Top News:
David Folkenflik / NPR:
CNN is canceling the weekly media show Reliable Sources, and host Brian Stelter is leaving the network; Reliable Sources' final episode will air on August 21 — CNN is canceling its Sunday media affairs show Reliable Sources, and host Brian Stelter is departing the network, Stelter tells NPR.
Discussion:
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Discussion:
Benjamin Mullin / New York Times: Brian Stelter Leaving CNN After Cancellation of ‘Reliable Sources’
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: I picked a bad day to violate the ABC rule — Always Be Charging. I took the kiddos out sightseeing in midtown Manhattan and my phone's at 2% 🤦🏼♂ ️
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: I loved anchoring @ReliableSources. It was a rare privilege to lead a weekly show focused on the press at a time when it has never been more consequential. And here's the thing...
Stephen King / @stephenking: The one show on CNN I never missed was Reliable Sources, with Brian Stelter. It has been an invaluable window into how the media covers...itself. Today CNN canceled it.
Zachary Leeman / Mediaite: Gutfeld Stresses Over Losing His Favorite Punching Bags After Stelter's CNN Departure: ‘I Might Actually Have to Work for a Living’
Katie Campione / The Wrap: Did Bad Ratings Lead CNN to Oust Brian Stelter and Cancel ‘Reliable Sources’?
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: More on this: - @ReliableSources newsletter will continue - @oliverdarcy will stay (per his tweets) - Show staff being let go (relatively small staff compared to other CNN shows, some could find other CNN roles) - Folks found out yesterday https://www.axios.com/...
Mehdi Hasan / @mehdirhasan: “David Zaslav, the company's chief executive, has said that he wants a network for both Republicans and Democrats.” A reminder that too many in my industry still seem to believe that there is a big GOP audience that *wants* facts or ‘straight news’. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Mary Louise Kelly / @nprkelly: The media beat is one of the toughest in journalism. If you do it right, you're guaranteed to piss off colleagues. This month we've lost 2 of the finest: @brianstelter leaves @CNN & @Sulliview leaves @washingtonpost. Thank you for yr work & wish you both well in the next chapter! https://twitter.com/...
Dominick Mastrangelo / The Hill: CNN cancels ‘Reliable Sources,’ host Brian Stelter to depart network
Lachlan Cartwright / @lachcartwright: “Everything about this was rollout points to [Discovery board member] John Malone and [Discovery CEO] David Zaslav,” a person familiar with the situation told The Daily Beast. “Chris Licht did not want to do this.” https://www.thedailybeast.com/ ... with @CorbinBolies @ZTPetrizzo
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: NEW: John Malone tells me he had “nothing to do with” @brianstelter's show getting canceled. He said he wants “the ‘news’ portion of CNN to be more centrist, but I am not in control or directly involved.” https://www.nytimes.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Dan Kennedy / Media Nation: Brian Stelter's departure is just the latest blow against media commentary
Sara Fischer / Axios: CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter to exit
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: End of an era. It has been a hell of a ride working with @BrianStelter and the @ReliableSources team over the last five years. Brian has been a first-class colleague, mentor, and friend. I cannot wait to see what he does next.
Fox News: Brian Stelter axed from CNN — 4 reasons why network's face of liberal media bias earned his dismissal
Matthew Gertz / @mattgertz: .@brianstelter chronicled, with bracing honesty and directness, Fox News' descent from GOP mouthpiece to toxic hellscape. His program will be missed, and I'm looking forward to whatever he does next. https://www.npr.org/...
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: As for me, I'm looking forward to continuing to cover the media and hold powerful people and institutions accountable. It's important work and I'm grateful to do it at CNN.
Will Bunch / @will_bunch: Wow, three different voices who exited in three very different ways, but losing the media criticism of Eric Boehlert, Margaret Sullivan and now Brian Stelter in a matter of months is quite a blow Because the media needs more criticism, not less https://www.inquirer.com/...
Rita Panahi / @ritapanahi: Probably explains why you're consistently & spectacularly wrong about so much. 🤣 https://twitter.com/...
Amy Mullen / @lilybelle05: @ClancyReports Not fair. During an episode in February, Stelter cited Malone [a major Discovery investor] more than a dozen times in coverage of the Discovery deal for CNN and its sister properties, expressing some concern about the investor's influence. https://www.npr.org/...
