Martin Guttridge-Hewitt
Learn more about Martin and his work via his website here and his Instagram here.
How's everything going for you at the moment?
Surprisingly, things are in a good place work-wise at the moment — despite what the music and culture journalism landscape looks like, people still want proper stories and there are still outlets commissioning proper work.
Against my expectations, bouncing back after the decimation of Covid was pretty swift and has — so far — been long-lasting.
But I feel I’ve just cursed myself by saying that...
I also feel it’s important to make clear here that while most of my work is in music and culture, a sizeable minority covers other topics. More on that below.
What are the main challenges you're facing?
Authenticity is always a big struggle — trying to ensure you’re covering projects, people and places that deserve coverage, rather than those that are heavily PRd and manage to secure their coverage because they have the budget to run media campaigns and employ teams to win spotlight.
No offence to PRs at all, they work really hard and I have many good friends on that side of the media. But the good ones also know the difference between a story and a campaign.
A huge challenge within this is freeing up budget each year to work on a few stories that require me to cover some or all of the expenses involved and still earn enough to ‘survive’. There are so many things that really warrant our attention but, for various reasons, cannot cover travel or accommodation for a journalist.
Striking a balance is key, and also crucial to being taken seriously. Journalism should not be another arm of marketing, but often risks becoming just that because of how easy, cost effective, and nice it is to be given perks like free hotels and flights.
It’s particularly difficult making sure we are supporting grass roots, independent, DIY, and smaller stories. But these are the areas that really need support.
Despite many promises made during the height of the pandemic, the music industry has failed to rebalance itself and remains controlled by upper and upper-middle class straight white men and huge corporate machines intent on proving that “pop will eat itself". Whether that’s record labels or venues, festivals or artist agencies. Supporting female, non-binary, LGBTQIA+, and the global majority has become easier in some ways but obstacles remain because of realities behind the scenes.
For me, we are all complicit, to some extent, in failing to safeguard equity and give a voice to everyone who deserves it. That said, I’d prefer to be complaining from within the industry and trying to address coverage bias than outside looking in. Even if it’s just a case of keeping an eye on your sources — not just having a load of guys chiming in about techno — it contributes to making a difference.
Beyond that, devaluation or total loss of many significant platforms, bringing overall page space down in the process, is a worry — combined with staff redundancies on a massive scale, there’s now much less room available to publish well paid work and a far greater number of freelancers than when I started out in the mid-2000s.
How about your music writer peers, do you have much insight from them and are they facing similar issues?
I think overall these issues are universal. I’d say everyone I know seems to acknowledge the problems I’ve highlighted above (and those mentioned below). Probably loads more but I can’t speak for others.
What would say are some of the deeper issues/catalysts behind the challenges you/other writers are dealing with?
I believe we get the media we pay for, not the media we deserve. The number of people willing to pay for the information they consume daily has been in constant decline since I started writing professionally, and this bites harder by the year.
There’s an expectation that we have to produce high quality work otherwise the remaining audience tunes out or starts shouting about media being useless, yet we have fewer and fewer resources to actually produce this.
Social media is a clear issue. The news cycle is determined to keep up with the pressure created by 24-hour, instant publishing, but journalism by nature is at its best when running at a slower speed, allowing time for more in-depth and thoughtful research and reporting.
The fact social platforms and search engines gate-keep is appalling when they contribute very little, if anything, to the journalism economy, but are often the main method through which people access journalism. They are making big money off the back of our work.
AI, so far, is less of a problem than many might assume in terms of replacing journalists, but I am concerned about the future impact on shorter form news writing, which in music media is already mostly based on press releases and information readily available online.
As a feature-focused writer, it’s reassuring there’s little chance of being able to automate jobs that require you to be present on the ground or conducting long, in-depth interviews. For the time being anyway.
All that said, trust in our profession is in the gutter and has been for a lot longer than ChatGPT has been a thing. And the worst part is I totally understand why. Discussing media with friends is painful because, like them, I see how some outlets sow discontent, fear, resentment and — at their worst — hatred. But I remain steadfast that a lot of people are trying to do a good, balanced job.
Coupled with what some have terrifyingly dubbed the “post truth age”, from the White House setting a new precedent for gaslighting and propaganda on a national level, to deep fakes and increasingly realistic generative AI, I do have underlying fears we are sleepwalking into a time when people will refuse to believe anything. Which is dangerous for all forms of journalism and information, society and civilisation.
However, I hold out some hope this phenomenon will benefit ‘real journalism’ in the long run, because most people do want to understand what’s happening in the world — the rise of slow media and a doubling down on long form is tangible in some corners, and this goes for music and culture press as much as hard news platforms.
Despite my double-barrelled last name, I grew up on an estate in West Yorkshire, and have very strong feelings around opportunities for writers from lower income and less visible backgrounds.
