Journalism professor John Vilanova explores how the iconic magazine influenced music criticism, industry power dynamics, and the narratives of rock history
For almost 60 years, Rolling Stone magazine has dominated music journalism and hasn’t shied away from naming the good and the bad. John Vilanova, assistant professor of journalism and communication, is delving into the influential publication and its role in shaping narratives around popular music and rock and roll.
Vilanova’s research focuses on how institutions make larger claims about the music industry. His Ph.D. dissertation on the GRAMMY awards explored how the awards communicate what is “good music” and how it often contains longer held ideas about gender, race, and power. The music industry, and the conversations we have around it, can reinforce inequalities.
Vilanova’s time as a contributor to Rolling Stone over the past decade granted him an inside look. By examining early years of Rolling Stone, starting from its inception in 1967, Vilanova is examining the role of music criticism in establishing the magazine’s credibility and status as a serious journalistic publication. Employing a multi-methodological approach, he is diving into the archives and talking to writers who published extremely negative reviews in the first five years.
Read John Vilanova's full story on the College of Arts & Sciences News
Spotlight Recipient
John Vilanova
Assistant Professor of Journalism