Love this, thank you. I was just reminiscing (with some Peabody Awards folks) about press tour this evening! The twin demise of local media and of networks, plus particularly what you mention about publicist control, has been so devastating to coverage. I always loved press tour, even as grueling as it could be—actual real journalism about the industry happening in real time!
Great piece, Eric. As a former TCA president, I would quibble only with your wording that press tour is organized "to bring a mass of TV critics and journalists covering the industry to Los Angeles." The word "bring" makes it sound like networks foot the bill for airfare and lodging. That has NOT been the case since at least the 1980s, so far as I know. (Yes, they feed us, but that's only to keep us from leaving the building before they present the next 17 sessions.) Press tours were originally all-expenses-paid, back in the '60s, but newspapers put the kibosh on that to protect journalistic integrity. Sadly, today, they'd probably be happy to go full-junket again. Looks like they won't get the chance.
Love this, thank you. I was just reminiscing (with some Peabody Awards folks) about press tour this evening! The twin demise of local media and of networks, plus particularly what you mention about publicist control, has been so devastating to coverage. I always loved press tour, even as grueling as it could be—actual real journalism about the industry happening in real time!
Great piece, Eric. As a former TCA president, I would quibble only with your wording that press tour is organized "to bring a mass of TV critics and journalists covering the industry to Los Angeles." The word "bring" makes it sound like networks foot the bill for airfare and lodging. That has NOT been the case since at least the 1980s, so far as I know. (Yes, they feed us, but that's only to keep us from leaving the building before they present the next 17 sessions.) Press tours were originally all-expenses-paid, back in the '60s, but newspapers put the kibosh on that to protect journalistic integrity. Sadly, today, they'd probably be happy to go full-junket again. Looks like they won't get the chance.
Okay, let's say "attract" rather than bring.