Fox Searchlight's got the quid, THR's got the pro-quo

We trade jockeys are all scrambling after the same scoops and exclusive content, and it's BLOGDOGGER's belief that the bulk of these result from good ol' shoe-leather reporting. But yes, some items are spoon-fed by studios and publicists who cherrypick the outlet they think will give them the most favorable treatment.

Here's the thing, though: When a studio drops an EXCLUSIVE in your lap, you gotta play it a little bit cool, so it doesn't read like an obsequious OH THANK YOU!!! -- or worse, a backroom favor repaid. Which is why BLOGDOGGER got the heebie-jeebies when we read the text that followed this video on the Hollywood Reporter's THE RACE:

Highlights from what THR awards blogger Scott Feinberg wrote to wrap this gift from Fox Searchlight include:

... Because of the sheer number of 2011 films in which Chastain has done fine work, many in the industry feel that she is more than deserving of an Oscar nomination ...

... So, hypothetically, if The Help does not offer Chastain her best shot at a nod, which of her other four films does? I believe -- and Fox Searchlight is working hard to make everyone else believe -- that the answer is The Tree of Life. ... In recent weeks, the film has started to re-enter the awards discussion in a big way ...

... Consequently, Searchlight will be re-releasing the film this Friday ... and will be circulating the featurette about Chastain that we are exclusively premiering at the top of this post ... with the hope that they can be the studio that manages to beat the odds and get Chastain a well-deserved ticket to February's Academy Awards.

Gee whiz, Searchlight and THR -- get a room, would ya?