For this course, I wrote two reflective pieces on food journalism. For my topics, I chose to explore negative associations toward food critics and the overlapping roles of food influencers and journalists through two short essays. 

"Ratatouille" and Righting the Wrongs of Food Journalism

My introduction to the world of food journalism came from the fictional food critic Anton Ego in the Disney Pixar film, “Ratatouille.”

As a child, I remember watching the movie and struggling to understand how Ego could publish such unnecessarily ruthless reviews and damage the reputation of chefs with seemingly no remorse. Despite Ego’s redemption at the end of the film, I still held a negative perception of critics.

For a long time, I thought food writers were pretentious and careless about the effects their work has on restaurants’ success and livelihood. While the content they produce is important and informs people about restaurants, I take offense when they do so in a mean-spirited way.

I think a negative perception of food writers still lingers in popular culture, but now as a student in a food journalism class, I have learned that good critics take much care in their work.

Texas Monthly’s dining critic Paula Forbes spoke to the class on Sept. 2 about her experience writing blogs, cookbooks and restaurant reviews. Maintaining ethics as a food journalist was a theme I noticed consistently throughout her discussion. As a journalism student, I know ethics are an essential part of strong writing and food journalism is no exception.

The pieces food writers publish have a great impact on restaurants and staff, and Forbes knows it.

She described spending most of her time eating at various places, hoping the effort would turn into a publishable review. However, Forbes revealed that she does not publish a review for about 70% of the restaurants she tries.

While this may seem unusual, Forbes’ reasoning behind the decision is rooted in careful judgment. She recalled several times when she chose not to publish a review because she knew it would damage the business of a small mom-and-pop restaurant, or the publicity would be too much to handle.

Restaurants are deeply ingrained in communities, and it is integral to remember the impact reviews have on people. Even if the food was not amazing, think critically about the effects of a bad review on a small place. While it is always necessary to maintain honesty in journalistic writing, I think it is equally as important to consider the impact a piece will have on sources.

Additionally, Forbes mentioned how she dines at a variety of restaurants to create thorough reviews. Maintaining a mix of small, cheaper restaurants and large, expensive restaurants is a way she strives to represent food accurately.

Forbes tries restaurants specializing in cuisines from different cultures and mentioned eating with other people to help gain context on dishes she may not be familiar with. She cited how food writers should try to immerse themselves in the community as much as possible and avoid parachuting in.

“I think of a restaurant as a conversation between the people behind it and the neighborhood,” Forbes said.

This approach to food writing is mindful of the context behind a dish or restaurant and helps tell readers an accurate and informed story. Journalists have an obligation to serve their communities and that cannot be done without first understanding what they are covering.

While I am softening my stance on food critics as I learn and meet more of them through this class, I am eager to join the more considerate and informed wave of food writers. I want to be a Forbes, not an Ego.

Could influencing be food journalism’s next course?

Growing up, I was introduced to the world of cooking through my mom. I remember watching hours of Ina Garten and Rachael Ray on the Food Network and laughing together about Julia Child’s mishaps while making coq au vin. Now that I am older, we still watch food content together, usually from Austin-based YouTuber Joshua Weissman.

While food media has and likely will always exist in some form, its future is moving from large networks and newspapers to include influencers and individuals online. With the rise of social media and online publishing platforms like Substack, anyone can share recipes or create restaurant reviews, highlighting new shifts in the industry.

When she spoke to our class, Austin food blogger Jane Ko discussed the prevalence of influencers now compared to when she started A Taste of Koko. She recalled reading food and fashion magazines, which inspired her to create a blog in college.

Starting out, Ko remembered journalists’ confusion by her presence at food tastings because she was not tied to a traditional publication. Now, it is not uncommon to see influencers or content creators alongside journalists at tastings or media events. Ko argues that many of the barriers to food reporting are broken, but influencing still takes more effort than people realize.

Ko described her process for doing food photography, highlighting the importance of delivering content in a timely manner. She even coordinates her outfits to match the places she visits, which requires time and preparation.

Despite the normalization of food influencers, some journalists do not think they provide the same content as publications. Matthew Odam of the Austin American-Statesman noted that the goals of influencers and journalists are not the same.

“Our audience wants to be informed,” said Odam, highlighting how influencers can act as marketing for restaurants.

It is important to note that some food influencers may not give honest reviews. Even if they are credible, many are paid to work with restaurants and brands, which could be considered biased and therefore less trustworthy by journalism standards and ethics.

As we have discussed in class, food journalists should not accept free food, special treatment, or money to promote certain restaurants to maintain their credibility. These rules are a large part of what separates journalists from influencers, who are often involved in advertising and marketing.

While influencers and journalists may have different approaches to their work, both are necessary for grasping the full story of food content. As an avid foodie, I find myself following more food influencers than publications now.

I follow Harrison Wallace’s Substack for recipes and Cassie Yeung on TikTok for short cooking content. Despite studying journalism and reading food-related media, I like the feeling of stepping into someone’s kitchen through a short video.

Inspired by what I saw online, I tried combining my journalism and food content interests into a Substack for my newsletter writing class. I included recipes I tried and features on local restaurants. This experience helped me realize how much work goes into producing any kind of media, and how hard it can be to take appetizing food photos without it looking like a hot mess.

Even though I follow many food creators, I enjoy learning from journalistic food publications. Often, I browse The New York Times Cooking section and read local reviews on Eater Austin. I find inspiration in how descriptive the writing is, and I aim to incorporate it into my work.

While food influencers are popular, there is still a place for traditional food publications. Priya Krishna of The New York Times Cooking department spoke to our class about journalism’s place in the changing landscape of food media. It is unlikely that food influencing will go away, but journalists and content creators must work together to evolve.

 “We paint a big picture, and influencers fill in the rest,” said Krishna.

This approach of working on the same topic in different ways is a possible solution to this dilemma. Journalists and influencers are similar, but both can learn from each other’s approaches. Influencers can benefit from journalists’ honesty, while journalists can learn from social media’s engaging format and trends.

Despite their differences, the lines between influencing and food journalism are becoming increasingly blurred as time goes on. More newsrooms are making short-form food content like reels as more influencers are writing cookbooks. Because food is so universal, people will always have strong opinions on the best way to prepare and talk about it.

“Food is still mass culture, and still pop culture,” said Emily Weinstein, the editor in chief of the New York Times’ Cooking and Food department.

Going forward, acknowledging influencers’ contributions and helping them improve could be meaningful for journalists. As technology continues to evolve, it is crucial that food influencers and journalists work together to maintain relevancy. After all, you can never have too many cooks in the kitchen when it comes to making food content.