Saturday, November 01, 2008

Killing the messenger in Cleveland....

Critics bellow over orchestra reviewer losing beat by Thomas J. Sheeran (AP)

CLEVELAND – The reassignment of a newspaper reviewer critical of Cleveland Orchestra conductor Franz Welser-Moest left a dissonant trail of questions about censorship and the risk of panning a hometown arts icon. The move of Donald Rosenberg off The Plain Dealer's orchestra beat doesn't trump talk about the Browns football team or basketball superstar LeBron James at the watercooler in Cleveland, but reviewers across the country noticed and yelled, "Foul!"

Rosenberg was summoned into a conference room at Ohio's biggest newspaper in September and was told by Editor Susan Goldberg that he was off the beat that he had for 16 years. Rosenberg, who has written a book about the orchestra and covered 15 of its foreign tours, was reassigned to other arts and entertainment coverage. Britain's Guardian newspaper said the move amounted to censorship, and The New York Times said the reassignment "is sure to send shivers down the opinionated spines of critics everywhere." - complete article

(Ed. note: Romeo Crennel wanted him suspended)

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