Is Digital Media Corrupting the World of Art Criticism?

An upcoming colloquium on feminism and theatre criticism in the media, to be delivered by Professor Jill Dolan, Distinguished Professor at Princeton University, brings to light how criticism in general has changed in the digital age. Taking into consideration multiple perspectives, it is clear that there are many advantages and disadvantages to how criticisms are evolving.  

With the introduction and popularity of the Internet, our public sphere has opened up immensely. The Internet has allowed people from all over the world to engage in any discussion. This open platform has provided the opportunity for dialogue to happen almost instantaneously and archived Instead of a piece of criticism to be released and perhaps a review to follow, we get a flow of back and forth discussion on one topic and the opportunity for criticism to evolve quickly. 

Criticism has also seen a shift from remaining in print to moving to different media. Many more individuals are now able to present their thoughts not only in print but also through audio, video, or art such as music or animation. The Internet makes resources more accessible and new and offers more creative ways to express one's thoughts and opinions. 

Print criticism was usually published by those who had cultural credibility and was highly regarded, whereas now any individual with an opinion can post their thoughts publically. Whether that opinion is credible, valid or even valued becomes muddled amongst the discussion as a whole. Against the plethora of information online, print critics are increasingly  less valued as experts in their field.

What ends up happening is that Internet accessibility allows nonprofessional to post their criticisms online along with professionals. With the right terminology and regular posts, it’s not difficult to gain a following. However, most times that following are not professionals either. Yet this following then validates the writer’s criticisms and opinions as credible information, giving the writer a sense of entitlement that perhaps is not so deserved.

Even though there is an abundance of nonprofessionals and entitled online critics who have more of a following than they should, there are just as many individuals who are skeptical of what they read, hear or see online. Between all those that support one another, there still needs to be people who are critical of what they consume. And because there are just as many people questioning one another as supporting one another, there is hope yet. 

As an example, any person can create an online platform on which they critique various films or television programs. This person can have zero education in film or television studies, but with Internet access and a smart phone they can upload videos to YouTube voicing their opinions for anyone to see. The hope is that other people watching will be quick to realize the lack of education and credibility of such individuals. 

YouTube can be the perfect catalyst for people to learn in a fun and easy way. Channels such as Idea Channel and Crash Course with brothers John and Hank Green present knowledge through fun videos with fast-talking and cute animation. Shows such as these feature people who do have formal education and are using the Internet to reach a larger audience but also have fun at the same time. It can double as both an entertainment and educational experience. YouTube allows for those with an account to respond to videos with videos or reply in comments. Anyone with Internet access and a Youtube account, anywhere in the world, has the opportunity to join in the conversation. 

Further there are platforms such as Rotten Tomatoes that consider the opinions and critiques of various published critics and present the public with a numerical value on the quality of a film. This is only effective if readers look past the numerical rating and read the actual reviews from critics. Such websites make it easy for consumers to devalue critics. 

The hope is that both online criticism and print criticism can exist together instead of competing, for both expert criticism and amateur criticism are valuable in different ways. The Internet and print criticism alike have advantages and disadvantages; it is just the evolution of communication in our world. It is worth analyzing how these changes are affecting the way we communicate but naïve to dismiss one form or the other. 

The ability to learn from millions of people from various perspectives is a privilege in this digital era that was never before possible. However, it’s pertinent to remember to constantly question what we know and what we think we know; that is the only way to evolve as humanity. 

Speaking more on the topic, Professor Dolan will be visiting Brock on February 21st at 10am – 12pm. In addition to her lecture entitled “Moving the Body Politic: How Feminism and Theatre Inspire Social Re-Imaginings”, Dolan will also be teaching a master class in theatre criticism to dramatic arts students. Professor Dolan’s visit will be part of the colloquium at Brock University, The Changing Face of Theatre Criticism in the Digital Age. More specifically, the discussion will consider how the digital age is affecting the critical industry in the Niagara region and how it will continue to evolve into the future.