Former editor John Robinson on the N&R’s pay for play deal with ArtsGreensboro:
I’m sure that arts organizations and patrons want more coverage. I don’t doubt that the readers of the newspaper want 70 more stories about the arts. (Readers of newspapers tend to want more of everything, from business to comics.) I doubt, though, that arts coverage is in the top five in the “give-us-more” category.
Walk up to people in Gboro and ask them if they read the review of a play or an art exhibit and see what they say. I personally use reviews to try to save some money, but a friend of mine said he ignores reviews— if he wants to see a movie he sees it, and if it suck then he gambled $10 and lost.
The important thing here is Gboro has a downtown performing arts center on line, and Arts Greensboro, the Community Foundation and the city can’t advertise it enough to a public who’s already paying half the cost— maybe more if private donors don’t come through with pledges.