S. Mitra Kalita / @mitrakalita: My thoughts with @brianstelter and @ReliableSources team. Stelter and RS were prolly closest thing to a CNN ombudsman there was. Were there blind spots? Sure. But I found them receptive to listening/fixing/including. The loss of a platform for many of us. https://www.cnn.com/...
Steve Sternberg / @stevensternberg: A tip of the hat to Bernard Kalb, the founding host of “Reliable Sources,” who at 100 years young remains one of the nation's greatest broadcast journalists. https://www.npr.org/...
Ashley Rindsberg / The Burning Telegraph: What Brian Stelter's Firing Says about Media
Heidi N. Moore / @moorehn: Whatever you think of the Stelter news, it's always a bummer when John Malone scores a point against anyone
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: News: Brian Stelter was making close to $1 million annually for his work on TV in addition to his podcast, CNN+ show and newsletter. He had more than 3 years left on that deal, which means CNN is going to incur significant severance costs. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Eli Lake / @elilake: This explains a lot https://twitter.com/...
Donald Trump Jr / @donaldjtrumpjr: Tens of people devastated. https://twitter.com/...
Sarah Jorgensen / @sarahljorgensen: i was a PA on @ReliableSources - one of my first jobs in tv news. it was an invaluable crash course in the media business working on this show. i always so appreciated how seriously @brianstelter took my ideas as a young journo. can't wait to see what @brianstelter does next! https://twitter.com/...
Mark Joyella / Forbes: By Killing Off ‘Reliable Sources’ And Firing Host Brian Stelter, CNN Hands A Big Win To Its Worst Critics
Frank Bajak / @fbajak: Latest sign of CNN, under new management, being less willing to take on Fox News. https://twitter.com/...
Brian Stelter / @brianstelter: Tonight I signed off from the RS newsletter — with some news: https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/ ...
@sivavaid: Many people are saying nice things about @brianstelter and his show. I just want to add that few people in TV journalism are as open and committed to helping students get a sense of how to launch a career. For years he has met with and advised my students whenever I've asked.
Matthew Keys / @matthewkeyslive: Stelter held media outlets to account — except his own. He admitted he was slow to cover the conflict-of-interest scandal involving Chris Cuomo. He also served as a hypeman for CNN Plus before and after it launched. It lasted for less than a month. https://twitter.com/...
Oliver Darcy / @oliverdarcy: Here's what to expect next from @ReliableSources: https://view.newsletters.cnn.com/ ...
Chris Winters / @thechriswinters: Absolutely. This is entirely based on the myth of centrism: two equal and opposing parties playing by the same rules in the same system. Instead we have one party committed to democracy, and one party committed to burning the whole thing down and instituting a dictatorship. https://twitter.com/...
David Darmofal / @david_darmofal: Why would you want the news to be centrist? Wouldn't you want it to be fact-based? That might incidentally be centrist, left, or right on an issue or event. But not w/ an ideological goal. A goal of centrism is an ideological, both-sidesing goal regardless of the facts. https://twitter.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: So there's your on the record confirmation that Discovery's major investor wants CNN retooled. https://twitter.com/...
@claireatki: Industry insiders are wondering if this was a political hit job. Brian Stelter figures large in Fox News coverage of CNN. What do you think?
Joe Flint / @jbflint: @claireatki It beat the other shows BUT it was down 26% or so from a year ago.
Joe Flint / @jbflint: @claireatki and trailed Kurtz's Fox media show
Claire Atkinson / @claireatki: New: CNN cancels ‘Reliable Sources,’ axing Brian Stelter and show staff, with more familiar faces expected to exit as network CEO Chris Licht sets strategy https://www.businessinsider.com/ ... via @businessinsider
Jonathan Larsen / @jtlarsen: CNN's @brianstelter shined a light on Discovery investor John Malone, a critic of CNN's political coverage. Now Discovery owns CNN and Stelter's gone. Story by @davidfolkenflik: https://www.npr.org/... https://twitter.com/...
Staci D Kramer / @sdkstl: News I've been expecting since the deal went through. Unfortunate for CNN, viewers and anyone who believes in the need for critical coverage of all media. At least @ReliableSources newsletter will continue. https://twitter.com/...
Parker Molloy / @parkermolloy: I feel bad for everyone whose name is not Brian Stelter affected by this. https://twitter.com/...
