Lou Carlozo is a staff writer with the Chicago Tribune…a true roaring lamb. He also writes for some Christian music publications. He recently wrote this perspective on the loss of editorial integrity in the music journalism, including in CCM-World:
The letter by CCM [magazine] founder John Styll in the January 2007 issue (“Comin’ On Strong”) was excellent in its analysis of how awkward it can be to properly size up a Christian music artist who is viewed as “untouchable” because of record sales, status, “souls saved” or any other measure we mistakenly put on people who, at the end of the day, are as broken and capable of mediocrity as the rest of us.
But has anything really changed since 1993? I used to be an enthusiastic contributor and music critic to this and many other Christian music magazines, including 7 Ball, Mars Hill Review, Christian Single and Acaza.com. Yet today, my strong feeling is that if anything, some aspects of the process of dishing direct, honest Christian music criticism have stagnated—and at the worst, have gone in reverse faster than a backpedaling politician.
My last experience writing for CCM was an attempt to review a Bethany Dillon record, “Imagination” (Sparrow). I sat with the CD a good, long time and did my best to embrace it on every level a critic should: the casual listen, the deep headphone listen, the lyrical listen, the spiritual content listen. It struck me, over and over again, as being a formulaic and stiff effort, a conclusion I could not escape no matter how hard I tried and prayed.
Yet when I submitted this review to CCM, it was spiked because it did not mesh with a cover story that same month heralding Dillon as the next big thing. To which I say, in hindsight: So freaking what?
At the Chicago Tribune, where I serve as music editor and a DVD columnist, point-counterpoint is a common, positive process in the critical game. It can even be fun and spark much positive conversation. My opinion is just that, an opinion. It’s not right and it could be wrong! But it deserves to be heard so long as a) it has a well-reasoned argument to support it and b) it does not unfairly or personally attack the artist or art in question.
How sad that review did not run. Further, I can only shudder to think what the consequences would be if I tried such a move on my Tribune writers; it would be a compromise of journalistic principle at best, and an ethical violation at worst. It smacks of why Rolling Stone no longer has any street cred in its reviews. Chicago Sun-Times pop critic Jim DeRogatis, in an infamous, sad day for rock journalism, was handed back a scathing Hootie and the Blowfish album review he did while working at Rolling Stone. How come? His editors wanted a higher star rating on it, regardless of what his well-reasoned thoughts were. Shame on them—and good for DeRo for having the courage to walk out on the review, and the job.
I understand the Christian music press works differently; there is a strong view that CCM and other magazines need to cheerlead artists who believe they are serving God and a higher calling. That said, it does no one good to squelch voices of dissent when they have something of value to contribute to the discussion. Iron sharpens iron, right?
My prayer is that CCM, in the future, decides to be much more bold in giving less-than-stellar reviews to the scared cows of Christian music, when such notices are warranted—and not just easy targets such as Carman. As for my Bethany Dillon review, it found not one but two homes: In the Christian Century, where I serve today as lead music critic, and the Chicago Tribune.
I’ve found consistently objective reviews at Christianity Today’s Music section, plus I’ve enjoyed their editor’s discussions of the nasty responses from readers.