My experience teaching journalism at university level laid bare the fact young people hoping to break into the industry are not prepared for the reality of the job — there is so much focus on newsrooms at a time when newsrooms are emptying it’s mind-blowing.
Freelancing is your most likely point of entry, yet I was allowed to maybe deliver one or two sessions on pitching and idea generation. Given the course was at a Guardian top-rated journalism centre, this was, frankly, madness.
Freelancing is obviously a bigger risk, as income is not stable and it takes a long time to build it into something reliable and regular, so it’s no wonder we are seeing a sharp fall in young people pursuing journalism as a career if they can’t afford — or their parents can't afford to support them — to work at very low rates, or in many cases, for free. This seems to be the case whether it’s a formal degree or training like NCTJ provide, or people just trying to set up their own thing and write.
Sadly, journalism is not alone in this — all creative sectors are becoming harder to succeed in without a safety net. It’s bullshit.
Overall, the trajectory means homogeneous voices, views and ideas are dominant, which do not represent the diversity of the population as a whole. In turn, this feeds more distrust of the media by discrediting our claim to represent different demographics. It’s a vicious cycle.
What are some of the methods you've employed to navigate the current music writing landscape?
Understanding the tools available to you is vital.
Although I’m not currently using tech like ChatGPT, I can see how this can be a valuable resource for gathering information quickly — all of which needs to be thoroughly fact checked, of course. My issue is not wanting to support technology which I consider to be actively stealing original work to train its models. Nevertheless, I feel it’s inevitable we will all start using it to some extent.
Having said that, Otter, which uses AI to transcribe interviews, has been a godsend and part of my office for years now. Albeit in its early days it was riddled with issues around accents, something that can still be a problem and casts a light on how biased technology is. There are also concerns about privacy which need to be considered — for confidential/anonymous interviews I still do everything by hand.
Not really a recent change, but I think it’s important to know that the skills journalists have go well beyond writing itself. Over the years, I’ve been hired by music venues, labels, culture businesses and art galleries to advise on tone of voice and oversee media strategy. It’s been a really nice change to take a break from writing.
Basically - don’t be snobby and insist “but I’m a journalist”, but do be picky and think about various strings can tie together.
I’d also say giving myself a break and trying hard to escape imposter syndrome has been invaluable. And just taking breaks in general!
How much support do you have from others (writers, friends, family, organisations)?
My family and fianceé are incredibly supportive. Just don’t ask us when the wedding is, please.
Friends are great, too, although most still seem to think my job is just a lot of fun and travel, largely unaware of the challenges, stresses and strains encountered day-to-day.
I don’t engage with many professional organisations, sadly, but this is something I would like to do more of. NUJ doesn’t seem to offer enough value for money to freelancers which is a shame, but I’m happy to stand corrected on that.
Signing up to the ALCS has been a good move - they track down any money owed to me for use of my work by third party publications across the world on a no-win, no-fee basis.
Social media groups, although usually informal and not necessarily an ‘organisation’, can be very useful.
As an aside, I'm very keen to begin organising drinks for other writers in and around Manchester to see how we can work together or at least support each other. It’s been a long time coming, just like this free entry Sunday party I’ve been banging on about doing since stopping club nights 10 years ago (give or take!)... others should do the same I feel.
How could writers be supported more... especially within the arts/music?
Rates should be higher and move with inflation. Most are pretty stagnant. I get there’s less and less money but crazy to think so many have remained the same over the last five years given the economic realities.
Music and culture as a whole are struggling with financing, but I see very few grants available for writers supporting these areas in comparison with other related professions. Not sure this is realistic, but more funding routes would definitely be welcome, especially for younger writers and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
I'm curious about the positives. What's going well for you at the moment and what's exciting you about music writing?
I love my job completely. So that’s a big win!
I feel incredibly privileged to be doing it, especially after all this time. Although I’ve met some highly questionable individuals, I’ve also got to know some amazing people across the world and their commitment to culture and humanity is inspiring.
Focusing on retainers I’m interested in has been a good move, reducing the number of ‘cold pitches' I need to send out in order to cover my financial commitments.
I have a track record working on features about weirder and wonderful things, and addressing some of the overarching problems within arts, music and culture — from environmental impact to whether independent anything is sustainable anymore and how a Milan tram depot became an illegal squat-turned-arts centre.
So I’m lucky to have a regular stream of people who have seen my work and want to signpost me to important and unusual story ideas from around the world, meaning I’m never short of leads. Actually selling those in somewhere decent is the real challenge, but this has always been the case.
Having been based in Manchester for the past 20 years plus, the city is supportive when it comes to arts and culture, but still lacks the big industry of larger hubs. That may sound negative, but to me it’s a positive because hierarchies do not exist in the same way, experimentation is everywhere, and people are incredibly enthusiastic about coming together. This keeps you motivated.
Above all else, though — there’s so much good music around, and I love music.
