blue lake Posted October 21, 2004 Report Posted October 21, 2004 The New York Times has discontinued the "Arts & Leisure Guide," the comprehensive weekly listing of cultural institutions and events that has been an integral part of the Sunday cultural section for decades. If you believe this invaluable guide to New York's cultural landscape must be restored there's a petition to sign asking The New York Times to "save the listings" at: http://www.savethelistings.com Quote
Michael Fitzgerald Posted October 21, 2004 Report Posted October 21, 2004 The NYT has been in serious decline in recent years. They are trying to be "hip" and "with it" so we get dumbed-down articles by ignorant writers (not to mention just plain made-up news stories by irresponsible "journalists"). They even have a little gossip column called "bold face names" where you can read about all your fave stars - they're catering to the People magazine crowd. The loss of the arts listings is so damaging in a long-term way. Where I can go back and find who was playing in the clubs decades ago through their excellent online archive, now it will be as though today's gigs never existed. The Blue Note is pretty much the only club that can still afford to advertise in the NYT and the jazz reviews have been cut way back, so you're not going to find an ad, you're not going to find a review. The listings were the last bastion and now they're gone. The "improvement" is a smaller selection of annotated listings - which means the "big-time" shows (Lincoln Center, etc.) will get even more of a piece of the pie. They can afford to advertise, they get reviewed, they'll get mentioned in the new annotated listings. The hugely diverse cultural offerings will appear to have disappeared. I strongly encourage signing the petition. Mike Quote
Guest ariceffron Posted October 21, 2004 Report Posted October 21, 2004 are they trying to retain a more nat'l or global focus by getting rid of the arts guide? that is bullshit. it only takes up 1/2 of a fucking page. and maybe a few staffers. this is ridiclous Quote
Dr. Rat Posted October 21, 2004 Report Posted October 21, 2004 The NYT has been in serious decline in recent years. They are trying to be "hip" and "with it" so we get dumbed-down articles by ignorant writers (not to mention just plain made-up news stories by irresponsible "journalists"). They even have a little gossip column called "bold face names" where you can read about all your fave stars - they're catering to the People magazine crowd. The loss of the arts listings is so damaging in a long-term way. Where I can go back and find who was playing in the clubs decades ago through their excellent online archive, now it will be as though today's gigs never existed. The Blue Note is pretty much the only club that can still afford to advertise in the NYT and the jazz reviews have been cut way back, so you're not going to find an ad, you're not going to find a review. The listings were the last bastion and now they're gone. The "improvement" is a smaller selection of annotated listings - which means the "big-time" shows (Lincoln Center, etc.) will get even more of a piece of the pie. They can afford to advertise, they get reviewed, they'll get mentioned in the new annotated listings. The hugely diverse cultural offerings will appear to have disappeared. I strongly encourage signing the petition. Mike As a longtime NYT reader, I gotta acknowledge, they're having their problems. NYT has a tough time for a lot of reasons, but one is that they've never really figured out how to be a national newspaper. When I lived near NYC about 10 years ago, the Times coverage of things local--local politics, the usual metro news, sports--was so sorry I used to supplement my daily reading with the Daily News or Newsday, just to feel in touch. On the other habd they've never been able to make themselves into a truly national paper (a la Wall St. Journal or USA Today) either. So they've lived in a nether world of mediocrity. There's a decent piece in the Atlantic some months back that goes into some of the structural problems they've got--civil service ethic amongst the staff, deep divide between staff and senior editorial level, ambiguous management organization, etc. But the Times has never been as good as its reputation--I think a lot of their reviewing--of books and music--has been chummy or vindictive. But they've got to change, the Gray Old Lady is getting her lunch eaten. I've always thought of the listings section as it exists as a charming anachronism--it really has a 1920s feel to it. But I really don't think the paper can afford charming anachronisms anymore--at least in terms of style, this is something they feel they've got to change. The attempts at "hip" have been fatuous sometimes, but that is definitely the direction they've got to go in. Just they need a stronger editorial hand in doing it--somebody who can figure out and help define what is truly hip, rather than just pandering. There are papers that have done a reasonably good job of making this sort of transition--I think of The Guardian--but I'm not sure that the NYT can really do it. --eric Quote
dsgtrane Posted October 21, 2004 Report Posted October 21, 2004 The New York Times has discontinued the "Arts & Leisure Guide," the comprehensive weekly listing of cultural institutions and events that has been an integral part of the Sunday cultural section for decades. If you believe this invaluable guide to New York's cultural landscape must be restored there's a petition to sign asking The New York Times to "save the listings" at: http://www.savethelistings.com That always was my fave section of the Sunday Times. Quote
skeith Posted October 22, 2004 Report Posted October 22, 2004 Maybe I am missing something, but hasn't this Listings section been moved to Friday? Quote
Michael Fitzgerald Posted October 22, 2004 Report Posted October 22, 2004 Well, sort of, but not really. The Friday listings are selected and annotated. So today has 20 pop/rock and 11 jazz events. The old Sunday listings had many many more and it wasn't so "elitist". Fridays used to have a few short blurbs similar to the new Friday, but that was in *addition* to the Sunday spread. Mike Quote
Dr. Rat Posted October 22, 2004 Report Posted October 22, 2004 Has anyone else had trouble submitting comments on the save the listings site? --eric Quote
dsgtrane Posted October 22, 2004 Report Posted October 22, 2004 Has anyone else had trouble submitting comments on the save the listings site? --eric I had no difficulties Quote
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