Food journalism
Food journalism is a field of journalism that focuses on news and current events related to food, its production, and the cultures of producing and consuming that food. Typically, food journalism includes a scope broader than the work of food critics, who analyze restaurants and their products, and is similar to a sub-genre of "food writing", which documents the experience and history of food.
Food journalism often explores the impact of current events on food, such as how the Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food industry, or larger issues, such as impacts of climate change on food production. Increasingly, these themes overlap with public health journalism, political journalism, and economic journalism. This expands on themes traditional to food criticism, which has tended to focus on fine dining and other kinds of food writing, like cookbook writing. These themes are similar to the themes covered in agricultural journalism, which focuses on the agriculture industry for agricultural audiences.
The contemporary field of food journalism grew in the mid-20th century, especially as issues like food rationing during and after World War II. In the United States, the Association of Food Journalists provides professional standards and a code of ethics.
History of Food Journalism
Food journalism dates back to the 1880s when Joseph Pulitzer introduced women's pages into his newspaper, the New York World. Other publications were quick to take on these additions with the women's section covering news on fashion, family, furnishings—and food. These were considered the four Fs of ‘soft news’ or ‘women’s news’. The pages were both a chance for advertisers to reach audiences and for women to be employed in journalism. The newspaper food sections were dense with product advertisements, news on recipes, and nutrition studies. In 1948, it was reported that 56% of women got their food news from newspapers and magazines, citing the relevancy of this emerging field. By 1950, the number of newspaper food editors had more than doubled to a total of 561. As a result, the revenue and advertisement potential influenced prominent editors to produce food pages.Until the 1940s and 1950s, women in journalism were contained from writing on sports, editorials, or what was considered hard news. During World War II, women took on a variety of roles, recognized both on the home front and in the military effort. As a result, the women's pages after World War II diversified and changed the significance of women's news. In the post-World War II era, food coverage often addressed social history and reflected the evolving roles of women in society.
In the 1940s, Jane Nickerson began her job as the first New York Times food editor. Nickerson began covering war-rationing news, food product developments, and recipes. After World War II, her work evolved to document the rapidly developing New York restaurant industry and profiled future food celebrities. Nickerson pioneered the industry of food journalism in the women's pages and was at the forefront of influence in restaurant reviews, interviews, and new products. These food journalists reached consumers and cooks, documented nutritional issues and food safety, and covered the impact of governmental food regulation and the consumerism movement. Jane Nickerson activated the potential for food discourse to engage with important social, political, and cultural issues. Her contributions have grown the scholarship of newspaper food journalism into what it is today.
By the 1950s, most food editors were educated and had a degree in either journalism, home economics, or both. Like other mediums of journalism, food editors followed traditional news values, researching the precision of their articles. Milwaukee Journal food editor Peggy Daum gave the same care to the food section as the front page, stating, “If someone’s age is wrong, that’s one thing. But if the amount of flour in a recipe is wrong, then the whole recipe can be ruined.” The food section has become a serious practice with publishers like the Chicago Tribune even reprinting entire recipes if there were to be a mistake. Food journalism has evolved to be legitimate journalism, rooted in the accomplishments of women at the forefront.
Code of Ethics
The Association of Food Journalists, founded in the 1970s, created the American Food Journalist Code of Ethics, and was made up of five core principles that food journalists should strive to abide by and are expected to adhere to. The AFJ was dissolved in 2024 due to lack of funds from failure to adapt their revenue model to keep up with the rise of digital journalism and the decreased hegemony of print media. However, the Code of Ethics and the AFJ's legacy continue to be respected by food journalists following the dissolution. The five core principles outlined by the AFJ have not been rewritten or replaced and continue to constitute the main guidelines food journalists follow. The five principles are:1) "We take pride in our work, and respect the work of others"
2) "We do not abuse our positions"
3) "We avoid conflicts of interest"
4) "We recognize and respect diversity"
5) "We are committed to total transparency in our work"
Prominent Figures
Anthony Bourdain
was a celebrity chef and author, most known for his work in travelling to various countries as a food journalist and critic.He became popularized as a food journalist through his essay submission to the New York Times titled Don't Eat Before Reading This in 1999 while working as a chef in New York City. The essay reported the inside tricks of New York City restaurant culture from Bourdain's perspective, ranging from when to order what type of dish to what not to ask for when ordering. The public adored Bourdain's unfiltered character and style of writing, launching him into popularity in the food journalism industry. The success of the essay then influenced the writing of his book New York Times Best Selling Non-Fiction Novel, Kitchen Confidential, published in 2000, which brings readers into a behind-the-scenes look at luxurious restaurants and the reality of the kitchen's inner workings. These written works are representations of some of Bourdain's written food journalism.
Following these achievements, Bourdain had further successful television programs representing the field of food journalism, specifically in his show Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, which aired from 2013-2018. The television show on CNN portrayed Bourdain travelling to countries all around the world, big and small, and immersing himself into each country's culture by exploring their cuisine and cultural traditions. While different than written food journalism, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown is a media representation of food journalism and discovery.
Julia Child
was a famous chef, author, and television figure. She is most known for making French cuisine less daunting and more accessible in American culture.In a time when food journalism was not nearly as accessible as in modern times, her career in the industry began when she graduated from Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris. It was after this that she, along with some colleagues, began to teach Parisian women how to cook traditional American dishes in the comfort of her home kitchen. She informally named this cooking school the École Des Trois Gourmandes. Bringing American traditional cuisine to Paris is one of the initiators of her start in the food journalism industry through spreading her knowledge by word of mouth.
Following this, she and two colleagues wrote the New York Times Bestseller cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking in 1961, with the specific intention of making French cooking and culture less intimidating to the American audience. Child's cookbook is another one of her contributions to the food journalism industry, through inspiring Americans to venture out of their comfort zone and try varying cultural recipes.
Breaking the boundaries of a predominantly male-based industry, Child was the first woman to have her own cooking show broadcast on American television, while also being one of the first cooking programs on American television in totality. Her program The French Chef was heavily based on the success of her cookbook, where she further taught Americans traditional French dishes; a notable contribution to food journalism in the media.
Guy Fieri
is a celebrity chef, author, and restaurant owner, best known for his work as a host on The Food Network.While not considered a traditional food journalist, Fieri's area of food journalism focuses on the media representation side with his television program on The Food Network,''Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. First airing in 2007 with new episodes currently being released, Fieri travels to restaurants across North America with traditional greasy, comfort food. His show portrays each restaurant's behind-the-scenes workings, ranging from the chefs cooking up the dishes to interactions with the customers.
While Fieri's main work with food journalism is with Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, he also has successful cookbooks in the realm of food journalism. His cookbook Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip...with Recipes!'' from 2008, once again plays on the theme of road-tripping to various restaurants and documenting his favourite recipes.
Kenji López-Alt
is a famous James Beard Foundation Award-winning food writer and chef.Kenji began his career as a food writer, or journalist, through his work as a columnist for SeriousEats.com. His column, "The Food Lab" reported how specific science practices of cooking can improve recipes in the comfort of one's own home. This column was then nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award.
Following the success and popularity of his column, Kenji wrote a cookbook, The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science in 2015, inspired by the theme of his column. This cookbook then won the James Beard Foundation Award for The Best General Cookbook.
Kenji still participates in writing as a food journalist at SeriousEats through his role as Chief Culinary Consultant, however focuses more on writing various cookbooks and maintaining a presence on social media. His recent cookbook released in 2022, The Wok: Recipes and Techniques, won him a second James Beard Foundation Award in 2023 in the Single Subject category. He often is present on social media through his various food reviews on Instagram.