12:00 Who needs arts critics in 2025?
1:00 Why are fewer young American adults choosing to go to college?
The New York Times recently reassigned four of its arts critics to other gigs in the newsroom. The roles aren’t going away; the company is searching for new candidates fluent in “new story forms, videos and experimentation with other platforms,” per a memo. This language prompted the worker-owned publication Hell Gate NYC to ask: “Does the NYT want culture writing or TikTok videos?” The question could be extended to the entire media ecosystem. In an age when information travels faster than ever before and competition for audience attention is cutthroat, what is the role of the arts critic? And what does the future of arts criticism look like in that landscape? Guest host Patrick Hosken and his panel discuss it.
In studio:
- Eric Grode, associate professor at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School
- Mona Seghatoleslami, music director, host, and producer for WXXI Classical 91.5 FM, and music coordinator for the Little Cafe
- Katherine Varga, theatre critic and arts educator
Then in our second hour, a rebroadcast of one of our favorite conversations. The number of young American adults choosing to go to college is declining. Pew Research finds that the number of college-bound 18- to 24-year-olds peaked in 2011. Since then, the decline has mostly happened with men. High school seniors are more likely to question the potential value of a college degree. We talk to two young adults who chose a different path.
Our guests:
- Leah Leverich, host of the Decision Day podcast
- Adam Stark, mechanized system mechanic apprentice
"Connections" is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.
