Disney Efforts To Ban Critical Media Cracks Under Pressure

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Walt Disney Co's effort to ban Los Angeles Times film critics from attending advanced movie screenings because of critical news articles went down in flames Tuesday shortly after national media denounced Disney and disqualified Disney films from their year-end awards.

Disney banned the Times after the newspaper published a series of criticalarticles about the entertainment conglomerate's business dealings with the city of Anaheim. Disney officials deemed the coverage biased and inaccurate, and sought to freeze out LA Times film reviewers.

The backlash against Disney was instant and coordinated.

Media outlets around the nation criticized the move. Several vowed to no longer review Disney films as long as the prohibition was in place. Earlier Tuesday, the dispute escalated with an announcement by four critics' groups -- the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the New York Film Critics Circle, the Boston Society of Film Critics and the National Society of Film Critics -- denouncing Disney's actions and disqualifying the studio from consideration for any the groups' year-end awards.

Within hours, Disney lifted the ban.

"We've had productive discussions with the newly installed leadership at the Los Angeles Times regarding our specific concerns, and as a result, we've agreed to restore access to advance screenings for their film critics," according to a Disney statement provided to the New York Times.

Watch: Disney removes movie ban from Los Angeles Times amid backlash

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.

Photo: Premiere Of Walt Disney Studios' 'The Lion King 3D' , LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 27: (L-R) Bob Chapek, President, Distribution, Walt Disney Studios, Alan Bergman, President, Walt Disney Studios, actress Moira Kelly, Lori MacPherson, Exec. VP, Product Management, Walt Disney Studios and producer Don Hahn pose at the premiere of Walt Disney Studios' 'The Lion King 3D' at the El Capitan Theater on August 27, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)