The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter (THR) is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large-format print magazine with a revamped website. As of 2020, the day-to-day operations of the company are handled by Penske Media Corporation through a joint venture with Eldridge Industries.
Editorial Director
Entertainment
Weekly
Elisabeth D. Rabishaw
Victoria Gold
September 3, 1930
United States
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
History[edit]
Early years; 1930–1987[edit]
The Hollywood Reporter was founded in 1930 by William R. "Billy" Wilkerson (1890–1962) as Hollywood's first daily entertainment trade newspaper.[1] The first edition appeared on September 3, 1930, and featured Wilkerson's front-page "Tradeviews" column, which became influential. The newspaper appeared Monday-to-Saturday for the first 10 years, except for a brief period, then Monday-to-Friday from 1940. Wilkerson used caustic articles and gossip to generate publicity and got noticed by the studio bosses in New York and some studio lots tried to ban the paper.[2]
In 1932, Variety sued The Hollywood Reporter, alleging that THR was plagiarizing information from Variety following its publication in New York on Tuesdays, by way of phoning or wiring the information back to Hollywood, so that THR could publish the information before Variety reached Hollywood three days later on Friday.[3] Then, in 1933, Variety started its own daily Hollywood edition, Daily Variety, to cover the film industry.[4]
Wilkerson became friends with Howard Hughes and the paper wrote many favorable stories about him and his film plans. In return, Hughes, in addition to advertising revenue, also provided financial assistance to the paper when necessary.[2]
Wilkerson ran The Hollywood Reporter until his death in September 1962, although his final column appeared 18 months prior.[5] Wilkerson's wife, Tichi Wilkerson Kassel, took over as publisher and editor-in-chief when her husband died.[6]
Publishers[edit]
Founder Billy Wilkerson served as the publisher of THR until his death in September 1962.[5] Wilkerson's wife, Tichi Wilkerson Kassel, took over as publisher and editor-in-chief when her husband died.[6]
Robert J. Dowling, who was named president of THR when Kassel sold the company, became editor-in-chief and publisher in 1991.[5]
Tony Uphoff assumed the publisher position in November 2005.[40]
John Kilcullen replaced Uphoff in October 2006, as publisher of Billboard.[41][42][43] Kilcullen was a defendant in Billboard's infamous "dildo" lawsuit, in which he was accused of race discrimination and sexual harassment.[14] VNU settled the suit on the courthouse steps.[44] Kilcullen "exited" Nielsen in February 2008 "to pursue his passion as an entrepreneur."[45]
In April 2010 Lori Burgess was named as publisher. Burgess had been publisher of OK! magazine since October 2008. Michaela Apruzzese was named associate publisher, entertainment in May 2010.[46] Apruzzese previously served as the director of movie advertising for Los Angeles Times Media Group.
Lynne Segall, former vice president and associate publisher, was named publisher and senior vice president in June 2011.[47]
Editions[edit]
Print[edit]
The weekly print edition of The Hollywood Reporter includes profiles, original photography and interviews with entertainment figures; articles about major upcoming releases and product launches; film reviews and film festival previews; coverage of the latest industry deals, TV ratings, box-office figures and analysis of global entertainment business trends and indicators; photos essays and reports from premieres and other red-carpet events; and the latest on Hollywood fashion and lifestyle.
Website[edit]
The Reporter published a primitive "satellite" digital edition in the late 1980s. It became the first daily entertainment trade paper to start a website in 1995.[48] Initially, the site offered free news briefs with complete coverage firewalled as a premium paid service. In later years, the website became mostly free as it became more reliant on ad sales and less on subscribers. The website had already gone through a redesign by the time competitor Variety took to the web in 1998. In 2002 the Reporter's website won the Jesse H. Neal Award for business journalism. In November 2013, The Hollywood Reporter launched the style site Pret-a-Reporter.[49]
THR.com, The Hollywood Reporter's website, re-launched in 2010, offers breaking entertainment news, reviews and blogs; original video content (and film and TV clips) and photo galleries; plus in-depth movie, television, music, awards, style, technology and business coverage. The website includes a blog called Heat Vision, which covers comic books, science fiction, and horror content.[50] As of August 2013, Comscore measured 12 million unique visitors per month to the site.[51]
THR's editors have included Janice Min (2010–2017), Elizabeth Guider (2007–2010), Cynthia Littleton (2005–2007), Howard Burns (2001–2006), Anita Busch (1999–2001), and Alex Ben Block (1990–1999).
