potential to cost me my integrity. We’ll give you a five course meal with matching wines, provided you write up our latest product. Or, we’ll give you and your partner a free ticket to opening night, provided you say how fabulous we are. Power corrupts, and all that.

However, I would like to think that within this new world, where everyone literally can be a critic, those who genuinely have something to say will rise to the top. We pick and choose who to follow on Twitter, because we are entertained and interested by what they have to say (in a few short characters no less). We can select our favourite news topics or publications on Flipboard. And we subscribe to bloggers whose words resonate through the noise of our daily lives. You can build your own audience – provided you know who that audience is.

As any good marketer (content or otherwise) will tell you, there’s no point shouting your story from the roof-top if your target audience resides in an underground tunnel. In the same way, not everyone wants to read an effuse opinion piece with obscure 1940s pop culture references which challenges their very hipster existence; some people just want to know whether something is worth the price of admission.

I do think there is an audience for the kind of critical commentary for which Howard laments. Kill Your Darlings is one rallying point. The Australian Book Review is another. But I also think that those of us who are working for nix need to do our bit too. We need to push ourselves harder, polish and edit our own work. Write often, sure, but write well. Engage with other commentators, share their thoughts, even (or especially) if they differ from yours. Build your own audience, one which truly represents the people you want to speak to. And spread the critical word.

Thank you Ms Howard – challenge accepted.