Stephanie G. Mathis Pitchfork appeared immune to the problems that plagued and closed its European counterparts. The American website launched in 1995 and was known for its style and ability to draw the most visitors every day out of all Conde Nast titles.
At least one DJ and producer was vehemently against its rating system. Pitchfork also made for other bands. This power, combined with irreverent viral videos and online innovation, led to the purchase of Pitchfork by Conde Nast.
Pitchfork will be changing its focus after the merger. GQ’s content focuses more on celebrity and product, and rarely causes controversy. Pitchfork is known, on the other hand, for its uncompromising reviews and often harsh commentary.
GQ’s content tends to be complimentary and even promotional of the brands or products that it features. Lists and recommendations dominate its homepage. The music reviews are similar to Bandcamp’s editorial. This is an online community and store that connects consumers directly with artists.
This news comes after the closure of Q magazine in 2020, which was a revered British music publication for 34 years. It also follows the demise of NME magazine’s print edition in 2018. These changes in these iconic publications reflect what journalist Chris Richards describes as “an ugly omen for all music journalism“.
Bob Sauerberg described Pitchfork as “thriving” when Conde Nast bought it. Fred Santarpia is the chief digital officer of Conde Nast. He said that Pitchfork brought a “very passionate audience” of Millennial men into their roster. What went wrong?
The print cuts are the result of cost cutting, increased competitiveness, and declining print advertising revenues as well as new income streams.
Diversity at GQ
Pitchfork doesn’t fit in with GQ’s (formerly Gentlemen’s Quarterly), a magazine that has a clearly gendered focus. After all, almost 44% are women who read the brand.
Puja Patel’s story was woven into the Pitchfork brand narrative when she took over from Ryan Schreiber as editor-in-chief in 2018. Schreiber had been Pitchfork’s founder and editor for many years.
The New York Times published a “Week in the Life” feature that highlighted her power to influence taste, her position and platform, as well as the richness of life in New York. Patel’s rise was a symbol of cultural shifts, confirming her as a leader in new-wave feminist. She is also a success story for people who are keen on promoting diversity in the industry.
Since 2018, women have topped Pitchfork’s album charts. In the last five year, Pitchfork has continued to focus on musicians of diverse backgrounds including women, queer, and non-binary.
Social media users widely praised Patel’s tenure as news broke of layoffs, including hers. As former Pitchfork Laura Snapes noted, the site fostered a platform for a variety of women and nonbinary writers around 2010. Together, they transformed the brand from its male-dominated indie music heydays of the 2000s. During this time, hip-hop and popular music began to be featured more often.
Conde Nast’s leadership appears to be assuming that music is a male-dominated pursuit by bringing Pitchfork into the “Gentleman’s Quarterly”. Pitchfork will not merge with Conde Nast’s Vogue or Vanity Fair .
It is curious to me that Wired (another media brand under the same ownership), with its progressive, environmentally-conscious content, has not been deemed more suitable for Pitchfork’s current audience. What will become of the writing and artistry of musicians who do not identify as men? Not yet.
Patel stated that in 2021, listeners are concerned about “community” and “humanity” of music. Unfortunately, this spirit does not seem to be upheld. Susan DeCarava is the president of News Guild of New York . She said that “the people responsible for award-winning journalism in music deserve better than being treated as disposable parts.”
