Watchdogs
By: Jessica Wurst
A journalist’s job is to be a watchdog over those in power in society. A critic’s job is not much different. Although the journalists’ role is more democratic than that of a critic, both occupations are vital to a community. With the overwhelming influx of media that populates society, critics are needed to regulate the content the public is presented with. Using research, values, and opinions, critics help the average citizen distinguish what is genuine and good-natured from what is phony, inappropriate, or simply not worth your time.
Critics are the medium between the art world and the average person. The public relies on critics to provide honest, educated reviews so they know what to look for when tasting a dish for the first time, or viewing a performance they’re unfamiliar with. As a reporter of the arts, it is vital that each critic takes into account not only their own perspective but also the perspectives of their audience. This is a necessary component when reviewing restaurants, movies, TV shows, etc. because everyone experiences life differently.
In addition to providing the public with valuable information, critics serve to keep artists in check. A critic protects the public through artistic regulation, which fosters innovation and quality among the professionals. If we do not have individuals with trained eyes to monitor the creative world, artworks may lose value and purpose. A society requires critics to comment on the quality and creativity of each form of art to set the standard, and encourage artists to push themselves to execute the best possible products.
As journalists are the watchdogs to the government, critics are the watchdogs of the artistic community. They serve to regulate, and inform the public, so the average citizen is able to not only indulge in such artworks but form an opinion of their own and spark new conversations about each piece.
Grace Langella
As a journalism major for the past four years, I’ve learned a lot about being honest, fair and specifically, unbiased. In reporting, you’re taught to share the facts and shed the light – but your own opinion is worthless to the public. However, as a critic this all changes. Yes, you’re still honest and fair. But now, your opinion matters. Your voice matters. You matter.
A critic uses their knowledge, expertise and affinity for a subject to enlighten those around them. They’re opinions are valued by the public. They become important to those they review, and instead of just being a journalist, they are also adopted into the field they review – they become a part of the restaurant or movie or book community.
But what I find the most fascinating about being a critic is their opportunity to reinvent journalism with creativity. You can’t report on government in the form of a love letter or using poetry. A critic has the chance to transform print writing, adding an enjoyable factor to reading your daily newspaper (even if you read it on your iPad.) And while not all reviews may of optimistic and positive, the opportunity to shed light on a subject gives readers the opportunity to avoid the bad things in life – because we all know we don’t need any more unexpected disappointments. By giving the reader a sneak peek before they have to experience something for themselves, critics take some of the sadness out of life.
Being a critic is more than being your typical journalist. The critic makes reading more fun. The critic gives the opinions and expertise that the world needs. And most importantly, the critic matters.
Ashley Scott
I always thought the role critics was simple– they give their opinion on culture. But after taking the time to do it myself, I’ve found the job is more complicated. I realized a critic’s job is to connect with the people. Unlike the unbiased journalist, the critic puts themselves in the shoes of the average person, and by consequence, we have a responsibility to share our experiences honestly.
Critics have the luxury of writing from their own perspective. We are allowed to use our own voices and must give our complete, undiluted opinions; a privilege in the world of journalism. I want to honor that privilege by writing from a place of authenticity that is relatable to my readers.
My goal is for my writing to be a conversation with the consumer. As a college student used to writing scholarly essays, the realization that I needed to use my own, conversational voice to do this was blissful. Reviews are everywhere, and are the types of writing that the average is person is most likely to come across every day. As a writer, all you ever want is for someone to read and be affected by your writing, so to know that people would be reading my personal voice is a triumph.
Through critical writing, I’ve learned that voicing our opinion is incredibly important. We live in a world that is saturated with opinion, but we, as critics, are held to a higher authority. Because of our platform, Critics can bring art, culture, and experiences attention they deserve.
If an opinion comes from a place of authenticity, who’s to say it’s not correct? Much like hard-news journalists who shine a light on truth, critics shine a light on authenticity, and give people a window in to culture that hopefully, inspires them to partake as well.
Christy Quinton
Prior to this course, I gave little to no thought about the role of a critic. Film, food, and music reviews were what I went to when I was looking merely to learn about the quality of what I was searching for in order to know if I would partake or not. However, I quickly learned that there is so much more power in the critic’s pen than I realized.
Though a necessary role of the critic is to voice his or her opinion of the subject at hand, the most important role of the critic that I have learned this year is to be a voice. Critic’s have the power to let their voices be heard, and I have learned a lot about different cultures and beliefs from critics’ voices.
Critics should avoid being cautious. There is so much power and freedom in the hands of the critic, and it would be a shame if all critics feared hurting feelings over letting their voices be heard. There’s a lot to learn from the differing opinions, backgrounds, and cultures that are represented by the critic population.
As I critic, I will strive to provide an educated and honest opinion of the subject at hand. But most importantly, I will always write with an understanding that my opinion isn’t the right opinion. I have a tendency to pridefully assume that I am above my competition. However, there is a lot to learn from those who are different than me, and their voices matter. I never would have thought that a critic’s review would be a place where I could learn about more than just the item being reviewed, but this class has taught me the true power of the role of the critic.
Megan Gaffney
A critic is not a role to be taken lightly in the community. It is a position of both power and poise that must always be handled with the utmost consideration. To be a critic, you are not there to judge or bring judgment on others, but rather to start a discussion of something by stating your opinion of it while giving supporting facts. When an individual is to read a review of any kind, they should feel as though they are experiencing the show, meal, product, etc. with the critic.
Opinions are not the only consideration to a review, but do bring a colorful aspect that allows the critic to be relatable and conversational with their audience. While the opinion area is where people can better understand how the critic felt leaving the event, it is not the only aspect that a critic must focus on. A certain amount of reporting is also required by each critic to make sure that they know their facts, have realistic expectations and have some connotation as to how the item being reviewed came to fruition. If someone walks into a McDonalds and tries to review it as if it were a 5-star restaurant, there is a disconnection between what is expected and what is realistic for the establishment. Research allows a critic to know better aspects to look for and what questions to ask as they walk away from the experience.
Critics should have the experience and knowledge of the field that they are reviewing with the ability to simplify their thoughts. They should be experts with conversational understandings of what they are reviewing. A critic’s role can create conversations, confrontations, and most importantly, they can create customers.
EAThens 