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Nikki Finke

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Nikki Finke
The photo on herAPpress pass in 1979
Born
Nikki Jean Finke

(1953-12-16)December 16, 1953
New York, U.S.
DiedOctober 9, 2022(2022-10-09)(aged 68)
Boca Raton, Florida,U.S.
EducationWellesley College
Occupation(s)Writer, journalist, blogger, publisher
Spouse
​
​
(m.1980;div.1982)​

Nikki Jean Finke(December 16, 1953 – October 9, 2022) was an American blogger, journalist, publisher and writer. She also was the founder,editor-in-chiefand president ofDeadline Hollywood,a website with original content consisting of reporting and commentary on the business of theentertainment industryby her and othershow businessjournalists. She founded and was the chief executive officer of Hollywood Dementia LLC and its website, HollywoodDementia, for showbiz short fiction.[1]

Early life

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Finke was born in New York (reported as eitherManhattanorLong Island) on December 16, 1953, one of two daughters born to Jewish parents, Robert and Doris Finke.[2][3][4][5]She was raised in the affluent village ofSands Point, New York.[6]

Finke was educated atBuckley Country Day Schooland theHewitt School,before attendingWellesley College,[7]where she studied political science and was the editor-in-chief of the college newspaper.[3][8]

Career

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Finke's first job after Wellesley was in New York congressmanEd Koch's Washington, D.C. office.[9]She decided to become a reporter after seeing how Koch and his staff would show deference to reporters.[9]

In 1975, Finke joined theAssociated Press(AP) and covered Koch's successful1977 New York City mayoral campaign.[9]She then worked on the AP's foreign desk at the New York City headquarters,[8]Baltimore, Boston, Moscow and London. Finke later worked forThe Dallas Morning News.She joined the staff ofNewsweekas a correspondent in Washington and Los Angeles, then at theLos Angeles Timesas a staff writer, covering entertainment and features. Finke became the West Coast Editor forThe New York Observer,and thenNew York,where she penned Hollywood business columns.[9]She also wrote forThe New York Times,Vanity Fair,Esquire,Harper's Bazaar,Elle,The Washington Post,Salon,PremiereandLos Angeles.[9]

Finke joined theNew York Postin 2001, but was fired in early 2002, after she reported that The Walt Disney Company was destroying documents related to a licensing dispute.[9][10]She then sued Disney and thePostfor $10 million, alleging the companies had colluded to suppress coverage of the story; she received an out-of-court settlement.[9][10]Afterward,LA Weeklyhired her and began running her column "Deadline Hollywood". In 2006, she began theDeadline(Deadline Hollywood Dailyuntil September 2009) blog as a daily online version of her weekly column.[9]She described it as her "forum to break news about theinfotainmentindustry. "

The New York Timesdescribed Finke as "a digital-ageWalter Winchell"with an" in your face "[11]writing style, who is "feared by [Hollywood] executives".[12]Deadlinebecame a key information portal during the2007 Writers Guild of America strike,tripling her readership;[13][14]according to theTimes:"Finke’s Web site has become a critical forum for Hollywood...But it [is the] strike that may have finally solidified her position as a Hollywood power broker".[13]Finke claimed to have worked "almost around the clock" during the strike; in 2009, theLos Angeles Timesnoted her announcement of a five-day vacation.[15]

In 2008, Finke was named onElle's 25 most influential women in Hollywood list,[16]and to theHeeb100.[17]In 2009, she soldDeadlinetoJay Penske's Mail Media Corp, reportedly for $14 million,[18]under an agreement by which she would continue as the editor-in-chief and President of the website which would feature her reporting and commentary.[19]

On November 5, 2013,Deadline Hollywoodannounced Nikki Finke's departure.[20]On June 12, 2014, she launched NikkiFinke.[21][22]On August 3, 2015, she launched HollywoodDementia[1]as a site for showbiz short fiction written by her and other insiders.The New York Timessaid: "Ms. Finke finds herself facing a daunting new chapter in her career: a plan to leave journalism and write and publish fiction about the entertainment industry." "There is a lot of truth in fiction," she said. "There are things I am going to be able to say in fiction that I can’t say in journalism right now." Patrick Goldstein, a formerLos Angeles Timesfilm industry columnist, toldThe New York Timesthat "everyone [in Hollywood] is secretly full of trepidation about what Nikki’s new site will be like. Will it be literary short stories, or will it be fiction as a thin disguise for the truth?"[1]

