The Hollywood Reporter
The first edition of The Hollywood Reporter appeared on the 3rd of September 1930. William R. Wilkerson, known as Billy, founded the publication that day in Los Angeles. It stood as Hollywood's first daily entertainment trade newspaper. The initial issue featured a front-page column titled "Tradeviews." This section became highly influential within the industry. The paper ran Monday through Saturday for its first decade. From 1940 onward, it shifted to a Monday-to-Friday schedule. Wilkerson used sharp articles and gossip to generate publicity. Studio bosses in New York took notice of his work. Some studio lots attempted to ban the distribution of the paper entirely.
From the late 1930s, Wilkerson used The Hollywood Reporter to push the view that the industry was a communist stronghold. He opposed the Screen Writers Guild, which he called the "Red Beachhead." On the 29th of July 1946, he published an article headlined "A Vote for Joe Stalin." He went to confession before publishing it, knowing the damage it would cause. The column contained the first industry names on what became the Hollywood blacklist. Dalton Trumbo and Howard Koch were among those named. Eight of the eleven people Wilkerson named were part of the "Hollywood Ten" blacklisted after hearings in 1947 by the House Un-American Activities Committee. When Wilkerson died in 1962, his obituary stated he had been chiefly responsible for preventing communists from becoming entrenched in Hollywood production. In 2012, reporters Gary Baum and Daniel Miller published a lengthy investigative piece about Wilkerson's role. His son W. R. Wilkerson III wrote an apology in that same edition, noting his father was motivated by revenge for his thwarted ambition to own a studio.
On the 11th of April 1988, Tichi Wilkerson Kassel sold the paper to BPI Communications for $26.7 million. Robert J. Dowling became THR president in 1988. He later served as editor-in-chief and publisher starting in 1991. In 1994, BPI Communications was sold to Verenigde Nederlandse Uitgeverijen for $220 million. A private equity consortium led by Blackstone and KKR acquired THR along with other assets of VNU in March 2006. It joined those publications with AdWeek and A.C. Nielsen to form The Nielsen Company. Prometheus Global Media acquired THR from Nielsen Business Media in December 2009. Richard Beckman, formerly of Condé Nast, was appointed as CEO. Guggenheim Partners announced on the 17th of December 2015, that it would sell the Prometheus media properties to its executive Todd Boehly. The company was sold to Eldridge Industries in February 2017. On the 5th of August 2022, Boehly pulled out of the MRC joint venture and bought back the assets he had contributed to it.
In 2010, Richard Beckman recruited Janice Min as editorial director. She aimed to "eviscerate" the existing daily trade paper and reinvent it as a glossy, large-format weekly magazine. The Hollywood Reporter relaunched with a weekly print edition and a revamped website that enabled it to break news. Eight months after its initial report, The New York Times noted the many scoops THR had generated. They stated the new glossy format seemed to be succeeding with its "rarefied demographic." The large photos, lush paper stock and great design were described as a kind of narcotic for readers. Ad sales since Min's hiring were up more than 50%. Traffic to the magazine's website had grown by 800% by early 2013. In April 2010, Lori Burgess was named publisher. Michaela Apruzzese was named associate publisher, entertainment in May 2010.
Alex Ben Block was hired as editor for special issues in 1990. He was promoted to editor of the daily edition in 1992. After Block left, former Variety film editor Anita Busch became editor between 1999 and 2001. Busch was credited with making the paper competitive with Variety. In March 2006, Cynthia Littleton was named editor but left the role a year later for an editorial job at Variety. In July 2007 THR named Elizabeth Guider as its new editor. She assumed responsibility for the editorial vision and strategic direction of The Hollywood Reporters daily and weekly editions. In April 2008, Nielsen Business Media eliminated between 40 and 50 editorial staff positions at The Hollywood Reporter and its sister publications. Another 12 editorial positions were cut in December 2008. At least 20 staffers were laid off in April 2020, including executive vice president and group publisher Lynne Segall. In June 2023, at least three staffers were laid off. A year later The Hollywood Reporter laid off a small number of editorial workers.
The Hollywood Reporter sponsors and hosts a number of major industry events and awards ceremonies. It hosted 13 such events in 2012. These included the Women in Entertainment Breakfast where it announced its annual Power 100 list of the industry's most powerful women. The magazine also produced the Key Art Awards for achievement in entertainment advertising and communications. Since 2013, The Hollywood Reporter has published an annual feature called "Brutally Honest Oscar Ballot." Anonymous members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences explain their voting choices for the Academy Awards. The feature was first published in February 2013 as a single interview with an anonymous director. The Washington Post called the feature "the best part of Oscar season." In April 2023, the Academy introduced a rule change aimed at curtailing the feature. Academy voters may not discuss their voting preferences and other members' voting preferences in a public forum.
The Hollywood Reporter Japan was launched in February 2023 in Japan as the first international edition. It is published by Hersey Shiga Global under license from The Hollywood Reporter LLC. Tsukasa Shiga serves as chairman. The Hollywood Reporter Roma was launched in April 2023 in Italy. Concita De Gregorio was appointed as the magazine's first chairman until February 2024. Boris Sollazzo subsequently took over the role. Since March of that year, the writing staff publicly denounced the state of financial crisis affecting the magazine. Journalists reportedly did not get paid for months. On July 1, Sollazzo and the rest of the writing staff officially resigned from their jobs. The newspaper ceased publishing news in June 2025 while maintaining its activities on social networks. The Hollywood Reporter India was launched in 2024 in India. Anupama Chopra has been appointed as Editor of The Hollywood Reporter India. The Hollywood Reporter En Español was launched in 2025 for Latin America and Spain. The Hollywood Reporter Germany was launched in October 2025 edited by Grace Maier.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did The Hollywood Reporter first appear and who founded it?
The first edition of The Hollywood Reporter appeared on the 3rd of September 1930. William R. Wilkerson, known as Billy, founded the publication that day in Los Angeles.
What role did The Hollywood Reporter play in creating the Hollywood blacklist?
On the 29th of July 1946, The Hollywood Reporter published an article headlined A Vote for Joe Stalin that contained the first industry names on what became the Hollywood blacklist. Eight of the eleven people named by founder William R. Wilkerson were part of the Hollywood Ten blacklisted after hearings in 1947 by the House Un-American Activities Committee.
How did The Hollywood Reporter change its format under Janice Min in 2010?
In 2010, Richard Beckman recruited Janice Min as editorial director to reinvent The Hollywood Reporter as a glossy, large-format weekly magazine. The publication relaunched with a weekly print edition and a revamped website that enabled it to break news while traffic grew by 800% by early 2013.
Which international editions of The Hollywood Reporter launched between 2023 and 2025?
The Hollywood Reporter Japan was launched in February 2023 followed by The Hollywood Reporter Roma in April 2023 and The Hollywood Reporter India in 2024. The publication also launched The Hollywood Reporter En Español in 2025 for Latin America and Spain and The Hollywood Reporter Germany in October 2025 edited by Grace Maier.
What major events does The Hollywood Reporter host annually?
The Hollywood Reporter hosts major industry events including the Women in Entertainment Breakfast where it announces its annual Power 100 list of the industry's most powerful women. Since 2013 the magazine has published an annual feature called Brutally Honest Oscar Ballot featuring anonymous Academy members explaining their voting choices.