Multiple Critics' Groups Won't Consider Disney Films for Awards Until L.A. Times Ban Is Lifted

The feud between the Los Angeles Times and Disney continues this week, and multiple critics' associations have jumped in on the fight. Together, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Circle, Boston Society of Film Critics and National Society of Film Critics have denounced Disney in a recent joint statement.

These groups have stated that Disney's "media blackout" of the L.A. Times is unfair to the press, and Disney films will be disqualified from the year-end awards ceremonies held by those groups "until said blackout is publicly rescinded."

Recently, Disney barred the Times from screening any of its upcoming holiday releases after the newspaper published a story about Disnelyand's business dealings with the city of Anaheim.

According to the Times, Disney called the story "unfair coverage," due to the fact that it painted the company in a negative light.

Disney fired back on the claim, saying that the Times had wrongly reported the story.

"Despite our sharing numerous indisputable facts with the reporter, several editors, and the publisher over many months, the Times moved forward with a biased and inaccurate series, wholly driven by a political agenda — so much so that the Orange County Register referred to the report as 'a hit piece' with a 'seemingly predetermined narrative.' We've had a long relationship with the L.A. Times, and we hope they will adhere to balanced reporting in the future," Disney said in a statement.

The critics' groups that have chosen to ban the Disney films from consideration, saying that the companies actions "are antithetical to the principles of a free press and set a dangerous precedent in a time of already heightened hostility toward journalists."