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Who knows how true any of it is, but if it's accurate it goes a long way toward undermining the editorial integrity of the publication in my eyes, at least in terms of their reviews.
This is an interesting article, but I'll agree that it doesn't seem too different from other major review outlets (Spin, RS, etc). I've had a couple friends who have done reviews for those place, and their process is roughly the same: assign a major review to a reviewer familiar with the artist/genre; assign new artist reviews to newer writers; let the editors step in when a bad review might piss off an advertiser. But thanks for posting, KD.
I definitely think it makes sense to give a review to a writer that is familiar with the artist/genre, but his implication that the assessment and overall rating of any given record isn't necessarily that of the writer based on his or her impressions of the work, but is instead guided by some consensus from high-level staff as to what an "appropriate" Pitchfork review would look like for any given work, based on any number of factors, and then asking a writer to put his or her name on that review as though the writing and score are his or hers alone -- I dunno, to me that is a blow to the credibility of the writing, regardless of how common a practice it is. I have written for several lower-tier publications (Pop Matters, Alternative Press, All About Jazz), and while for these publications you are required to pitch and prove that you will have some frame of reference for writing the article, there was definitely no point where I felt like my thoughts were being led by the magazine's agenda; to the contrary, I've had editors multiple times go to the mat for me when I wrote things that were unpopular with PR folks. It's just disappointing -- I've often defended Pitchfork against people who argued that there was some default "Pitchfork stance" on certain artists/records, saying that ultimately the writing is the work of the critics and that this "Pitchfork stance" is just some imagined thing. Turns out maybe it isn't.
Last edited by Kevin Davis on Mon April 10, 2017 4:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Joined: Tue September 24, 2013 5:56 pm Posts: 47126 Location: In the oatmeal aisle wearing a Shellac shirt
This one is great -- I genuinely like it:
alt-J RELAXER BY: JAYSON GREENE ROCK The third album from British fuss-rockers features tastefully trimmed string arrangements, chamber woodwinds, and terminal boredom.
Joined: Sun May 25, 2014 9:32 pm Posts: 31614 Location: Garbage Dump
This is from a movie review published by IndieWire, probably the worst film site on the internet. I thought it would be appropriate to post here.
"It Comes at Night is a stealthy, ravenous beast, but the menacing picture doesn't pounce until it means to feast. Its teeth are sharp and its bite will scar, but the light is scarce and you'll only see its bloodshot eyes the very moment you're devoured by its all-consuming, wholly frightening lunge."
Joined: Tue September 24, 2013 5:56 pm Posts: 47126 Location: In the oatmeal aisle wearing a Shellac shirt
This sounds like a stretch:
Lorde Melodrama BEST NEW MUSIC BY: STACEY ANDERSON POP/R&B Lorde captures emotions like none other. Her second album is a masterful study of being a young woman, a sleek and humid pop record full of grief and hedonism, crafted with the utmost care and wisdom.
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thank you mike