Folk music and journalism has taken a significant hit. The Boston Globe, a long-time supporter of the folk music scene, has restructured their arts section and dropped writer Scott Alarik. Since 1986, Scott’s stories have appeared in the paper with weekly items about upcoming folk music events. His first stories appeared in the “Calendar” section, and later in “Sidekick”. It appears that the editors feel the folk music scene can be handled by Globe staffers who will create their new “G” section.

Scott is also a talented performer of traditional and original songs. His knowledge and deep love for the music is evident in his writing. His book “Deep Community: Adventures in the Modern Folk Underground” is an essential collection of his columns from the Globe and Sing Out! magazine. Scott is an insightful writer and his perspective on the contemporary folk community should be required reading for anyone interested in the genre.

Newspapers are in trouble. With the Internet and new technology offering numerous choices, faster delivery and more opportunities – print media has been challenged. Some publications have adapted, others simply try to react. In my opinion, the Boston Globe is short changing their readers by eliminating Scott’s insight from their pages. The Boston area continues to be a hotbed of traditional music exploration and emerging trends in contemporary music. At a time when a farsighted publication would recognize the potential, the Boston Globe has chosen to operate by an accounting ledger instead of following a journalistic vision.

While the folk music community has lost a voice in the Globe, we can be sure that a talented writer like Scott Alarik will continue to be heard. His pieces will continue to appear in Sing Out! and other publications, and if there are any intelligent newspapers left in Boston, hopefully they will recognize what Scott has to offer and put him in their pages immediately.