Variety
U.S. center-left (Hollywood-centric entertainment trade)
Background
Variety was founded in New York City in 1905 by Sime Silverman, who launched it as a weekly paper covering theater and vaudeville after being fired for panning an advertiser's act — vowing the new outlet would not be influenced by advertising dollars. It expanded to Los Angeles in 1933 with a separate Daily Variety edition aimed at the motion-picture industry, and over the decades it became the dominant trade journal of Hollywood, well known for its colorful industry slang ('helmer' for director, 'boffo' for strong box office). The publication passed through several corporate owners across the 20th century before Reed Business Information sold it in 2012 to Penske Media Corporation, the fast-growing private media group run by Jay Penske. Under PMC, Variety was folded into a portfolio that also includes The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Deadline, and Rolling Stone. PMC projects a stance of editorial neutrality, but editorial independence has come under scrutiny — most notably when PMC fired the editor of its Artforum title in 2023 shortly after it published a letter signed by hundreds of artists calling for a Gaza ceasefire. As a trade publication, Variety is not primarily a political outlet, but its Hollywood-centric readership and cultural environment lean liberal, and its 2025–2026 coverage has been critical of Trump policies affecting the industry, including proposed 100 percent tariffs on foreign-made films, pressure on studios to drop DEI initiatives, and the administration's appointment of actor Jon Voight and others as Hollywood 'envoys.'
Sources
- Variety (magazine) – Wikipedia
- History of Variety – Variety.com
- Penske Media Corporation – Wikipedia
- Jay Penske – Wikipedia
- 'Variety' Acquired by Penske Media – The Hollywood Reporter
- Hollywood: Trump Could Save Entertainment Business, Biden Didn't Help – Variety
- Trump Tariffs Impact on Hollywood – Variety
- Movie Industry Shocked After Trump Says He'll Put 100% Tariffs on Films Produced Outside the U.S. – Variety
- Hollywood Ditches DEI Programs to Avoid Donald Trump's Wrath – Variety
Profile compiled 2026-07-16; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.