FEATURE:
Suits and Ties
PHOTO CREDIT: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels
The GQ Acquisition of Pitchfork and a Worrying Future for Music Journalism
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A sad bit of news broke…
IMAGE CREDIT: Pitchfork
this week that impacted one of the best-known and respected names in music journalism. A hugely trusted voice in music, Pitchfork is being taken over and assimilated into GQ. To be fair, one does not associate the latter with music journalism and this incredible platform for the best and most essential writers. It does feel, given the news, that a few glaring things have been made obvious. A men’s magazine acquiring Pitchfork means a music media strongest when it is balanced and gives incredible female writers space and opportunity is weakened. Becoming more male-orientated when music websites and magazines should be doing more to share the words and voices of women. I will carry on. First, The Quietus report on the news:
“Pitchfork is being restructured by Condé Nast, the mass media company that purchased the music publication in 2015.
The music outlet will be moved under men's fashion magazine GQ, which is also owned by Condé Nast, according to a leaked internal email that was shared today (January 17) on X (formerly Twitter) by media reporter Max Tani.
The email, written by Anna Wintour, who is chief content officer at Condé Nast, also mentioned that some Pitchfork employees, including editor-in-chief Puja Patel, have left the company amid the restructure. The decision to fold the publication into GQ was made, the email said, "after a careful evaluation of Pitchfork's performance". It added that the company believed this was "the best path forward for the brand so that our coverage of music can continue to thrive within the company".
IMAGE CREDIT: GQ
A number of Pitchfork staffers have this evening taken to social media to share that they have been laid off from the publication. Among them is features editor Jillian Mapes, who wrote on X: "I've referred to my job at Pitchfork as being on a ferris wheel at closing time, just waiting for them to yank me down. After nearly eight years, mass layoffs got me. Glad we could spend that time trying to make it a less dude-ish place just for GQ to end up at the helm."
Ryan Schreiber, Pitchfork's founder and former editor-in-chief who sold the publication to Condé Nast in 2015, wrote: "Extremely saddened by the news that Condé Nast has chosen to restructure Pitchfork and lay off so much of its staff, including some who've been integral to its operations for many years/decades. Sending love to everyon affected and hoping for the best for its future."
It's not yet known exactly how many staff members have been let go as part of the restructure, while details on how it might affect Pitchfork's publication of content going forward are also currently scarce”.
The news has been met with sadness and anger. Pitchfork, as a comprehensive and years-running source for music news, features and incredible opinion pieces has been a bedrock for so many music fans and journalists. I find it is invaluable for so many reasons. Their detailed reviews of albums; the brilliant features and championing of new music. You can see for yourself the bounty and options available on the website. A hugely publication/site that one can access for free and there is this originality and distinct voice is now going to be controlled, distilled and lost. This tie-in and new look for Pitchfork is going to see a lot of journalists lose their jobs. Scaling down and a lack of the autonomy they once had. I do feel that this might be a sign of things to come. Other leading and loved music journalist gold standards subjects to restructuring and purchase by organisations that have very little to do with music. A business move rather than a creative one. There has been reaction from journalists to the news about Condé Nast bringing Pitchfork under the umbrella of GQ. I do also think that, as a men’s magazine, there will be a more male-aimed and focused look now. Losing many women (and non-binary) writers. The Pitchfork that we knew is going to change drastically. Robin Murray, writing for CLASH shared his reaction to a very sad day:
“The music press has watched its obituary being written countless times over. Indeed, there are now shelves of books on the downfall of the inkies, exploring the rise and fall of fabled titles such as Melody Maker, Sounds, and Q – or in the States, AMP and The Source, for example. Yet even amid this wave of eulogies, news that Pitchfork – self-proclaimed as The Most Trusted Voice In Music – is to be merged with GQ strikes hard.
The news came first as rumour, and then fact. An internal memo from Anna Wintour of all people confirmed that publishers Conde Nast will be “evolving” the site’s “team structure”: “Both Pitchfork and GQ have unique and valuable ways that they approach music journalism, and we are excited for the new possibilities together.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Suzy Hazelwood/Pexels
Adding to this, she acknowledged “some of our Pitchfork colleagues will be leaving the company today.”
