As the saying goes, the pen is mightier than the sword.
In what might go down as the most bone-headed PR move of the year, Disney decided to ban the LA Times from coverage of their films after the paper published the two-part story: “Is Disney paying its share in Anaheim?” and “How one election changed Disneyland’s relationship with its hometown.” The studio claimed the reporting was “biased and inaccurate,” but the reactionary move drew instant backlash. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the New York Film Critics Circle, the Boston Society of Film Critics, Toronto Film Critics Association, and the National Society of Film Critics banded to together to fight back, declaring that they’d disqualify Disney movies from awards season consideration until the ban was lifted. Well, they won.
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Disney has announced they’ve ended the ban on the LA Times, claiming their grievances have been addressed. But certainly, the studio was feeling the heat as the press stood up to being bullied, and Disney certainly didn’t want that narrative around to follow them through the awards season. Here’s their statement:
We’ve had productive discussions with the newly installed leadership at The Los Angeles Times regarding our specific concerns, and as a result, we’ve agreed to restore access to advance screenings for their film critics.
So, chalk this up as a win for journalism, and a loss for companies that try to overpower publications for telling a story they don’t like.