In a letter obtained by TheWrap, AJC editor-in-chief Kevin G. Riley challenged the portrayal of the newspaper in the film, according to an unnamed colleague Riley said had seen it. Riley said Eastwood depicted Journal-Constitution reporter Kathy Scruggs trading sex with an FBI agent in exchange for a tip on a story, but he stated that there is no evidence this ever happened and that Scruggs herself is deceased.
Riley also defended the paper’s reporting of the Richard Jewell case, challenging the notion in the film that the paper ran its story based on questionable sourcing, that the paper’s decision making was unsound and that the paper failed to challenge law enforcement’s investigation.
"This is essential because the underlying theme of the movie is that the FBI and press are not to be trusted. Yet the way the press is portrayed often differs from reality," Riley said in the letter to TheWrap on Monday. "As more and more filmmaking has come to Atlanta and Georgia, we’ve gotten a taste of just how difficult it can be to cover this industry. I share this information in the spirit of a fellow journalist who knows how crucial it remains to have solid information when covering demanding stories. It’s also ironic that a film purporting to hold the media to account disregards such crucial facts."
Warner Bros. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.