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Writers and others have been complaining to Variety today about an AMPTP ad which doesn’t identify itself as such located right above the trade’s strike coverage. “Holy crap, how much are the AMPTP paying them? Oh right, tons,” one WGA member emailed me. “Not to mention the ad misquotes David Young once again, but misinformation from the AMPTP is a given at this point.”
The complaints prompted Variety‘s online editor Dana Harris to post this message on the site: “Yes, that is definitely an ad. We’ve received some emails complaining that the Flash banner above could be confused for a editorial content since there’s no identification of its advertising status. However, it is an ad; click on it and you’re redirected to the AMPTP site. Its lack of advertising identification is a technical glitch that we’re currently working to resolve. In the meantime, please know that the space above the posts and below the Scribe Vibe logo goes to those who pay for it.”
There’s no doubt that Variety‘s now famous post-strike headlines blaming the writers for every sorry twist and turn in these complicated negotiations with the studios/networks have increased rather than decreased, from my estimation. As a result, I thought I’d share this email interaction between succesfull TV writer Nicole Yorkin and Variety editor Peter Bart over her decision to cancel her subscription:
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 3:33 PM
To: Bart, Peter (RBI-US)
Subject: from Nicole Yorkin
Dear Mr. Bart,
As a former journalist and long-time subscriber to Variety, I used to eagerly look forward to reading your newspaper every morning. That’s before the WGA strike and your coverage of it. As a long-time Writer’s Guild member, and someone who has some access to what’s really going on behind the scenes, I have to say I have been shocked by your biased and inaccurate coverage of the strike and negotiations. At first, I kept expecting you to finally come around and realize the journalistic standards I hold any newspaper to. When that didn’t happen, I convinced myself it was valuable to read what the other side was thinking, (as expressed in your “news articles” every day). Finally, I had to say to myself that if Variety were this far off the truth in covering the strike, what else must it be dissembling about? I concluded I couldn’t really believe a thing in Variety. And for that reason, I’m asking you to cancel my subscription as of now, and return the portion of money I’m owed.
Once again, I want to express my disappointment in your newspaper’s apparent lack of journalistic standards. I know my view is wide-spread amongst my peers.
Sincerely,
Nicole Yorkin
—
On Dec 17, 2007 5:00 PM, Bart, Peter (RBI-US) wrote:
Dear Nicole Yorkin,
I respectfully think you’ve drunk the Kool-Aid — Variety’s coverage has been objective. What motivation would we have to invoke a bias? Must every Guild (or every company) be validated for their every demand?
Peter Bart
—
Date: Dec 17, 2007 10:22 PM
Subject: Re: from Nicole Yorkin
To: “Bart, Peter (RBI-US)”
Dear Peter Bart,
What “motivation” would you have to “invoke a bias?” You can’t really be seriously asking that question, so I’ll assume you’re joking.
Respectfully,
Nicole Yorkin
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
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Hollywood Reporter and Variety
I can’t tell which is which
They’re both bent so far over
Trying to be Nick Counter’s…
the fact that bart’s response is a crass, unimaginative personal attack says it all – “you’ve drunk the kool-aid”
he is hyperdefensive and entirely lacking in any respect or reflection for another’s pov, i.e. JOURNALISM
if it wasn’t clear before, now it’s straight from the horse’s mouth – variety is in the pocket of amptp
[and for god's sake, peter bart, don't try to be hip - "drunk the kool-aid" is a clam that was put to bed a few years ago - enough with these male dinosaurs running these corporations - they are unfit anachronisms waaaay past their prime]
good for you, Nicole. Peter Bart is a pompous windbag who has been skating by on a bad attitude and a well recognized brand name for far too long. Standing up for your principles is what the strike is all about and I commend you for canceling your overpriced subscription.
If you’re a journalist reporting a politically hot issue, and not a columnist like Nikki, and only one side hates you…you’re not doing your job.
A good amount of people from both sides of the issue should hate your guts if you’re properly reporting a politically divisive issue.
That means you’re being fair. And equally reporting both sides of the issue at all times.
Variety has turned into an AMPTP rag, and it’s utterly shameful.
We canceled Variety weeks ago and don’t even click on their site for free
Actually, for several weeks, we forgot Variety exists
Way to go, Peter Bart. Another old fart destroying and sullying a Hollywood institution
Well? What’s the motivation? Money under the table? Do explain.
I agree with Nicole. Variety has thrown writers under the bus since day one. I will never so much as pick up an issue while killing time waiting for a meeting to start, ever again.
