Popular Music Journalism: Topic 1

1. What is the role of the music journalist today?

To answer this question it is important to first understand the definition of the term 'role'. Generally regarded as the 'proper or customary function; the rights, obligations, and expected behaviour patterns associated with a particular social status' (Dictionary, 2011), even so the 'role' of the current-day music journalist is a difficult one to define. The ever-changing landscape of technological and social advances dictate that traditional broadsheet communications are not entirely relevant; an image which many would consider an established image of music journalism. The advent of the digital revolution has meant that the internet has encouraged a significant increase in the level/degree of user-generated journalism, as opposed to the traditional means of leaving this aspect to companies / established publications.

Journalism in any chosen field should be about reporting the facts of a chosen matter to a target audience. Music Journalism can cover a wide range of topics, from album and gig reviews, to news regarding a bands status or direction for the future - supposedly without bias or personal belief; unfortunately this is not always true. A high level of current high-street music journalism cater to their set demographic of a relative scene/sub-culture; this coupled with economic interests mean that true journalistic ideals will always be sacrificed in place of finanicial security / meeting a target audiences demands. The need to ensure your work is in keeping with the ideals of a certain sub-culture / scene runs parallel to financial issues, and with the vast majority of online content being free; means the traditional role of a music journalist today differs greatly from that of those perhaps 50 years earlier. In my later blogs I will discuss this position further; looking to understand and identify whether user/consumer-based music criticism could be cosidered journalistic in the traditional sense.


The modern day journalists in my opinion are a necessary evil, providing doses of scripted criticism and entertainment in equal measures. 'As Shuker noted: "The music press and critics are not, at least directly, vertically integrated into the music industry...A sense of distance is thereby maintained, while at the same time the need of the industry to constantly sell new images, styles and product is met' (Jones, 2010). Whether this can be deemed true music journalism is indeed questionable.


DICTIONARY, 2011 [online] [viewed 13 March 2011] Available from: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/role

JONES, 2002. Pop Music and the Press. USA, Philadelphia: Temple University Press