Critical Minded

For music critics, mentorship often comes through informal editorial relationships and connections. But as we’ve seen, over and over, editorial positions are often among the first to get cut when publications decide to downsize. As a result you have writers operating with little to no editorial oversight, leaving newer writers to navigate the publication world without much guidance. And when there...

It used to be that if someone was unhappy with a music review, they might write a Letter to the Editor, or mention a review in an interview. Now, with the democratization of the internet, everyone's a critic – not just of music, but of criticism itself. The past few years have seen an influx of stan attacks on the working critic, from coordinated hate campaigns on social media to full-scale doxxin...

There are few professions that love to be surveyed as much as critics. But for the first time in the 21st century, music critics were not surveyed about the music they listen to: instead, a national survey was distributed to over 200 pop music critics of all backgrounds, asking about their relationship to their own profession.  On this episode of the Critical Minded Podcast, Dr. Lucy March (data a...

Welcome to the second season of the Critical Minded podcast, as we welcome the latest Critical Minded report, Beautiful Struggles: Pop Music Critics of Color and the Critical Landscape. Hosted by report co-author Oliver Wang (longtime music writer, former co-host of the Heat Rocks podcast) and report researcher Reanna Cruz (music writer, producer of the Switched On Pop podcast), this season explor...

In this final episode, host Steven Vargas brings playwright Larissa Fasthorse, Latino Theatre Company Artistic Director José Luis Valenzuela, playwright & critic Amanda L. Andrei, and critic Martín Hernández together for a roundtable discussion about the importance of building community between critics and theater artists of color.

With some guidance from our report, “Topdogs and Underdogs,” today’s critics offer some insight into how we can work to create a more diverse landscape. Host Steven Vargas speaks with BIPOC Critics Lab founder Jose Solís, 3Views co-editor Brittani Samuel & Gate co-owner Adlan Jackson about their crucial efforts to reform the critical ecosystem. To read the full 'Topdogs & Underdogs' report...

Entering a career as a critic today takes more than a good resume. The next generation of writers faces the aftermath of a global pandemic, a volatile job market and low pay rates. With personal accounts of navigating publications and industry constraints, host Steven Vargas unpacks the current criticism landscape for new writers of color with Washington D.C. critic Nathan Pugh, New York critic Br...

Culture criticism may sound glamorous, but being a critic takes resilience, a lot of writing and (in most cases) a day job. Host Steven Vargas speaks with freelancer Brittani Samuel, educator Cristina Pla-Guzman, Playbill Editor-in-Chief Diep Tran, and Washington Post critic Naveen Kumar for this episode of the Critical Minded podcast. Together, they’ll share an authentic look into a typical workd...

Arts & culture criticism in the U.S. has never seemed as endangered as it does now. This is especially true for critics of color. Join host Steven Vargas, Washington Post theater critic Naveen Kumar and BIPOC Critics Lab founder Jose Solís as they explore the challenges facing theater critics of color in today's climate & unpack Critical Minded's new report, "Topdogs and Underdogs: Critics...

Welcome to the Critical Minded podcast!  This inaugural season of the Critical Minded podcast looks at the organization’s new report, "Topdogs and Underdogs: Critics of Color and the Theatrical Landscape,” which explores the challenges facing theater critics of color. Hosted by Steven Vargas, an LA-based theater and dance critic.