The nature and function of the media arts critic

An Internet survey of 56 media arts critics found numerous job tides are applied to individuals sharing the same role. Some are called reporters; others are critics, reviewers, columnists and editors. Accordingly, these critics have different views on what should be their roles. As job titles vary, the traditional dichotomy between objective reporting and subjective criticism is less clear. While critics believe they should have a significant impact on their readers, they believe they should have minimal impact on the media arts themselves. The author disagrees, arguing the best criticism should make a point that has an impact on both the audience and the media arts. Good critical writing often uses narrative to allow the critic to point to moral truths. Superior criticism addresses broad issues, oftentimes by microscopically examining the details of media texts. The best criticism helps construct a “cultural frame” for the media arts and for the readers.