Why the loss of newspaper cultural critics hurts us as citizens

I miss the critics. The theater, music, movie, fashion, book, dance and architectural critics who once populated the nation’s media have been systematically eliminated at our beleaguered newspapers. As print circulation and advertising have declined, journalism’s new business model has prized clicks over culture. In Chicago, Minneapolis and Washington, cities where I worked as an editor, the arts organizations and venues far outnumber athletic teams, yet sports coverage remains robust while arts coverage has become frail. Critics have long been indispensable guides in teaching us how to be cul...