Army Archerd An Appreciation
Covering news desks at he Hollywood Reporter?for many years, I can tell you how many times I got calls asking for Army Archerd, the revered entertainment columnist who worked for our competition 'down the street' at ariety.?We also got letters in the bureau that were addressed to Mr. Archerd, most of which we forwarded to him. caizf0530 who has three years While the local entertainment industry in L.A. knows the mastheads of both magazines, most people take guesses about who works where and I sure ariety?got its share of wrong numbers too.
As Ie said before in other posts, the heat of competition between the two trades, he Hollywood Reporter?and ariety? while real, is of a professional nature with both titles naturally wanting to be as current as possible. The implosion of print magazines and ravaged budgets /staff cuts in the past year makes the trade press even more fragile and crucial. Army Archerd, who passed yesterday at the age of 87, is one of the greats of entertainment news and truly one of the Old Guard whose loss will leave a classy void in the trade/entertainment news landscape.
Army Archerd career of over 50 years was pioneering; his columns kept the world as well as he town?up to date on notable personalities and industry happenings. Anyone who has worked a red carpet or covered any aspects of entertainment news owes some thanks to Army. Countless retrospectives and appreciations running in print and online speak of Archerd attention to detail, accuracy and thoughtful reporting. The precedent that he set at ariety?helped many of us, regardless of what magazine we worked for, who followed in his footsteps. Press coverage is a delicate balance, especially in the trade press, where trust is key and getting burned can lead to years of fuzzy rancor, like a family argument that never quite goes away. Army Archerd had the trust of those caizf0530 400 per incident he interviewed and followed in an era where print space was prime real estate and could nudge, change, or resuscitate a career.
None of this slights other writers from the grand print era or writers of today, those who were equally as thoughtful and crafted questions allowing for greater insight into a news personality. Mr. Archerd huge feat was staying relevant for decades and seeming to fly above trends, ageism and bully pulpits with ease. Working a red carpet with Army somewhere on the line or in the vicinity was a comfort: his ethic spilling thankfully onto the rest of us who never use aby bump?in a sentence or take cell-phone pictures while writing. Access doesn always equal coverage, a golden rule between media outlets and their subjects. In a perfect world there would be space to print everything, but stories get cut or edited for space, and what remains, hopefully, is a trusting relationship between the writer and the subject, be it personality, studio, network, publicist or upstart.
Working the trade press, Army Archerd was one of those writers who took his job to heart and made it easier for his peers. If the rare person was impatient or prickly with Army, you can bet that most of the others with pen and paper would skip them, as it spoke to not knowing his skill or the nature of the news business. Army wasn stuck on a red carpet, he had access to the whole shebang, a courtesy extended to many others in entertainment news ?an excellent opportunity when it happens as caizf0530 Nascar Apparel For Serious Fans it allows for a fuller story or coverage.
Army Archerd had what most journalists aim for: good relationships, trust, the support of the executives at his outlet and rare industrial knowledge going back 60-plus years. He was a great talent and although I never worked with him, it was great to work around him or be at the same functions and see his professionalism in action. He was proof that long careers are possible and that professionalism and tact trumps mad scrambles and insipid questioning. He leaves a long trail of footsteps and honor in his wake. A true pro.