Jim Bliss: The sorry state of journalism
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It goes without saying that I’ll be avoiding the writing of Steven Wells from now on (any music writer who can write: “If a band are any good at all they’ll play their best toon first. And that toon will deliver a killer hook in the first 30 seconds…” clearly doesn’t have the faintest idea about music, no matter how many singles he reviewed for the NME). And I’m unlikely to encounter Benedict Brogan again until the next time his drivel is highlighted by a decent writer. But between them, they’ve dragged the reputation of mainstream journalism even further into the pit of filth in which it’s been wallowing. And I’ll be reading The Guardian’s Arts Section with a little more scepticism in future. Can we assume their book reviewers bothered to progress past Chapter 1? Did the film critic walk out after the first five minutes? Seems like it doesn’t really matter anymore.
Posted on February 29th, 2008 at 7:56 am
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All right, but has it really taken thirty years to notice that Steven Wells is not a good writer? Writing a lot for the NME is not normally evidence of literary or journalistic ability. Rather the opposite, if truth be told.
But if you want a genuinely mediocre Guardian writer to pick on, can I draw your attention to Barney Ronay? He’s the only journalist who has ever moved me to write to their editor suggesting that they be sacked, not on the basis of ethical turpitude but that of complete inability to do their job. I believe I have done this twice - and if I could stand to read him more, I would have written more often.