Seth Godin wrote last weekend that the era of the professional reviewer is over. I read the post and thought: ‘Hey, that makes a lot of sense!’ I started to close the window and then realized that I’m not so sure I agree with Seth.

Sure, there’s a reason almost every newspaper has killed its book review section, but I think the situation is a little more complex than the idea that professional reviewers are over.

Thought #1: Reviews Sell Things Like Crazy

As a blogger, I’ve gotten offered products to review from books to pressure cookers. There’s a reason that public relations professionals like giving away items to review: it still works, even in the internet age.

I’ll be the first to admit that reviewing books and other media for newspapers, magazines and even online media doesn’t pay very well. But it’s always been one of the lower-paying areas of writing. Almost as many writers want to make it big as a critic as want to hit the New York Times bestseller list with their Great American Novel. There’s always been a big supply of writers willing to write reviews for the chance of a free copy of a book or a free movie ticket. That sort of supply is guaranteed to drive down the price.

But that doesn’t mean that the media — even the online media — doesn’t like reviews. Even newspapers that have shuttered their book review sections keep running book reviews. That’s because readers really are interested in reviews from credible sources. And marketers are interested in getting their products reviewed by credible sources.

Thought #2: Affiliate Marketing Changes the Whole Game

Seth points out that bloggers often review — and help sell — thousands of books. He categorizes them as ‘citizen reviewers,’ rather than professional reviewers: there’s not an explicit reason why, but I assume it’s because bloggers aren’t typically getting a paycheck from some editor or publisher.

But that doesn’t mean that most bloggers aren’t getting paid for their reviews. I challenge you to find me a blogger who has been posting for any significant amount of time that doesn’t put a single affiliate link in their reviews. Amazon’s Associates’ program, anyone? We’re still writing reviews with some amount of financial interest and while that may not kick us into the leagues of Oprah’s Book Club, it still takes most bloggers out of the ranks of ‘citizen reviewers.

Thought #3: The Death of Everything

It is so easy to declare some vestige of professional journalism dead these days. After all, not only are newspapers faltering but even big blockbuster movies and mainstream television are having to explore new ideas to pay the bills. That doesn’t mean that anything is dead, though: I’m willing to gamble that the newspaper / magazine industry will still be around in 50 years, albeit providing their services in a different way.

Journalism, and the job of the professional reviewer, is evolving. Sure, plenty of reviewers have moved online. They’re still getting paid as much (or as little) as they ever were.