Suggesting that its decision to put its content behind a pay wall is having little effect in boosting revenue, Daily Variety on Monday fired additional staff members including its chief Hollywood film critic, Todd McCarthy, and chief theater critic, David Rooney, who is based in New York. Speaking with TheWrap.com, McCarthy remarked, "It's sad. ... You can say it's the end, or you can say it's the end of the way it's always been done." However, editor Tim Gray maintained, "Today's changes won't be noticed by readers. Our goal is the same To maintain, or improve, our quality coverage. ... It doesn't make economic sense to have full-time reviewers." He said that McCarthy and Rooney, along with film critic Derek Elley have been asked to contribute reviews as freelancers. McCarthy had worked at Daily Variety longer than any other editorial employee, having joined the trade publication in 1979. In his email message to the troops on Monday, Gray attempted to boost their spirits. "The economy will bounce back," he assured them. "Ignore the bloggers (who obviously are trying in vain to steal our readers and our advertisers), ignore the obits for Old Media, ignore the negatives and the craziness that this economy has created. The people in the Depression bounced back, and so will all of us who are going through this crisis. I cannot repeat this often enough Variety is in profit, which means we're here to stay." But Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert tweeted on Monday " Variety fires Todd McCarthy & I cancel my subscription. He was my reason 2 read the paper. RIP, schmucks."
09/03/2010
