The exclusive access to actors and Hollywood power players long enjoyed by HFPA members was their “bread and butter,” she said. But HFPA members would no longer be allowed to receive gifts from the studios, networks and celebrities. HFPA members collected nearly $2 million in payments from the group in its fiscal year that ended in June 2020. The advocacy group Time’s Up and others have urged the HFPA to expand membership from 80-plus to a minimum of 300 journalists. “As with any changes this significant, there is bound to be debate, dissent and disagreement,” the HFPA board said in a statement.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 14, 2021 14:03 UTC