Assuming there will ever be any meetings, ever again.
And by the way, why the hell is Variety accepting ads from the AMPTP, or the WGA, or anybody directly involved in this strike right now?
Ethically, they should be refusing such ads. But then again, I guess that means NO ONE would be advertising.
They know where their bread is buttered, that’s for sure.
To even think that writers are confused by a banner ad says to me that they don’t deserve to have a new media fight. Please! My three year old can tell the difference when she surfs the net.
But just to be clear, Nikki, are you endorsing the movies currently flashing on your site or are they paid ads because no where is it differentiated on your site? Please tell me that you’re not having a technical glitch.
‘Tis the season for good cheer, and defensiveness!
Today’s story by McNary was the worst yet. The anti-WGA bias was so oily, it dripped right off my screen and onto my keyboard.
In the twenty-something years I’ve worked in and around the film business, I’ve always been amazed by my own acceptance of the power of the trade papers. Time after time I’d read about projects with which I was connected. and shake my head in utter disbelief at how far wrong they were. But practically everything I read about someone else’s plight I took verbatim.
Make that “yesterday’s” story. The one on Letterman, Leno, etc returning. Bart’s in bed with so many moguls, it would put a “Caligula” orgy scene to shame.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117977951.html?categoryid=14&cs=1
The contempt the moguls seem to hold everyone that isn’t a mogul just boggles the mind.
Outside of money, and lots of it, you need three kinds of people to make a successful film.
1. Filmmakers (writers, directors, technicians)
2. Actors (to work in front of the camera)
3. The Audience (to buy tickets and DVDs)
So far the moguls are succeeding in alienating all three out of mix of greed, contempt, and stupidity about how their industry really works. They think all they need is a slicked up balance sheet to attract investors.
But without those three kinds of people, you’re not going to be able to make the films that attract or earn the kind of money needed to make more movies and TV shows.
That’s why I urge everyone to NOT buy DVDs this Xmas season until the strike is settled. We can live without DVDs, the moguls can’t.
What an odd thing it is for Peter Bart to personally write back to a subscriber canceling her subscription. I can’t imagine TIME or Newsweek’s editor personally taking the time to writing back to anyone. Nicole Yorkin must have struck a tender nerve. Perhaps the truth does hurt after all.
I find Variety’s strike blog very pro writer, frankly.
The only people drinking kool-aid, in this case, are Peter Bart and his best friend Nick Counter.
Good grief. Forget journalistic integrity, that’s just godawful customer service.
An Perfect and Eloquent Letter from an Amazing Writer. Many Thanks to Nicole!.
“Drank” the Kool Aid. And what a lying crock of shit, he is.
My subscription to VARIETY was up at Thanksgiving and since they have decided to blatantly support their advertisers in this work action (not a stupid choice on their part)I have not and will not renew my subscription. It’s the pretense of “journalistic objectivity” in this matter that is driving me away. Plus they have misspelled my name too many times in the past while retyping the press releases we sent them. Actually my favorite was a few years ago in a deal with Cruise/Wagoner and Paramount they misspelled my company’s name, the book author’s name and one of the executives at C/W’s name too. All had been spelled correctly in the info they received. That’s VARIETY- style journalism.
“What motive could we have to invoke a bias?” I can understand Ms. Yorkin’s puzzlement at the question, because how on earth does one “invoke a bias”?
“Bias, I command thee! Come, and roost in my news coverage, embed yourself in my opinion pieces, and fester in my emails!”
Yeah, that’s some good writing, Mr. Bart. Keep it up.
Good for Nicole. How disingenuous of Peter Bart.
She’s right; how can we trust their box office grosses when we see first-hand what utter lies they create and perpetuate with the strike.
You can’t lie to us on this story because we’re WITNESSES.
When I called to cancel my Time Warner Cable service two weeks ago, the customer service rep asked why I was terminating my service. I explained that I didn’t want to pay the normal cable rate for reruns and reality programming during the writer’s strike.
When I returned the cable box and remote to Time Warner, I asked if the reason for my cancellation had gone on record in my account file. “Oh, no, we don’t keep a record of WHY you’re canceling.”
Great customer service there, too.
Perhaps I start sending a copy of my canceled bill to advertisers or to Carat. Maybe they will care about my $.
“please know that the space above the posts and below the Scribe Vibe logo goes to those who pay for it”
They forgot to mention that the actually reporting at Variety leans toward those who pay for it also!