What is The Culture Journalist?
Hi. The Culture Journalist is a podcast about culture in the age of platforms hosted by Emilie Friedlander and Andrea Domanick, two friends and journalists from opposite ends of the U.S. We release a new episode every two weeks, usually with a guest, uncovering the shadowy technological and economic forces percolating beneath the surface of 21st-century music, entertainment, and media—and how they impact us as independent culture producers and fans.
Who is Emilie?
Emilie spent the 2010s working at places like Pitchfork, The FADER, and VICE, where she led the company’s electronic music vertical and worked as a lead story editor for VICE’s culture content. She also co-founded the Brooklyn-based, concert promoter AdHoc, toured the U.S. in the electronic trio La Big Vic, and lived in the building that was home to the iconic venue 285 Kent before the neighborhood went to hell. A Brooklyn native currently based in Philadelphia, she’s freelanced for places like The New York Times and The Guardian, and recently co-founded an editorial studio called Moon Phase.
Who is Andrea?
A native Angelena, Andrea has been covering music and culture for 15 years, most recently as the leader of KCRW’s Digital Editorial department. Prior to KCRW, she got her start at KPCC and LA Weekly before joining the Las Vegas Sun as an arts, entertainment, and business reporter. She then worked as West Coast Editor of Noisey at VICE, where her work included a two-year investigative project examining sexual misconduct in the music industry. Her work has appeared in publications including the LA Times, Billboard, Playboy, and Rolling Stone, and she is an avid field recordist and sound artist.
Where’s a good place to start?
Check out some of our listener favorites:
The decline of the digital third space, with Ruby Justice Thelot
Toward a unified theory of the girlboss, with Liz Franczak
Anatomy of a scene, with Jesse Rifkin
The boomer ballast effect, with Kevin Munger and Joshua Citarella
Bunker, Mars colony, or seastead? with Douglas Rushkoff
Digital media’s pivot to nothingness, with Ben Dietz
Is counterculture still possible on the internet? with Carly Busta
The Logan Roy school of journalism, with Cord Jefferson
The tricky business of reporting on the new right, with James Pogue
Is A.I. good or bad for art? with Mat Dryhurst
We are all outsiders, with Eve6 guy
Wow. What a cool show. What do I get if I subscribe?
In addition to 1-2 monthly bonus episodes, paid subscribers get access to the CUJOPLEX Discord, an online hangout zone (and fake 2000s shopping mall) where folks who like talking about the evolving state of independent music, culture, and media can congregate, share links, and talk about the news of the day. You’ll also get sporadic essays and culture recommendations — and the satisfaction of supporting an independent journalism project covering issues that impact cultural workers everywhere but rarely get much space in traditional media.
If you can’t afford to subscribe, you can still help us out by leaving a review on Apple podcasts or sharing this podcast with friends.
What are some nice things people have said about you?
“This insightful pod aims to try and make sense of an already shifting cultural landscape ripped up by the pandemic.” —The Guardian
“I just subscribed to The Culture Journalist — such a useful and inspiring space for talk about the challenges and possibilities of criticism/cultural inquiry.” —Ann Powers, NPR Music
“They are producing something smart and fun that feels like creative contraband. Think: The Devil Wears Prada, but directed by The Frankfurt School.”—Elliot Aronow, minor genius
“A newsletter and podcast concerned with the future of media and art criticism in ways that go deeper than most.” —Josh Terry, No Expectations
“Journalists Emilie Friedlander and Andrea Domanick’s editorial strategy with The Culture Journalist, at least as far as I can tell, is quality over quantity. The pair produce a monthly newsletter-podcast hybrid and cover topics like parasocial relationships, the strange trend of clickbait restaurants and much more.” —Anna Codrea-Rado, A-Mail
