Monday, March 24, 2008

Errors

As I've written about before, a critic's credentials come in what they write every time they publish. No matter how extensive the writer's qualifications are, they are meaningless when weighed against the judgment of what is written.

It's one of the reasons that it frustrates me to such a great degree when I make errors in either my reviews or my column. It hurts my credibility--as it should. Lately, I've had a rash of errors, some minor, some not so minor.

While I could make excuses for each of the errors, the reasons are really irrelevant. As a professional, it is my job to recognize when there is a barrier to accuracy and to do something about it. So for the next few weeks, my column won't appear in the Lansing State Journal. I'm going to try to catch up with some of my other work, get some rest, and try to get ahead on interviews for columns when I return.

At that time, it is my hope that the time off will have provided me with what I need to return to work with a sharp eye that can catch these errors before they appear in print.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Will miss your column, but certainly understand your desire to do what you think is necessary to re-energize. I look forward to the return of the column.

Bridgette Redman said...

Thank you.

I'll confess I'm rather frustrated with myself that the errors have occurred. None of us have to be perfect, but I do have higher standards than what I've been meeting for the past few weeks.

Thankfully, I won't be traveling, I'm hoping to be healthy again, and I'm coming to the end of a year-long freelance book project that has taken up a lot of energy and focus.

This community deserves good, solid, accurate writing about the wide variety of performing arts taking place in the community. I don't want to let people down.

Anonymous said...

While we all love a good movie, I am personally thankful to you that you deem it important to write about the performing arts. The Lansing State Journal gives precious little time and space to the arts. Take one glance at some of the scrapbooks in the basement of the LCP Firehouse and you'll see how dedicated LSJ was at one time to covering and promoting the arts! It's all about movies now! Keep it up!

Bridgette Redman said...

Thank you. I appreciate the words of encouragement. I too agree that the arts are one of the most exciting things happening in our community and worthy of all the coverage they can get.