The arts and culture section is a mainstay of many established newspapers. The Daily Lobo is no exception. The New York Times, the Washington Post and Fox News all have arts and culture desks that go by various names.
People have been discussing and commenting on culture for as long as it has existed, but the prominence of the culture desk has not always been so universal.
There is a delay between the advent of journalism and when journalistic publications began to dedicate print space to arts and culture. Journalism began as far back as 3400 B.C.E., when early civilizations used hieroglyphics in clay to transmit news, according to the Science Survey.
The rise of American journalism began in 1690 with the publication of Publick Occurrences, Both Foreign and Domestic, according to “Social and Economic Networks in Early Massachusetts” by Marsha Hamilton. Early dedicated arts sections emerged in the 1770s in several London newspapers like the Morning Chronicle, according to “A History of Art Criticism” by Pearson.
Specifically, entertainment journalism started in the 1920s alongside the early days of Hollywood, according to a mini review published in the “Journal of Journalism and Mass Communication.”
“As the film industry rapidly expanded, there was an increasing demand for information about actors, directors and movie productions," the mini review reads. "Newspapers and magazines began to feature columns and articles dedicated to the lives of celebrities and the latest developments in the entertainment world."
The Daily Lobo began in 1898 under the name The Mirage, according to the University of New Mexico Digital Repository. The Mirage featured University and national news, as well as short fiction stories, advertisements and letters.
Around the late 1910s and early 1920s, the Daily Lobo – then known as the New Mexico Weekly – began to feature a section labeled “Society” near the end of the paper.
An issue from February 4, 1920 featured an article in the "Society" section about an on-campus dance. One article covered a renowned author visiting UNM.
“The co-eds looked decidedly charming in their midwest togs, their dress suits and all the brother’s, father’s and friend’s borrowed clothes,” the article about the dance reads.
Around 100 years ago, the Daily Lobo "Society" section reported on the thriving membership of the Varsity Glee Club, and the freshly elected president of the newly self-governing Associated Student Body — an early version of the Associated Students at UNM.
In July, 50 years ago, Karl Vera wrote a review of Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s latest poetry collection, and the Lobo listed entertainment options for students over the summer in a section titled “Bored Walk.”
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The arts and culture section continues to change as arts and culture changes. Apps like Goodreads and Letterboxd allow more people to share their thoughts with their friends and online audiences, which has its own value – especially because critics are often seen as pretentious, according to Pure Wow.
But the work of entertainment journalists and critics still has value in the digital era. Often, people have similar tastes as their friends, and social media algorithms tend to feed viewers content they already like. A professional critic can be integral to highlight something new, according to Pure Wow.
Today, the Lobo’s arts and culture section is simply penned “Culture,” but reporters cover similar topics as their predecessors — reviews, music and the occasional dance performance.
Addison Fulton is the culture editor for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com
Dannely Verduzco is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com
