What’s wrong with this picture? Roy Disney’s resignation from the board of the Walt Disney
Company was big news yesterday. Today, Sharon Waxman, in a follow-up in The New York
Times, reports: “Roy Disney’s parting words to the company his uncle built were harsh, but few
resonated more painfully than the charge that the Walt Disney Company has ‘lost its focus, its
creative energy and its heritage.’ ” Her lede ends:
agree.”
She’s probably right. But she never really substantiates that assertion. How many is
significant? A handful? Ten? Three dozen? Waxman doesn’t say. She also fails to quote a single
one of the “significant number” to support her point, unless you count publicity-hungry Harvey
Weinstein, co-chairman of Miramax, who’s had troubles with Disney. Waxman does say she spoke
to an unnamed studio executive who “once kept a list of departing Disney executives, but stopped
when the roster topped 100.”
And how about this assertion? “Many in the [film] industry questioned the notion of basing
movies, like ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’ on theme park rides.” Sounds like a dumb Disney idea to
me, too. But who are the many she cites? Just one: Tim Doyle, co-founder of “a leading movie
fan Web
site.” Maybe Doyle makes movies on the side.
This is reporting? From the Times, no less? It’s under-reporting. Waxman, newly hired from
The Washington Post, has been pretty weak before. I don’t know how she got away with it at the
Post. Maybe it’s because Hollywood is not a Post priority?
