The Defamation of Writing Travel
18th March 2011This is worth reading, because, sometimes it is worth laughing at what we do! PR’s, Travel Journalists, Telly People – beware of the wrath of the brilliant Guardian blog section – which has been on FIRE this week…
This week, Travelogues are in the line of this fire.
Also, and more seriously, how travel is written about and reported is coming under scrutiny all the time. The claim is that it has become hackneyed and obvious, a reinvention of the old, rather than a quest for the new (see recent(ish) post on GrumpyTraveller ). This piece by Stuart Heritage highlights this even more.
As a genre, travel writing needs a shake up, it needs to respond to the fast paced world of niche and localised content, and it needs to resonate. This piece by Taylor Parkes is regularly heralded for its excellence (and rightly so) and for fusing music and travel.
Note: it is online. Note: it is in a publication which gets, knows and is willing to stretch its audience. Note: it is not frightened of excluding the ‘many’ in preference for appealing truly and utterly to the ‘few’.
And, unlike is so many voyeuristic travelogues which are all about “look at them, and hey, look at ME interacting with them” it is compelling, brave and exciting to read.
I wonder: can Travel TV reinvent itself this well?
Thanks for the link Sophy. However, I would argue that part of the problem is the constant search for the new – editors trying to outdo other editors rather than cater to their audience – when insightful, intelligent and enlightening ways of reinventing the old are far more useful, enjoyable and appropriate.
Travel writing/ journalism needs far less of the what’s cool, and far more of the what’s good.
David, thanks so much for leaving a comment – and for your initial post. I totally agree with the above. I think the challenge is writing about well loved, “good” things,but in new, exciting and engaging way. The perspective needs to change – not the view.