The Political Whore

It’s hit two blogs already, so I thought I would briefly mention our change at film critic as we will be using a CL staff film critic instead of freelancer Lance Goldenberg. We’re getting beat up pretty badly in The Feed and Scribe Life:

 Yes, sure, the paper is likely to cite sound “financial” reasons for this decision. But, really, THIS from a publication that has regularly (and rightfully) taken local daily newspapers to task for the same type of decisions? Hmmmm.

Are the short-term savings really going to trump what CL will lose, over the long haul, in terms of its credibility as a reliable, authoritative source for quality arts and entertainment reporting?

Isn’t A/E reporting one of CL’s strengths?

I’m waiting to speak to our higher-ups about the change from Lance to a CL staff reviewer and will get you that info once I can.

UPDATE: Here’s what editor David Warner shared with the staff late today:

Dear CL Staff:
As some of you know, Lance Goldenberg will no longer be our weekly movie critic come September.
The news has been greeted with alarm in some quarters (including the St. Pete Times’ media blog). The concern is understandable. Lance has been a reliably expert voice on film in Tampa Bay for many years, one with an engaging writing style and a clear love for the medium.
However, Creative Loafing must deal with the fiscal realities that are facing everyone in the newspaper business. We have to find ways to economize while still bringing high-quality coverage to our readers.
As it happens, our recent expansion into Chicago and Washington, D.C. has accordingly expanded our access to talented writers and editors. Among them is J.R. Jones, an AAN award-winning, nationally recognized critic who has been the chief a film reviewer for the Chicago Reader for 11 years since 2002 and the chief reviewer since February. Like Lance, he has a strong, distinctive voice and a deep knowledge of film. Unlike Lance, who was a freelance reviewer throughout his time here, J.R. is a full-time staffer at the Reader, which means his reviews are available to other CL papers either free of charge or at a substantial reduction in expense.
We expect that with J.R.’s reviews, plus reviews by other CL critics and writers in Atlanta, Charlotte and Washington, we will be able to review more rather than fewer movies than we were able to do with one freelance writer.
In addition, we remain fiercely committed to reviewing and reporting on the local film scene and the many film festivals Creative Loafing has always covered in depth. Staff knowledge and enthusiasm for film is deep; please assure any readers or advertisers that this enthusiasm will continue unchanged. We as a paper believe in the importance of a thriving film scene to Tampa Bay’s cultural life.
We’re sorry that the relationship with Lance is coming to an end. But we’re excited about the new and expanded possibilities that have opened up to us.

Thanks for your understanding.
David

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