Is expert criticism dead? Our new ‘Green Room’ video podcast weighs the question

New from our Arts & Culture desk: the Green Room video podcast, which brings you closer to cultural conversations happening in Chicago and beyond. You can find it on YouTube, and we’ll keep our newsletter readers posted when there are new episodes.

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Our first topic isn’t skimpy by any means: It’s about the withering state of expert criticism. Call it changes to technology, shorter attention spans or dwindling budgets at legacy media organizations: We're staring down the barrel of a long, intractable shift in the world of expert opinion.

In 2025 alone, the culture desk at the New York Times reassigned four of its critics to new roles, the Chicago Tribune eliminated its film critic position and, in our own newsroom, the Chicago Sun-Times offered acclaimed film critic Richard Roeper a buyout. But criticism has been deteriorating even before the TikTok age: A 2021 Pew Research study found that newsroom employment across the country has fallen by over a quarter since 2008, impacting the job prospects of columnists and critics.

Is all hope lost for expert opinions? We gathered WBEZ theater reporter and critic Mike Davis, food reporter and critic Maggie Hennessy and film critic Reggie Ponder to discuss the ever-changing media landscape, the role of critics and what the pros can learn from influencers.

Have any thoughts about the state of criticism? Or want to let us know what you would like to hear from us in our next episode? Send us a note at [email protected] or leave a comment on YouTube.