The musical journalism hall of shame thread is a necessary institution, but it doesn't make for encouraging reading.
I think there is outstandingly good music journalism being done, although less commonly than the bad stuff. Some of it's commercially published and some not. Hopefully we could enjoy sharing examples here when we find them.
It has to be good, though. For the subject to be interesting is not enough, I think, nor is it enough for an artist to say a few interesting things in interview. It's not enough if you kind of liked it and it was written by your friend, or you, or someone you agree with.
Something could be worth sharing for a lot of different reasons. Skilled research or interviewing, perhaps. A perceptive or alternative take on a subject. Imaginative writing coherently thought out - as opposed to being unfocused or half-baked.
What people sometimes call 'good writing' or 'well written' is worthwhile as far as it goes. But personally I think a pretty elevated level of literary merit is needed for prose style to stand on its own. I don't believe that's something you find often in music journalism - or necessarily anything that journalists should spend time on.
Here I've got what I think are two recent examples of good music journalism.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newswe...bin-on-crashing-kanye-s-album-in-15-days.html
http://www.mosaictheory.de/Hard-Wax-The-Insider-s-Guide-Interview-with-DJ-Pete-Part-I
I think there is outstandingly good music journalism being done, although less commonly than the bad stuff. Some of it's commercially published and some not. Hopefully we could enjoy sharing examples here when we find them.
It has to be good, though. For the subject to be interesting is not enough, I think, nor is it enough for an artist to say a few interesting things in interview. It's not enough if you kind of liked it and it was written by your friend, or you, or someone you agree with.
Something could be worth sharing for a lot of different reasons. Skilled research or interviewing, perhaps. A perceptive or alternative take on a subject. Imaginative writing coherently thought out - as opposed to being unfocused or half-baked.
What people sometimes call 'good writing' or 'well written' is worthwhile as far as it goes. But personally I think a pretty elevated level of literary merit is needed for prose style to stand on its own. I don't believe that's something you find often in music journalism - or necessarily anything that journalists should spend time on.
Here I've got what I think are two recent examples of good music journalism.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newswe...bin-on-crashing-kanye-s-album-in-15-days.html
http://www.mosaictheory.de/Hard-Wax-The-Insider-s-Guide-Interview-with-DJ-Pete-Part-I