It’s the end of a rocky chapter for Pitchfork. Founded in 1996 by Ryan Shreiber, the site became important because it valued taste and curation, favouring a singular voice over the messy scrawl of the early internet. Rising to prominence in the Millennial indie boom, its seal of approval was termed the ‘Pitchfork Effect’ – the hype sparked by the support of Arcade Fire’s ‘Funeral’ say, would result in soaring record and ticket sales.
Perhaps the most popular of a wave of websites in America, Pitchfork soon attracted admiring glances from bigger publishing houses. Conde Nast took control in 2015, lauding the “very passionate audience of millennial males” who hinged on every word Pitchfork posted. For some, this proved to be a sign that the relationship wouldn’t be a happy one – Pitchfork was always more than just white male indie, and the peerless work of Editor-in-Chief Puja Patel helped to underline this, making the site more open, fun, and inclusive of other genres and backgrounds.
Overnight, it seems this work has been dismantled. A wave of Pitchfork staffers have taken to social media to confirm their dismissal, reinforcing the sense of personal loss at this appalling situation. Amy Phillips called it “the honor of my life” to have worked there; Sam Sodomsky pronounced himself to be “grateful for it all”, while contributor Simon Reynolds described it as “an awful day for music journalism, music journalists – and for music, too.”
Extremely saddened by the news that Condé Nast has chosen to restructure Pitchfork and lay off so much of its staff, including some who've been integral to its operations for many years/decades. Sending love to everyone affected and hoping for the best for its future.
— Ryan Schreiber (@ryanpitchfork) January 17, 2024
At each point in the evolution of the music press, voices have been lost but opportunities have been gained. The late 90s crunch that saw Select and Melody Maker go under was followed by the blog era, by an explosion of online voices. Received wisdom held that print was fading, but the internet would create a different playing field, one where independence could be valued. Pitchfork was foremost in this wave, a totemic title not just in audience reach, but also in importance; to describe it as a maker leader hardly does its relevance justice.
The loss of so many staff members and writers serves as a very bleak signal of where music, and the culture around it, is heading. In the UK, the loss of Q saw the demise of a valued major monthly title. Budgets are being squeezed, as a bleak economic landscape overall causes brands to refrain from spending on advertising. Pitchfork may cause headlines, but beneath the standfirst the broader landscape is in a period of atrophy.
It’s vital that the music industry understands what it is losing. The eco-system necessary to build and break new voices is reliant on storytellers, on people who are able to probe art, and lift it above the dissonance of a saturated marketplace. An over-reliance on stats, an addiction to social media moments, is wiping all of this away. There is a feeling – not least for this writer – that the music press has been left to wither on the vine. Stories, how they are told and presented, are integral to music. Without it, you are left with noise”.
There is hope that a Pitchfork-like endeavour and site could come about. That this fearless and incredible platform for great writers can be sustained. Promoting women’s voices and showcasing some amazing music writing. Even when Pitchfork divided peopl, there is something for everyone. You get bands and artists highlighted that others have not found. The latest music news and some wonderful features. Whether assessing the best albums of the 1980s or reacting to changes in music culture and technology, Pitchfork is this oasis of eclectic and distinct music journalism. One wonders how they will survive and sustain going forward. Whether the website goes or there is a paywall. It is a troubling development that could mean other websites are bought out or merge with another company. At a time when we need to support and highlight oriignal and passionate music journalism, we are losing so many. Pitchfork going to GQ does not only affect those who support Pitchfork. As I mentioned, so many journalists and music fans relied on the site. So many artists were discovered through Pitchfork. For journalists who look to Pitchfork as a career goal where they can get their words read by a vast audience, that is now jeopardised. Each time we see some respected and distinct music journalism voice silenced or weakened, it has a trickle-down affect on other music websites and magazines. I have seen many posts saying how music journalism struggles to promote women and affect gender balance. I doubt that GQ are going to do much to support progressiveness and highlight women’s voices. There are so many dedicated and talented journalists who will now have to move on. At the start of a year where we were relying on sites like Pitchfork to champion artists coming through and showcases some of the most important music journalists in the industry. The reaction to Pitchfork being moved to GQ has made people…
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UNDERSTANDABLY angry.