From Weinstein to Woody Allen, culture reporting has been anything but light-hearted this year

As Hollywood reckons with MeToo, journalists who work with Hollywood celebrities are also having to change how they conduct their interviews and profiles

Woody Allen has been accused of molesting his daughter Dylan when she was a child. He denies the allegations (Getty)

Once upon a time (in Hollyw – sorry, my brain is still recovering from awards season), culture journalism was considered one of the lighter-hearted gigs in the industry. It makes sense in a way: this is, after all, a job in which you get the chance to interview some of the world’s most popular celebrities. Movies, TV shows, music and books must be consumed in a timely manner – after all, that’s an essential part of your job.

Compared to the perils of war reporting or the adrenaline of breaking news, sure, those aspects can make the job seem comfortable, and even – gasp! – fun. But there’s been a shift in the industry. MeToo has begun reshaping Hollywood through a necessary and sometimes messy process. That means that more often than not, covering the entertainment industry is anything but light-hearted in 2020.

As an example, here’s what’s dominated most of my culture reporting over the past couple of weeks:

• Harvey Weinstein’s conviction on third-degree rape and sexual assault charges in New York City
• His impending sentencing on 11 March
• The French César Awards ceremony, during which Roman Polanski won the Best Director award – as protestors gathered outside the venue, reminding the public that Polanski was charged with raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977 (Polanski pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor but fled the US before his sentencing. He remains wanted in the country)
• French actor Adèle Haenel, who walked out of the Césars ceremony early, deeming Polanski’s win a “shame”
• Woody Allen’s upcoming memoir, described by Dylan Farrow — the daughter who has accused him of molesting her when she was a child (an allegation Allen denies) — as “yet another example of the profound privilege that power, money, and notoriety affords”.

Culture journalism has always been about casting a critical eye on the entertainment industry – be it through reviews, comment pieces, or adroitly written profiles. But this part of the job has seemed heightened lately. We’re having to look behind the curtain and examine not only our cultural output, but also the conditions in which it’s created.

Is a given film, TV show, book, or album the result of an exploitative industry that keeps the same people in positions of power without any checks and balances, or does it help bring more equality, more diversity, and more fairness to a professional environment that has so sorely lacked it for so long? Who do we want to platform? Which issues do we shine a spotlight on? Who do we want to hear from?

Here’s what I know for sure: culture journalism is a powerful tool. MeToo is a movement we must do justice. It might mean brushing up on our legal knowledge, standing outside courthouses in the early hours of the morning, and asking uncomfortable questions, but it’s necessary. And there’s nothing light-hearted about that.

Yours,

Clémence Michallon

US culture writer