Nikki Jean Finke (December 16, 1953 – October 9, 2022) was an American blogger, journalist, publisher, and writer. She was a consultant to
Penske Business Media LLC
Penske Corporation, Inc. () is an American diversified transportation services company based in Bloomfield Township, Oakland County, Michigan. Roger Penske is the chairman of the privately held company, and Rob Kurnick is the president.
Holding ...
and senior editorial contributor for PBM run by media owner
Jay Penske
Jay Penske is an American media and publishing entrepreneur and auto racing team owner. He is the Chairman and CEO of Penske Media Corporation, a digital media and publishing company he founded in 2004.
Early life and education
Born in New York ...
.
She founded and was the chief executive officer of Hollywood Dementia LLC and its website, HollywoodDementia.com, for showbiz short fiction.
She also was the founder,
editor-in-chief
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies.
The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...
, and president of ''
Deadline Hollywood
''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, wit ...
'', a website with original content consisting of her and other veteran showbiz journalists' reporting and commentary on the business of the
entertainment industry. The website was formerly known as ''Deadline Hollywood Daily''. In December 2011, she was given the additional title of editorial advisor of parent company
Penske Media Corp.
Early life
Finke was born in New York (reported as either
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
or
Long Island) on December 16, 1953, one of two daughters born to Jewish parents, Robert and Doris Finke.
She was raised in the affluent village of
Sands Point, New York.
Finke was educated at
Buckley Country Day School and the
Hewitt School
The Hewitt School is an all-girls independent K-12 school in New York City, New York. The school serves girls in three divisions: Lower School (K-4), Middle School (5-8), and Upper School (9-12).
History
Caroline D. Hewitt founded the Hewitt Sch ...
before attending
Wellesley College,
[Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein (February 25, 2010)]
"Rapping it up: Matt keeps going"
''Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
''; accessed November 8, 2021. where she studied political science and was the editor-in-chief of the school newspaper.
[
]
Career
Finke's first job after Wellesley was in New York congressman Ed Koch
Edward Irving Koch ( ; December 12, 1924February 1, 2013) was an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, film critic, and television personality. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and was ma ...
's Washington, D.C. office. According to Finke, she decided to become a reporter after seeing how Koch and his staff "would genuflect to journalists". Finke joined the Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...
(AP) and covered Koch's successful 1977 New York City mayoral campaign, and worked on the AP's foreign desk at the New York City headquarters, Baltimore, Boston, Moscow, and London. Finke later worked for ''The Dallas Morning News
''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the '' Galvest ...
''. She joined the staff of ''Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely ...
'' as a correspondent in Washington and Los Angeles, then at the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' as a staff writer covering entertainment and features. Finke became West Coast Editor for ''The New York Observer
''The New York Observer'' was a weekly newspaper printed from 1987 to 2016, when it ceased print publication and became the online-only newspaper ''Observer''. The media site focuses on culture, real estate, media, politics and the entertainmen ...
'' and then '' New York'', where she penned Hollywood business columns. Finke has also written for ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', '' Vanity Fair'', '' Esquire'', '' Harper's Bazaar'', ''Elle
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'', ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', ''Salon.com
''Salon'' is an American politically progressive/ liberal news and opinion website created in 1995. It publishes articles on U.S. politics, culture, and current events.
Content and coverage
''Salon'' covers a variety of topics, including re ...
'', '' Premiere'', and ''Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
'' magazine.
Finke wrote her '' LA Weekly'' column "Deadline Hollywood" from June 2002 to June 2009, and began the ''Deadline'' (''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' until September 2009) blog in March 2006 as a daily online version of her weekly column. She described it as her "forum to break news about the infotainment industry."
''The New York Times'' described Finke as "a digital-age Walter Winchell
Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and co ...
" with an "in your face"[Friedman, Jon (June 28, 2006)]
In-your-face Finke keeps Hollywood honest.
MarketWatch writing style, who is "feared by ollywood
The Odia film industry, colloquially known as Ollywood, is the Odia language Indian film industry, based in Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack in Odisha, India. The name Ollywood is a portmanteau of the words Odia and Hollywood.
Industry
In 1974, the G ...
executives".[Carr, David.]
A Hollywood Blogger Feared by Executives
''The New York Times'', July 17, 2009. ''Deadline'' became a key information portal during the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike, tripling her readership;[Stetler, Brian (November 26, 2007)]
Alternative Journalist’s Web Site Is Scrutinized for Writers’ Strike News.
