Students from Henry Ford College and Wayne State University at Pulitzer on the Road in conversation with Pulitzer Prize on the Road journalists Justin Chang and Lyndsay Green, at Michigan Central Station, Detroit, March 26, 2025. Photo courtesy of Susan McGraw.

Pulitzer on the Road, in partnership with Michigan Central and with support from the Knight Foundation, hosted an illuminating panel discussion featuring some of the most distinguished voices in cultural criticism. The Detroit Free Press joined as a media partner for the highly anticipated event.

The panel showcased Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists in the Criticism category, including Justin Chang, esteemed film critic at The New Yorker and 2024 Pulitzer winner for his work at The Los Angeles Times; Wesley Morris, renowned film and popular culture critic at The New York Times and two-time Pulitzer winner (2012, 2021); and Lyndsay C. Green, the celebrated food and restaurant critic at The Detroit Free Press, who was a 2023 finalist.

The discussion was moderated by Pulitzer Board member and Dean of Columbia Journalism School, Jelani Cobb, himself a 2018 Pulitzer finalist for Commentary. Together, the panelists explored the craft of criticism across film, food, and popular culture, as well as the evolving role of critics in an ever-changing media landscape. When asked about the role of the critic to readers, Lyndsay stated “we reflect what you’re thinking or we represent the opposite of what you’re thinking, and it kind of makes you feel smarter. I think we exist to make people feel smarter. It’s like they either totally resonate with what you’re saying or they’re like ‘absolutely not.’”

Wesley Morris took a different approach to criticism, in response to Lyndsay Green’s stance: “These are people who’ve taken it upon themselves to feed us, make things for us to wear, entertain us. And if I didn’t like what went in my mouth or in front of my eyes, I have to say something to stop you or you’re not going to reconsider. Or, if it works, to say thank you.”

When Jelani referred to Justin Chang about his approach to writing negative film reviews, he responded “the lesson that I’ve learned over the years is sometimes there is a weird kind of feedback you get, which is somebody who worked on the thing that you trashed, saying thank you. I was right. It doesn’t happen all the time so you realize that being kind is not something that I should do by default. Honesty is actually more important.”

Pulitzer on the Road offered a rare opportunity for the public to engage directly with Pulitzer-winning journalists and authors, gaining insight into the stories behind their groundbreaking work. Since its inception in 1917, the Pulitzer Prize has been the gold standard for excellence in journalism and the arts, and this event continues its mission of fostering public dialogue and appreciation for critical discourse.

This dynamic conversation offered fresh perspectives on cultural commentary while celebrating the vital role of criticism in shaping public discourse. The Detroit audience received an engaging and thought-provoking discussion at Michigan Central Station, an iconic venue befitting such an esteemed gathering of literary and journalistic excellence.