Big question, but, if you could wave a wand and magically solve the issues we're facing, what would be your targets for positive change?
*Given social media is our main way of sharing work, the closed nature of these networks and algorithms dictating what is seen and by who, is incredibly unfair and should be changed. I’ve argued for more control over these platforms since the early days of Facebook, this did not happen and here we are. Simply put — they should fall under the same laws as publishers, which would make a big difference.
*More efforts on the part of magazines and other platforms to improve inclusivity for staff, and provide opportunities for those who can’t afford or do not currently feel welcome to get involved. More diversity in the workforce will encourage more diverse entrants and, in theory, ensure more diverse stories are being told.
*More collaboration between freelancers would be nice and could support the creation of platforms that set out to be fair to contributors because they are run by them. I’m lucky to write for publications I think treat me relatively well, but this is not always the case and hasn’t always been the case in the past.
*End the lie that exposure can be monetised in any meaningful way. We need to be paid actual money to produce actual work. No matter how long you’ve been doing it.
*We need more brands to understand and recognise the value of editorial platforms, and stop comparing with social media exposure and advertising as though it’s like-for-like. Eyeballs per click, or whatever metrics are currently being used, is not the same thing as getting worthwhile coverage with publications that have a highly engaged audience on a deeper level.
Any advice for emerging freelance music writers?
Yep absolutely!
First and foremost, be nice, be honest, be genuine and be respectful. And don’t beat yourself up due to rejections — writers tend to have quite thin armour, which is ironic as we work in an industry that shies away from positive feedback and is 90% “sorry, not for us this time”. Focus on the parts that are going right.
Never lose sight of why you wanted to do this. For me, it was a Mixmag report about a DnB weekender in a mansion somewhere in deepest France around 1999. Or maybe Belgium. Either way, I was already really into UK hardcore, trance, hard house, house music, breaks and bits of techno, but never really thought about music journalism.
That article was so well formed and had wonderful wit. There wasn't too much talk of the tunes, but obviously enough, and it was mostly focused on the people, the atmosphere, sights and smells. I felt like I was actually there. The pacing was perfect, and throughout there were these regular references to Stella Artois, which was the only beer available. I think. The writer closed off by stating that “drum & bass never died, it's just had a hangover.”
I’d love to buy that journalist a beer and really wish I’d kept a copy of the magazine.
It’s maybe basic, but diversification is everything - for example, not being closed to straight copy jobs and get a foot in with other journalism specialisms. This can happen naturally because of the opportunities music journalism presents us with and the fact music and culture do not exist in silos — I’ve stumbled and staggered into wider arts, travel, food, climate and architecture editorial for major platforms.
I would highly recommend signing up to newsletters by music and culture writers, and just consume lots of words — read magazines and newspapers, listen to the radio and podcasts, but perhaps most of all try and make time to read books, fiction and non-fiction. This massively improves the quality of your copy.
The following are weekly roundups of calls for pitches from editors. If a call to pitch appears in these emails, the editor will already be inundated with ideas before you get there, so a commission is maybe not that likely. But these are invaluable for keeping up with who is working where, what titles are covering what, how to make contact and what they are looking for in a pitch. Keep your own database of titles and staffers, and keep it updated using:
*Sian Meades - Freelance Writing Jobs
Print wise, Stack is an excellent subscription I pay for each month — a different independent magazine from around the UK, US and Europe, delivered to your door. Not only does this make you feel less distraught about the media state of play, but some of the titles are stunning. And I’ve picked up work after reading issues and realising I have stories to pitch, which is always good. I think it’s about £12-£15 a month.
As a young journalist starting out, I said yes to every press trip and escapade I could for many years. It was knackering, but afforded me a lot of experience and suffice to say some pretty wild times.
Fun aside, whenever I was away, I’d look for at least one other story angle in addition to the one I was sent out there for. Often the secondary (or, if I was lucky, third) article would wind up bagging me a bigger commission than the original reason I was on the trip. This also helps diversify your portfolio. The point being when working on anything I still try to find a second pitch for a later date — stories are everywhere. Just make sure you never try and sell an identical or similar article to a second editor as this is very cheeky and will only work against you.
Get a decent camera and learn how to use it — one of my biggest regrets after almost 20 years writing is the time I was almost sent to Saint Petersburg to cover some counterculture electronic music punk art crew, or that’s what I’ve told myself the job was in memory. Anyway, due to the cost of visas my editor opted for a photojournalist instead. Gutted.
Since taking photography more seriously and making it clear I can take a decent enough picture with a real camera, I’ve managed to bump up several commissions by providing images. I’m not a photographer and don’t pretend to be one, but it can help support you doing your actual job.
And... Finally… Reach out to people. Working journalists are really busy and time starved, however a lot of people are in this for good reasons, I believe, and are much more approachable than you might fear. They are happy to help if they can. I’m more than willing to share contacts and offer guidance, and have done on countless occasions.