On May 11, 2016,Deadlineprinted Finke's remembrance at how she foundedDeadline Hollywoodon the occasion of the website's ten-year anniversary. "When I startedDeadline Hollywood Daily,as it was called way back in 2006, I needed a quicker way to report breaking entertainment news than my weekly newspaper column. So I bought the URL DeadlineHollywoodDaily for 14 bucks and change. I didn’t set out to be a disruptor. Or an internet journalist who created something out of nothing that put the Hollywood trades back on their heels, and today, under Penske Media ownership, is a website worth $100+ million. Or a woman with brass balls, attitude and ruthless hustle, who told hard truths about the moguls and who accurately reported scoops first. "[23]

Reception

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In 2006, Finke'sLA Weeklycolumns won First Place in the Alternative Weekly Awards in the category of "Media Reporting/Criticism, Circulation >50,000".[24]In 2007, Finke won the Los Angeles Press Club's Southern California Journalism Award for "Entertainment Journalist of the Year", with the judges commenting: "Reading Nikki Finke’s salaciously candid coverage of Hollywood and its inhabitants almost feels like a guilty pleasure. She mixes the news with fearless finger-wagging that’s just fun to read no matter the subject. She tackles the industry monoliths without the kiddy gloves and she seems to have command of thebeat."[25]In the 2007 AltWeekly Awards,Deadlinewon Second Place.[26]

A studio executive said of Finke: "She's very, very, very, accurate, extraordinarily so—you have a supposedly private conversation with two other people, and it's on her site within an hour." Charlie Koones, formerVarietypublisher, called her a "once-in-a-generation talent".[18]

However, others questioned Finke's "harsh tone", "summary executions",[15]"penchant for innuendo and unnamedsources",and allegedly giving better coverage to" her favorites "[12]and frequent sources, such asAri EmanuelandRonald Meyer.[18]In 2008, she was criticized for first posting a Sony press release and then adding her own analysis which contradicted the release without updating the time stamp, and in early 2009, Finke was accused of retroactively altering[12][15][18]aDeadline Hollywood Dailyreport about the director of thethirdTwilightfilm.[27]

Personal life and death

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In 1974, Finke became engaged toJeffrey W. Greenberg.[4]They were married from 1980[citation needed]until their divorce in 1982.[3]

Finke's health declined in her later years, primarily from complications ofdiabetes.[9]She died at a hospice facility inBoca Raton, Florida,on October 9, 2022, aged 68.[9][28]

