Two of television’s most watched entertainment news programs have caved in to mounting pressure generated by Hollywood public relation firms and celebrities dismayed over the sensationalist reporting of the death of Heath Ledger. After a promo aired on “The Insider” soliciting an upcoming story that would have aired footage from a two-year old video showing Ledger at a Hollywood party where one person was seen snorting cocaine, the Hollywood press relations firm ID PR sent a letter to the program requesting that it not air. The sister show of “Insider” is “Entertainment Tonight” and it is likely that both programs would have aired material from the grainy video which it is rumored the shows producers paid in excess of $100,000 for.
“This is not journalism, it is sensationalism. It is a shameful exploitation of the lowest kind,” said Heath Ledger’s representative Mara Buxbaum.
The ID PR line in the sand was swiftly followed by several other major press relations firms. As well several of Hollywood’s top talent also stood behind the agency including Sarah Jessica Parker, Natalie Portman and Josh Brolin. The message being delivered to “Entertainment Tonight” and “The Insider” was clear: if you run this video don’t expect any more interviews from our celebrities again. Facing a public relations nightmare both “ET” and “Insider” backed down and decided to not air the Ledger party footage.
