Couple of points that I agree with here
A full bodied soft light print is my starting point , I then add contrast but I do not sneak up but rather go further and back off to the balance I like.
I use contrast within the image to draw the eye to significant areas that I want the viewer to see and these areas of contrast are usually surrounded with softer tones.
HDR is a good tool, that like anything has its overuse and bad features. But it strengths is its ability to conquer very tough lighting situations which is good but the papers we use in colour and black and white are already performing at their maximum capabilitys so HDR's potential may not be currently obtainable.
I agree that there are many , many ways of laying tone on paper and how it is done is up to the printer/photographer/artist, and we can like it or not, but to think that there is one correct way is silly.
I am completely immersed in photographic printing 7 days a week and use all digital workflows, all film workflows and a combination of film and digital.
IMO it is painful to read someone take a stance, draw the line and say someone else methods are crap.
We seeing every day great work in all three above methods and also some
barriers are being broken by young workers who have never picked up a film camera in their life and probably never will.
For Example, I just finished a project that is hanging at the ROM in Toronto by Nigel Dickson, a portrait (a lambda fibre print) of John Cretian *Canadian Prime Minster* stands out as overly sharpened, completely over the top contrast, which includes a huge amount of bromide drag . This image would fall into the realm of contrast that the OP may be complaining about.
Nigel is legendary in Canada as one of the great portrait photographers and as well an amazing printer in his own right. When I asked him about the contrast all he said was this.
I LIKE THE WAY THIS PRINT LOOKS.
Now who the hell am I to argue with him, this is how he wants his prints to look like and it is now hanging in an important museum.
This simple example to me at least is the most important issue in printmaking, we all have different takes on the world and its ok to lay down tone , any way you want. You always will have people saying your work is crap and hopefully more will say its great.