UPDATE:
The media blackout is over. Faced with an industry-wide boycott by film critics, Disney issued a terse, vague statement ending its media blackout on coverage from the Los Angeles Times.
"We’ve had productive discussions with the newly installed leadership at The Los Angeles Timesregarding our specific concerns, and as a result, we’ve agreed to restore access to advance screenings for their film critics,” Disney said in a statement given to the New York Times.
Original post follows:
Four major film critic organizations released a joint statement, directed at Disney, that sends one blunt message: Enough with this bullshit.
The statement in question is a response to Disney's media blackout of theLos Angeles Times, a retaliatory response to what the Lucasfilm and Marvel owner has characterized as "biased and inaccurate" coverage of the company's business dealings with the city of Anaheim, California. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Circle, Boston Society of Film Critics, and National Society of Film Critics all joined together to send the message early Tuesday.
SEE ALSO:Why would Disney want to buy a big chunk of 21st Century Fox? Netflix.In the statement, the four organizations denounced Disney's ban of the LA Timesfrom pre-release screenings, interview junkets, and other coverage opportunities. The critics groups said Disney's films will be disqualified from consideration for end-of-year awards until the blackout is "publicly rescinded."
"It is admittedly extraordinary for a critics' group, let alone four critics' groups, to take any action that might penalize film artists for decisions beyond their control," the statement reads. "But Disney brought forth this action when it chose to punish The Times' journalists rather than express its disagreement with a business story via ongoing public discussion. Disney's response should gravely concern all who believe in the importance of a free press, artists included."
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In a separate statement released on Tuesday, the Television Critics Association also addressed the boycott in strong terms. It was signed by the full TCA board, save for Vice President Sarah Rodman, who opted to recuse herself because she works for the LA Times.
"The Television Critics Association understands that screeners and coverage opportunities are a privilege and not a right, but we condemn any circumstance in which a company takes punitive action against journalists for doing their jobs."
The business story addressed in the statement was the LA Times' recent article "Is Disney paying its share in Anaheim?" (and its follow-up "How one election changed Disneyland’s relationship with its hometown"), which explores the relationship between Disneyland — the original, California-based Disney theme park — and the city of Anaheim, where Disneyland is based.
The critics organizations' joint statement is the most high-profile development yet in a story that's been building steam since the blackout was first revealed in an LA Times Editor's Note on Nov. 3.
Notably, it was The Washington Post's critic-at-large Alyssa Rosenberg who kicked off the now-rapidly escalating Disney boycott on Monday. "[A]s long as Disney is blocking the critics from the Los Angeles Timesfrom press screenings, I can’t in good conscience attend similar showings or write reviews in advance," Rosenberg wrote.
Two other outlets, AV Cluband Flavorwire, followed suit not long after.
The timing of this controversy is especially bad for Disney, as voting on year-end awards is set to commence shortly for the four critics organizations joining the boycott. In addition to the just-released Thor: Ragnorok, the entertainment giant also has Star Wars: The Last Jedistill to come, as well as a string of hits released in 2017, including the live-action Beauty and the Beast, Cars 3, and Coco.
UPDATEDNov. 7 at 12:31 p.m. ET with a statement from the Television Critics Association.
UPDATEDNov. 7 at 3:09 p.m. ET with a statement from Disney.
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