In late September, the LA Times released a three-part article series digging into Disneyland’s involvement in its hometown of Anaheim, specifically how Disneyland influenced the election of city council members through donations into pro-Disney project candidates. Jose F. Moreno ran with the idea of reform and investing in projects that will benefit the residents near the amusement park. “We’ve invested billions, really, in the children of tourists,” Moreno told LA Times. “We’d now like to really turn our investments toward making sure we take care of the children of Anaheim so they can have that magical life that I think we all want for our kids and families.” In a close election, Moreno won despite his campaign being financially inferior to his opponent, and the new majority on the city council began focusing on locals instead of tourists.
Disney found this article series biased and responded by revoking LA Times’ right to review early screenings and interview their actors. The staff was also banned from ABC press sites. Soon, other journalists began sharing their opinion on the matter. “A powerful company punishing a news organization for a story they do not like is meant to have a chilling effect. This is a dangerous precedent and not at all in the public interest,” said The New York Times.
Journalists began a boycott of Disney film screenings and reporting events. This will likely lead to a drop in Disney’s coverage on their new movies. Film critic organizations (LA Film Critics Association, the New York Film Critics Circle, Boston Society of Film Critics and the National Society of Film Critics) published a statement informing the public that Disney films will not be considered for awards until the ban is lifted. Disney’s ban on the LA Times was not taken lightly, as it was seen as a punishment for exercising the right of free speech.
In response to the backlash on Tuesday November 7, Disney removed their ban on the LA Times from advance screenings and interviews with directors and actors. “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,” a Walt Disney Company spokesperson said.
Soon after, the LA Times released a statement confirming their renewed association with Walt Disney Company.
