The Evolution of Food Journalism—And How to Break In

Food journalism focuses on culture, life, and current issues approached from a culinary perspective. It can either explore these topics through the lens of food or can consist of pieces critiquing culinary experiences themselves.

To be a good food journalist, it is necessary for you to know current local and global food trends, such as notable chefs and what restaurants have been opening and closing in your area. A food critic will often not receive special treatment while dining as they usually do their work anonymously. In fact, special treatment would inaccurately represent the dining experience the average person can expect from these establishments.

Food journalists and restaurant owners can create a mutually beneficial relationship, with writers consistently producing content to maintain their relevance in the field while restaurants increase their visibility to the public. Journalists interested in providing evidence-based nutrition science or simply becoming food critics might note how difficult it can be to get into the field, so it helps to have an understanding of how food journalism has evolved over the years.

The Emergence and Impact of Digital Media

With the advent of the digital era, official food critics are no longer the sole source of opinions related to dining establishments. Therefore, as with most other parts of journalism, writers within food journalism have had to evolve to stay relevant in the digital age. With such a rapid increase in online food content, a space has been created where people that have no official journalism experience are writing their culinary insights right alongside professional journalists. This does lead to a broader array of voices and viewpoints, but challenges have also arisen in maintaining formerly hard-wired journalistic integrity and credibility within the mix. 

With the existence of both user-generated content and professional journalism within food journalism, the lines between them are blurred. Nowadays there is even more of a propensity for young people to consume food-related content from independent creators on social media as opposed to traditional media and platforms, but that is just something food journalists must learn to navigate around.

Diversity and Inclusion in Food Journalism

Within any part of journalism, diversity and inclusion are important and necessary components and the realm of ethical food reporting is no exception. Food journalism, especially ethical food reporting, ideally presents a wide array of perspectives while avoiding the perpetuation of stereotypes or biases. Committing to diversity is a win-win situation within food journalism.

This adds so much depth to the storytelling within a given piece and provides a platform to voices that need representation in the coverage of food-related topics. For instance, black-owned businesses in the United States, which have historically had a more difficult time surviving compared to white-owned businesses,  can be given more publicity. Additionally, reviewing Palestinian or Ukrainian restaurants can make powerful statements.

So How Do You Get into Food Journalism?

Standing out from the rest never hurts when breaking into the industry and getting formal training to become a food critic can boost the necessary skills while making useful connections. It can also establish credibility with the journalists’ audience and their future employers. 

If journalists truly want to have every necessary component to become successful within food journalism, attending culinary school will give valuable experience relevant to their future work. Many people who attend culinary school are not necessarily interested in becoming chefs: they do it to gain exposure to different cuisines and acquire the necessary language to describe the food in question. Building a network with knowledgeable people within the culinary arts will be invaluable no matter the method. 

If formal training is not the route the aspiring food journalist wants to go for, producing their own content will also get the ball rolling, whether it be a food blog or joining the ranks of food influencers to gain more exposure. They can keep submitting to publications and blogs that will get their name and voice out there. Don’t expect to make much money at first either; just know that the exposure and connections made throughout that process will lead to success with enough perseverance.