See also

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References

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  1. ^abc"Feared Hollywood Reporter Turns To Fiction".The New York Times.May 30, 2015.Archivedfrom the original on October 11, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 11,2017.
  2. ^Valinsky, Jordan (October 10, 2022)."Nikki Finke, veteran Hollywood journalist, has died".CNN.Archivedfrom the original on October 10, 2022.RetrievedOctober 10,2022.
  3. ^abcGenzlinger, Neil (October 10, 2022)."Nikki Finke, Caustic Hollywood Chronicler, Is Dead at 68".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on October 10, 2022.RetrievedOctober 10,2022.
  4. ^ab"Law Student Fiance of Nikki Finke".The New York Times.October 20, 1974. p. 74.Archivedfrom the original on July 22, 2018.RetrievedOctober 10,2022.
  5. ^Chase, Lisa (October 10, 2007)."The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly – Out West, where movies and moguls are made, she's the sheriff".elle.Archivedfrom the original on October 9, 2022.RetrievedOctober 10,2022.Actually, being a woman and being Jewish helps. It's one of the great jokes out here that gentiles are handicapped when it comes to Hollywood.
  6. ^White, Abbey (October 9, 2022)."Nikki Finke, Veteran Entertainment Journalist and Deadline Founder, Dies at 68".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on October 9, 2022.RetrievedOctober 9,2022.
  7. ^Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein (February 25, 2010)."Rapping it up: Matt keeps going"ArchivedMarch 4, 2016, at theWayback Machine,Boston Globe;accessed November 8, 2021.
  8. ^abWalker, Hunter (January 18, 2013)."How Ed Koch Helped Make Nikki Finke a Reporter".New York Observer.Archivedfrom the original on January 20, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 19,2013.
  9. ^abcdefghijBernstein, Jacob (January 21, 2023)."Sharp Edges and Burned Bridges".The New York Times.p. ST1.Archivedfrom the original on January 23, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 23,2023.
  10. ^abShprintz, Janet (April 14, 2002)."Journo sues Disney & N.Y. Post".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on January 23, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 23,2023.
  11. ^Friedman, Jon (June 28, 2006).In-your-face Finke keeps Hollywood honest.ArchivedJuly 8, 2006, at theWayback MachineMarketWatch
  12. ^abcCarr, David. "A Hollywood Blogger Feared by ExecutivesArchivedOctober 11, 2022, at theWayback Machine"The New York Times,July 17, 2009.
  13. ^abStetler, Brian (November 26, 2007).Alternative Journalist’s Web Site Is Scrutinized for Writers’ Strike News.ArchivedOctober 11, 2022, at theWayback MachineNew York Times
  14. ^Fixmer, Andy and Michael Janofsky (November 26, 2007).'Toldja': Nikki Finke Has the Scoop on Hollywood Writers Strike.ArchivedNovember 30, 2007, at theWayback MachineBloomberg
  15. ^abcRainey, James. "Being relentless and harsh pays off for Deadline Hollywood Daily's Nikki FinkeArchivedJune 15, 2017, at theWayback Machine"Los Angeles Times,July 15, 2009.
  16. ^Staff report (November 2008). 25 most influential women in Hollywood/Elle
  17. ^Staff report (October 2008).Heeb 100.ArchivedApril 21, 2010, at theWayback MachineHeeb Magazine
  18. ^abcdFriend, Tad(October 4, 2009)."Call Me: Why Hollywood fears Nikki Finke".The New Yorker.Archivedfrom the original on May 24, 2022.RetrievedApril 10,2022.
  19. ^Ben Fritz (June 24, 2009)."Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily is sold to Mail".Los Angeles Times.Archivedfrom the original on June 27, 2009.RetrievedApril 18,2020.
  20. ^Fleming, Mike Jr.; Andreeva, Nellie (November 5, 2013)."Deadline And Nikki Finke Parting Ways".Deadline. Archived fromthe originalon February 21, 2014.Alt URLArchivedAugust 30, 2017, at theWayback Machine
  21. ^"First Post".Nikki Finke. June 12, 2014. Archived fromthe originalon August 17, 2014.
  22. ^Aurthur, Kate (May 29, 2014)."No One Really Wants a Nikki Finke Comeback (Except Nikki Finke)".Buzzfeed.Archivedfrom the original on May 30, 2014.RetrievedSeptember 6,2017.
  23. ^Finke, Nikki (May 11, 2016)."Deadline Turns 10: Nikki Finke Looks Back".Greater Los Angeles: Deadline.Archivedfrom the original on July 6, 2021.RetrievedApril 18,2020.
  24. ^Finke's 'Deadline Hollywood' columns inLA Weeklywin 2006 Alt-Weekly AwardArchivedSeptember 30, 2007, at theWayback Machine.
  25. ^"Southern California Journalism Awards".Archived fromthe originalon February 9, 2008.RetrievedSeptember 17,2007.
  26. ^Altweekly Awards 2007ArchivedJune 20, 2008, at theWayback Machine
  27. ^Goldstein, Patrick. "Summit hires new 'Twilight' director, right? Wrong!ArchivedApril 2, 2009, at theWayback Machine"Los Angeles Times,March 12, 2009.
  28. ^Ortiz, Andi; Rossi, Rosemary (October 9, 2022)."Nikki Finke, Pioneering Journalist and Scourge of Hollywood, Dies at 68".TheWrap.Archivedfrom the original on October 9, 2022.RetrievedOctober 9,2022.
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