Kurier, the Austrian newspaper that final week revealed an interview with Clint Eastwood that the director and actor on Monday known as “solely phony,” has retracted the article and mentioned it should not work with the writer of the piece.
The writer, Elisabeth Sereda, is a contract leisure journalist for Kurier and was a member of the now-dissolved Hollywood Overseas Press Affiliation. She can be at present a voter for the Golden Globes (the Golden Globes are co-owned by PMC, which is the guardian firm of IndieWire), although she will not be a Golden Globes worker. In written remarks to IndieWire, Sereda defined that the quotes from Eastwood, whereas factual, had been all compiled as a part of a “Finest Of” story for the event of his ninety fifth birthday.
Sereda mentioned the quotes had been drawn from 14 totally different interviews Eastwood gave to the HFPA as a part of varied panel discussions with HFPA members, and for which Sereda has spoken to Eastwood a number of occasions over time. Transcripts of these interviews traditionally have been free for use by HFPA members in articles, and Sereda mentioned that whereas Eastwood could not have heard of Kurier, “he’s definitely aware of the HFPA — having given greater than 20 interviews to the group relationship again to 1976.”
Nonetheless, the unique article was introduced as if it had been a contemporary dialog given for his ninety fifth birthday. Kurier on Tuesday changed the hyperlink to the unique article with a press release from the editor, explaining that it had no cause to doubt Sereda had spoken with Eastwood and that the article was formatted “as an interview, not a portrait,” finally agreeing that the article didn’t meet Kurier’s requirements.
“In response to Sereda, she wrote the present article based mostly on these conversations. Which means all of Eastwood’s statements had been made precisely as they had been, and that is documented. Utilizing a number of interviews for a birthday portrait is widespread observe,” the Kurier assertion reads (translated by way of Google). “The article was formatted as an interview, not a portrait. This was supposed to create the impression that it was a brand new interview. The truth that this wasn’t the case will not be in line with the standard requirements the Kurier maintains.”
The unique Kurier article written by Sereda quoted Eastwood as saying “I lengthy for the nice outdated days when screenwriters wrote films like ‘Casablanca’ in small bungalows on the studio lot,” and that “we dwell in an period of remakes and franchises.” The article additionally prompt that Eastwood advised the publication he was in pre-production on one other film. Sereda advised IndieWire the point out of him directing one other film is predicated on her analysis by way of IMDB Professional, which lists an upcoming undertaking of his as “in improvement,” and “the undertaking isn’t talked about in a direct quote, solely within the intro to the article.”
Kurier’s assertion concludes saying it should not work with Sereda “as a result of transparency and our strict editorial requirements are paramount to us.”
Sereda disputed the publication’s rationalization barely, saying she “was requested” by Kurier to put in writing a “Better of” compilation with prior quotes she had completed. She additionally added that she was a contract contributor, not an worker of Kurier, and over the previous six months has “phased out her contributions” following the publication of her current historic fiction novel.
A rep for the Golden Globes mentioned that Sereda will not be an worker of the awards physique and clarifies that the HFPA has not been affiliated with the Globes since 2023 when it was dissolved after being acquired by Penske Media and Dick Clark Productions.