Puja Patel on Leading — and Leaving — Pitchfork

The Cut

New York Magazine

Personal Journals, Documentary, Arts, Fashion & Beauty, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 27 September 2024

⏱️ 41 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 2018, Puja Patel was named editor-in-chief of Pitchfork, the legendary music criticism publication. She had a vision for the site: make it more accessible, maybe a little less pretentious. Then, in January this year, Condé Nast announced that GQ would absorb Pitchfork. Immediate uproar ensued — both from fans and musicians. Puja left the company. Today, she talks about what happened, how she negotiated her own power within a legacy institution, and what’s next for music criticism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This week on Explain It to Me, why does everyone say like so much?
0:05.0	No one starts using a word.
0:07.0	Okay, Chugi might be the one exception, but no one starts using a word because it's pointless.
0:13.6	No one ever just is like, you know, what the hell,
0:15.5	I'm just gonna start littering my language in here.
0:17.8	You know, just shake it up.
0:19.2	I'm John Glenn Hill,
0:20.4	host of the new show, Explain to me from Vox new episodes every Wednesday
0:25.4	follow wherever you get your podcasts
0:29.7	the cut the cut the cut cut The cut.
0:33.0	cut.
0:35.0	the cut. The cut.
0:36.0	The cut.
0:37.0	In 2018, Puyja Patel was named editor-in-chief of the legendary music publication, Pitch Fork.
0:46.1	She took over from the site's founder, who had also been its editor for 23 years.
0:51.5	So, no pressure, but Pooja is an incredible leader. Under her tenure,
0:57.8	pitchfork loosened up. It covered more artists, and it made its great music journalism even more accessible.
1:05.0	But then in January of this year, Conde Nast made an announcement.
1:10.0	Pitchfork would be absorbed into GQ.
1:12.0	Many members of Pouja staff were laid off. Pitchfork would be absorbed into GQ.
1:13.0	Many members of Puyja's staff were laid off.
1:15.6	She left the company.
	...

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