''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''[Fixmer, Andy and Michael Janofsky (November 26, 2007)]
'Toldja': Nikki Finke Has the Scoop on Hollywood Writers Strike.
Bloomberg.com according to the ''Times'', "Finke’s Web site has become a critical forum for Hollywood...But it s thestrike that may have finally solidified her position as a Hollywood power broker". Finke claimed to have worked "almost around the clock" during the strike; in 2009 the ''Los Angeles Times'' noted her announcement of a five-day vacation.[Rainey, James.]
Being relentless and harsh pays off for Deadline Hollywood Daily's Nikki Finke
''Los Angeles Times'', July 15, 2009.
In 2008 Finke was named on ''Elle'' magazine's 25 most influential women in Hollywood list,[Staff report (November 2008). 25 most influential women in Hollywood/ '']Elle
''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the w ...
'' and to the '' Heeb Magazine'' 100.[Staff report (October 2008)]
Heeb 100.
'' Heeb Magazine'' In 2009 she sold ''Deadline'' to Jay Penske
Jay Penske is an American media and publishing entrepreneur and auto racing team owner. He is the Chairman and CEO of Penske Media Corporation, a digital media and publishing company he founded in 2004.
Early life and education
Born in New York ...
's Mail.com Media Corp, reportedly for $14 million, 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.
On November 5, 2013, ''Deadline Hollywood'' announced Nikki Finke's departure. On June 12, 2014, she launched NikkiFinke.com. On August 3, 2015, she launched HollywoodDementia.com[ as a site for showbiz short fiction written by her and other insiders. ''The New York Times'' said, "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 former ''Los Angeles Times'' film industry columnist, told ''The New York Times'' that "everyone n Hollywoodis 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?"][
On May 11, 2016, ''Deadline'' printed Finke's remembrance at how she founded ''Deadline Hollywood'' on the occasion of the website's 10-year anniversary. "When I started ''Deadline 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.com 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."]
On February 1, 2017, Finke rejoined Penske's media company.
Reception
In 2006, Finke's ''LA Weekly'' columns won First Place in the Alternative Weekly Awards in the category of "Media Reporting/Criticism, Circulation >50,000".[Finke's 'Deadline Hollywood' columns in ''LA Weekly'' win 2006 Alt-Weekly Award](_blank)
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 the beat
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery (c ...
."[Southern California Journalism Awards](_blank)
/ref> In the 2007 AltWeekly Awards, ''Deadline'' won Second Place.[Altweekly Awards 2007](_blank)
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, former ''Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' publisher, called her a "once-in-a-generation talent".
However, others questioned Finke's "harsh tone", "summary executions", "penchant for innuendo and unnamed sources
Source may refer to:
Research
* Historical document
* Historical source
* Source (intelligence) or sub source, typically a confidential provider of non open-source intelligence
* Source (journalism), a person, publication, publishing institute o ...
", and allegedly giving better coverage to "her favorites" and frequent sources, such as Ari Emanuel
Ariel Zev Emanuel (born 1961) is an American businessman and the CEO of Endeavor, an entertainment and media agency that owns the UFC. He was a founding partner of the Endeavor Talent Agency and was instrumental in shaping its June 2009 merger ...
and Ronald Meyer
Ronald Meyer (born September 25, 1944) is an American entertainment executive and former talent agent. He co-founded Creative Artists Agency in 1975, and served as the President and Chief Operating Officer at Universal Studios Inc. from 1995-2013 ...
. 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 a ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' report about the director of the third ''Twilight'' film.[Goldstein, Patrick.]
Summit hires new 'Twilight' director, right? Wrong!
''Los Angeles Times'', March 12, 2009.
Personal life and death
In 1974, Finke became engaged to Jeffrey W. Greenberg. They were married from 1980 until their divorce in 1982.[
Finke died in Boca Raton, Florida, on October 9, 2022, aged 68, following a long illness. She was survived by her sister and extended family.]
See also
* Film criticism
* E-zines
References
External links
*
Hollywood Confidential: How ''L.A. Weekly's'' Nikki Finke Gives the Industry What it Deserves
''Los Angeles'' magazine
*
* Articles
**
**
{{DEFAULTSORT:Finke, Nikki
1953 births
2022 deaths
20th-century American Jews
20th-century American journalists
21st-century American Jews
21st-century American journalists
American bloggers
American columnists
American publishers (people)
American women bloggers
American women chief executives
American women columnists
Associated Press reporters
Jewish American journalists
Journalists from New York (state)
People from Sands Point, New York
Wellesley College alumni
20th-century American women writers
21st-century American women writers