Bob Commanday writes in today's WWW.SFCV.ORG -

   ...Pick any city, look at its newspaper, and you'll find attention
   to classical music diminished to the basic minimum. It will focus
   on the "big ticket" events - which, in the Bay Area, means the
   San Francisco Symphony, Opera, and Ballet, plus the most celebrated
   visiting artists. As is well-known to any person interested in
   classical music, such coverage just skims the surface.

   Who's responsible? Newspaper publishers and their editors who
   have a hand in setting policy and then executing it. What to do
   about this downgrading of classical coverage? Go to the editors
   and lay it on. If you're representing a performing or presenting
   institution - say an orchestra or concert series - then get your
   board members to put on the pressure. The higher their standing
   in the community, the more important and effective their pressure.
   Editors don't answer mail, count on that, but they just might
   read what comes in. At least they'll become aware of the volume
   of protests and complaints.

   The great newspaper disappearing act is having a horrendous
   effect on the responsiveness, awareness, and involvement of the
   public. This is happening in music as in other areas, but not
   just because of the reduction in reviews. While reviewing classical
   music performances is fundamental to the music critic's job,
   it's just part of it. The field is more properly described as
   music journalism, because it incorporates many functions besides
   reviewing. Music journalists write advance pieces to arouse
   public interest in coming events, cover music news in the local
   community and around the world, and produce columns or "think
   pieces" that discuss issues relevant to music and its institutions...

http://sfcv.org/main/main.php.

Janos Gereben/SF
www.sfcv.org
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