Alex Ben Block was hired as editor for special issues in 1990, and was promoted to editor of the daily edition in 1992.[52] After Block left, former Variety film editor, Anita Busch, became editor between 1999 and 2001. Busch was credited with making the paper competitive with Variety.
In March 2006, Cynthia Littleton, former broadcast television editor and deputy editor, was named editor, but left the role a year later for an editorial job at Variety.[16] In July 2007 THR named Elizabeth Guider as its new editor. An 18-year veteran of Variety, where she served as Executive Editor, Guider assumed responsibility for the editorial vision and strategic direction of The Hollywood Reporter's daily and weekly editions, digital content offerings and executive conferences. Guider left The Hollywood Reporter in early 2010.[53]
In addition to hiring Eric Mika, Rose Eintstein and Elizabeth Guider, the Reporter hired the following staff in 2007:
However, staffing levels began to drop again in 2008. In April, Nielsen Business Media eliminated between 40 and 50 editorial staff positions at The Hollywood Reporter and its sister publications: Adweek, Brandweek, Editor & Publisher and Mediaweek.[54] In December, another 12 editorial positions were cut at the trade paper.[55] In addition, 2008 saw substantial turnover in the online department: THR.com Editor Melissa Grego left her position in July to become executive editor of Broadcasting & Cable,[56] and Managing Editor Scott McKim left to become a new media manager at Knox College. With the entertainment industry as a whole shrinking, "Hollywood studios have cut more than $20 million from the Motion Picture Association of America budget this year. The resulting staff and program reductions are expected to permanently shrink the scope and size of the six-studio trade and advocacy group."[57]
Staffing at THR in 2008 saw even further cutbacks with "names from today's tragic bloodletting of The Hollywood Reporter's staff" adding up quickly in the hard economic times at the end of 2008.[58] "The trade has not only been thin, but only publishing digital version 19 days this holiday season. Film writers Leslie Simmons, Carolyn Giardina, Gregg Goldstein, plus lead TV critic Barry Garron and TV reporter Kimberly Nordyke, also special issues editor Randee Dawn Cohen out of New York and managing editor Harley Lond and international department editor Hy Hollinger, plus Dan Evans, Lesley Goldberg, Michelle Belaski, James Gonzalez were among those chopped from the masthead."[58]
Gossip blogger Roger Friedman joined The Hollywood Reporter as a senior correspondent in May 2009, a year after being fired by Fox News for writing an article reviewing an illegally bootlegged copy of the movie "Wolverine".[59][60] Business Insider described it as a surprising and risky move.[61] In March 2010, Friedman's employment agreement was not renewed by The Hollywood Reporter.[62]
When Janice Min and Lori Burgess came on board in 2010, the editorial and sales staff increased nearly 50%, respectively. Min hired various recognized journalists in the entertainment industry, most notably Variety film critic Todd McCarthy[63] after his firing from Variety in March 2010, as well as Kim Masters of NPR, Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle, Lacey Rose of Forbes, Pamela McClintock of Variety' and Eriq Gardner of American Lawyer.
Sponsorship and events[edit]
The Hollywood Reporter sponsors and hosts a number of major industry events and awards ceremonies. It hosted 13 such events in 2012, including the Women in Entertainment Breakfast, where it announced its annual Power 100 list of the industry's most powerful women;[64] the Key Art Awards (for achievement in entertainment advertising and communications); Power Lawyers Breakfast; Next Gen (honoring the industry's 50 fastest-rising stars and executives age 35 and under); Nominees Night; and the 25 Most Powerful Stylists Luncheon.
Brutally Honest Oscar Ballot[edit]
Since 2013, The Hollywood Reporter has published an annual feature called "Brutally Honest Oscar Ballot" where anonymous members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences explain their voting choices for the Academy Awards (Oscars). The feature was first published in February 2013 as a single interview with an anonymous director titled "An Oscar Voter's Brutally Honest Ballot".[65] The magazine typically publishes three to four interviews each year. The Washington Post called the feature "the best part of Oscar season".[66]
In April 2023, the Academy introduced a rule change aimed at curtailing the feature, saying that Academy voters "may not discuss [their] voting preferences and other members' voting preferences in a public forum. This includes comparing or ranking motion pictures, performances, or achievements in relation to voting. This also includes speaking with press anonymously."[67]