Variety Assesses the Movie Blogosphere

In two recent posts, Variety columnists Anne Thompson and Peter Bart checked in on the state of movie blogging and found both intriguing and troubling developments.

In her "Thompson on Hollywood" post titled "Blogs reshaping film coverage," the Variety deputy editor noted that the explosion of movie blogging is frustrating and confusing studios and publicists, as well as creating new marketing and publicity opportunities. "The line between traditional journalism and indie purveyors of buzz continues to blur," Thompson wrote.

In his column "The Back Lot," Bart focused on Free Speech rights related to blogging in a post headlined "Defining the blogosphere." He observed that bloggers are not covered by the same guarantees as traditional journalists: "To U.S. Attorneys, bloggers are not 'true journalists' and, hence, not entitled to First Amendment protection."

As the Internet, digital delivery and platform advancements continue to influence filmmaking and movie coverage, bloggers will doubtless face new opportunities and challenges. Stay tuned.