Cheapskate arts coverage backfires on newspaper

The San Diego Union-Tribune got rid of its only arts critic, Robert Pincus, and then launched an arts blog asking for free contributions. Artist and part-time arts instructor Katherine Sweetman signed up. But her first post was also her last. She used it to launch a “We hate the Union-Tribune” campaign, on the newspaper’s own website. An excerpt:

We hate the way they abruptly ended the tenure of the most important arts critic in San Diego’s history. … It seems, to me, visual artists should be boycotting the Union Tribune not writing for them— for free! When I say “we” in the text above, I may only mean me, but you may want to include yourself in the statement “We hate the Union Tribune” if you value paid and knowledgeable arts writers, like having an arts critic, think the people of San Diego are smart enough to want art criticism, or even if you hate their political values. Yes, it’s true it’s hard to find a writing gig that pays well. It’s hard to find a writing gig that pays at all. But I personally will be taking my all free writing elsewhere.

Add: She was able to pull it off because the U-T’s arts blog also has no editor. (They cost money.) The post was removed, but lives on at Voice of San Diego.