Tim Swanson is a Berkeley J-school graduate who is rising through the ranks of Hollywood journalism.

After a stint as a reporter at Variety, Swanson went to Premiere, where he was just named West Coast bureau chief. From his perch overlooking the film world, he expounded on Hollywood culture, celebrities, and publicists with PRWeek. PRWeek: How powerful is Hollywood in shaping global culture? Tim Swanson: Everyone loves Hollywood films. They're seen all over the world. In that sense, I guess they have ...