Cash-Strapped L.A. Times Shills Shamelessly for ‘The Soloist’

The once-mighty Los Angeles Times, which is fighting for its life, is under fire by its staff for a four-page Sunday advertorial section promoting the movie “The Soloist,” which carries the Times’ logo and contains an interview with its columnist Steve Lopez, who is played by Robert Downey Jr. in the movie opening on April 24. (Last week, the Times, whose parent company is in bankruptcy, devoted a substantial portion of its front page to a faux news story about a new NBC series, further undermining the paper’s credibility). As I noted a few days ago, the failed Oscar contender “The Soloist” is studded with references to the Times’ falling circulation and layoffs, none of which have anything to do with the ostensible story, Lopez’ discovery of a homeless Julliard School dropout played by Jamie Foxx. For someone working at a failing newspaper, being relegated to a subplot is really adding insult to injury. via NY POST

(thanks Liz Filardi)