After Backlash, Disney Rescinds Its Ban On L.A. Times

Disney announced Tuesday, Nov. 7 that it would rescind its ban on allowing the Los Angeles Times from advance screenings, issued last week, after receiving a wave of backlash from news and film organizations.

The company released a statement announcing that it decided to lift the ban after “productive conversations” with the newspaper about its concerns of biased reporting, according to the New York Times

The Los Angeles Times revealed Friday, Nov. 3 that it did not include a review of Disney films in its annual holiday preview because the company had banned the publication from advanced screenings, according to Variety.

In a statement explaining the decision, Disney claimed that it ended its relationship with the Los Angeles Times because the organization showed a “complete disregard” for journalistic standards, accusing reporters, editors, and publishers of producing unfair and discriminatory content “driven by a political agenda,” according to Variety.

Specifically, the company felt unfairly persecuted by the Los Angeles Times‘ September investigative report on Disneyland and its relationship with Anaheim, California, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The investigative report from the Los Angeles Times indicated that the company had arranged a number of beneficial deals to get an unfairly light tax bill from the city of Anaheim. The city only charges Disney a $1-a-year lease for the space it uses, the Times‘ reporting revealed and gave the company enormous tax rebates.

Multiple publications, including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and Boston Globe issued criticisms against Disney for its ban, calling the move an attack on journalistic freedom.

The New York Times said it would no longer attend preview screenings for Disney films in light of the ban. Multiple journalists posted on social media in support of the publication. CNN anchor Jake Tapper tweeted that he purchased a subscription to the California publication to show solidarity.

Film critic groups also criticized the decision to ban the publication from advanced screenings, according to Variety. The New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the National Society of Film Critics and the Boston Society of Film Critics issued a joint statement Tuesday morning condemning the action, and were joined by the Toronto Film Critics Association in boycotting Disney.

Ava DuVernay, director of the upcoming Disney film “A Wrinkle In Time” scheduled for release March 9, tweeted Monday, Nov. 6 in support of “film journalists standing up for one another.”

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