A curious case of academia vs music journalism

A few months ago, during a work trip to Nigeria where I observed the alarming hold of social media influencers on various aspects of music journalism, I concluded that its practitioners are now an endangered species. In late February, speaking at a local university event, I realised that the profession is the focus of an odd pushback from what I previously thought was an unlikely faction: academia. 

Before stepping foot at this venue, acclaimed as the top research university in a neighbouring West African country and situated in a coastal town where colonial infrastructure still manages to parent the present, I had been advised to expect academic arrogance toward “my sort”, even if I possessed talent, extensive academic training in storytelling and an obsessive infatuation – and curiosity – for music.

Still, I was intrigued (let’s go with “intrigued” ) by the verbiage of the smiling professor chairing the event when he finally introduced me as part of the panel. “Gabriel is just a journalist trying to write about music.” 

This incident, which filled me with instant marvel, happened during a lecture series that aimed to track, among other things, how music shapes communities and vice versa. I was in the company of sound artists from Europe doing artistic research, and my task was to discuss my background in professionally observing pop music in the region for more than a decade – including perspectives surrounding listening patterns, music’s impact on evolving social behaviour, and the gradual shift of communities to digital platforms.

The professor would go on to tell the gathering that it was the first time he had heard of or encountered a “music journalist” and asked that I be excused if I didn’t use the appropriate language or terminology. Perhaps if this professor read my work, we would be having a different conversation.

Prior to this lovely introduction, in a cool, upper-floor office where we first shook hands, he inquired about my credentials. Sure, a master’s degree in journalism is cool, but how could I deem myself as a music journalist without qualifications in musicology? And it mattered little that I boast a career exceeding 10 years, and that I’m the author of three forthcoming books.

Malcolm Gladwell, the well-known Canadian journalist and author made disciples globally for his widely discussed theory in his 2008 best-seller Outliers: The Story of Success – that becoming an expert necessitates about 10 000 hours of deliberate practice, equivalent to roughly 10 years. In brief: it is in doing that one is. 

Musicology degree or not, there must be value in my expertise as a storyteller. When articulating my profession, “journalist” may follow “music”, but I am a journalist first. Storytelling constitutes my core expertise. Well, the professor wasn’t buying it, and judging by other unimpressed looks around the room, neither were his colleagues.

A mentor of mine joked, when I recounted my experience to him moments later, that this university’s leading status in research has earned it the right to be “hostile”. He agreed, however, that academia can be often too tediously narrow-minded, and opportunities to ruffle feathers and challenge the status quo are crucial.

A Nigerian colleague of mine, a film critic, also laughed when he heard the story. “Has it not been said that those who can’t do, teach?” Of course, this oversimplifies the issue. Academia’s insular stance, narrow aperture and potential resentment towards practitioners may be a club rule. Still, it troubles me.

I suspect strongly that the divide is rooted in an ego clash and little else, and a resulting, perpetual schism between academia and the profession yields no positive outcomes. Academia’s commitment to proving intellectual rigour above all else means that it may be undervaluing practical experience and the efforts of practitioners. There should be diverse paths to credibility beyond obtaining academic titles.

It is true that practitioners may sometimes doubt the tangible relevance of academic theories in the arts, or dismiss research as irrelevant to the challenges they face in their day-to-day work. But the greater challenge lies in academia’s hesitance to expand its worldview. Valuable knowledge generated in academic institutions may remain locked in journals, inaccessible to those who need it the most, and hindering the application of research findings to real-world challenges. In a field like the music industry, where the user’s needs, attitudes, and market dynamics are constantly evolving, a failure to move towards a model of collaboration can stagnate innovation. 

By the end of the session, one of the participants, a student, approached me expressing admiration for my work as a music journalist and requested that I mentor her. This moment, unexpected yet delightful, became a highlight for me. There may be apathy from the old guard toward my work but in that same room there was someone who knew that music journalism is an authentic and viable career after all.

Gabriel Myers Hansen is Music In Africa’s Anglophone West Africa Editor