Tinseltown Determined to Plug Leaks

It's a job for Captain Obvious: understanding that if you're a Hollywood thesp that you shouldn't reveal info about a project on which you're working…especially if you've signed a contract, most of which have non-disclosure agreements. That means you don't tell your friends, your grandma…even fido. And you certainly don't tell the media. And guess what? Yes, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube now count as the media (you're welcome, Marshal Mclullen fans).
Still, it seems some Hollywood types haven't figured it out yet. According to The Hollywood Reporter's THR, Esq. page, a growing number of studio deals are containing new language aimed specifically at curbing usage of social-media outlets by actors, execs and other creatives.
According to the report, plugging leaks of disparaging or confidential information about productions on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube is the goal.
So what brought this all to a head? In part, s small crisis over at FOX a couple of weeks back when Hart Hanson, executive producer for the Fox series Bones, tweeted, "First time in Bones history we are shut down from production. Damn swine flu!" It was a joke, but was misconstrued when another news items arrived reporting that the series star, David Boreanaz also had the flu. Turns out he only had a mild case of the regular flu.
Oops.
Then there was American Idol judge Paula Abdul's dramatic resignation from the show this year on Twitter.
Professional.
All of this is a bit capricious, of course. Hollywood is not averse to using the social networking media as a means to release information virally about forthcoming projects…and they're OK with celebs doing the same—provided it's been sanctioned. What it's really about is control…and studios want to maintain it. Not that you can really blame them.
It seems the bottom line here is this: if you've signed a non-disclosure contract, that means you don'tdisclose info anywhere, and that including Facetube.