Sopan Deb / @sopandeb: This sucks. When something like this happens, the anchor's plight gets the most attention. APs, PAs, producers, etc., who are paid way less and have far more difficult paths forward, don't get noticed as much. Not taking care of them is a choice the network is making. https://twitter.com/...
Craig Aaron / @notaaroncraig: If you want reporters, @brianstelter was a reporter first. Going back to his stint at the NYT alongside David Carr, Stelter always sought out a wide range of thinkers and critics (including me on occasion) and, in my experience, was always thorough and fair. Bad move, CNN.
Craig Aaron / @notaaroncraig: Not good. Even within the limits of CNN, disappearing a prominent show that actually took the the politics of the media biz seriously is a loss. CNN is going back to reporters? I'll believe it when I see it. .. https://www.vanityfair.com/...
Matthew Belloni / @mattbelloni: So Zucker tucked in Brian before the Discovery guys took over, he knew what was coming.... https://twitter.com/...
Scott Adams / @scottadamssays: By my calculation, that means his nemesis #Gutfeld has two more hit shows than he does. https://twitter.com/...
Dr. Kelli Ward / @kelliwardaz: No one will miss this guy! https://twitter.com/...
Clara Jeffery / @clarajeffery: This is not a good sign for @CNN. @brianstelter has been reporting on media's failures—at CNN and elsewhere—to properly warn about rising autocracy. And had been calling for more reporting, period. https://twitter.com/...
Ben Mullin / @benmullin: .@brianstelter had more than three years left on a four year contract at CNN, I'm told. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Meg James / @megjameslat: Brian Stelter is out. @SteveBattaglio reports the thinking inside #CNN under its new chief, Chris Licht, is that a program dissecting the media was too “inside baseball” for a television audience. CNN is expected to continue the popular and insightful Reliable Sources newsletter. https://twitter.com/...
Eric Fingerhut / @ericfingerhut: It's weird—you'd think with multiple cable news outlets, you'd want to have things that differentiate your network from the others. CNN was the only network that had a media show and team of reporters covering the media.
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: @brianstelter @JamieStelter When he was chosen to host @ReliableSources, it was clear that he didn't just have the reporting chops, but he was a natural broadcaster too. When you're on set with him, he's cool, calm, collected I will miss watching Brian on Sundays, but I know he's got huge things ahead
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: @brianstelter In addition, he somehow found time to write a book, consult on a TV show and produce a documentary. It's impossible to know where he ever finds time considering how much time he also spends with @JamieStelter and his 2 kids, as made evident by lots of fun playground pics on insta
Hadas Gold / @hadas_gold: I'm sad to see such a wonderful colleague leave. He immediately welcomed me at CNN with open arms and taught me a lot. https://twitter.com/...
Jeremy Littau / @jeremylittau: When Discovery merged with WarnerMedia, they said they had to cut $3b right away (Discovery took on a bunch of debt in the deal, had north of $50b at close). So, cuts. CNN+ gone (though it wasn't that great a product), all those HBOMax content cuts the past week, now CNN proper.
Jeff Jarvis / @jeffjarvis: 100% agree with @JeremyLittau here. The Times and Post have no ombudsmen. With @Sulliview departing, neither has a media columnist. Media—specifically cable news, specifically Fox—is a critical player in our current democratic drama. Completely wrong move by Licht. Wrong. https://twitter.com/...
Ross Maghielse / @maghielse: Good background and analysis from @DylanByers on this (@PuckNews is consistently well informed and logical about stuff, btw): “What (Stelter does) could become a harbinger for the next wave of TV talent who receive the tap on the shoulder...” https://puck.news/...
Jonathan Alter / @jonathanalter: It's bad enough for Chris Licht to cancel @ReliableSources , one of the two or three best shows on CNN. But blindsiding @brianstelter is really shitty. https://twitter.com/...
Jeremy Littau / @jeremylittau: This is CNN moving in the wrong direction, getting rid of one of the few avenues cable news has for self-criticism. @brianstelter is one of the best. Just an incomprehensible cut from a public-service perspective (familiar ruthless cost cutting for Discovery, though). https://twitter.com/...
Hunter Walker / @hunterw: Some people - due to their hatred for the press and desire to cover up their own malfeasance - are already gloating over people losing their jobs. Disgusting. https://twitter.com/...
Mike V.P. / @mikepettigano: This sucks. The people at the top, the faces you actually see, will be fine. But these staffers don't have a six- or seven-figure cushion to lean on during bad times. https://twitter.com/...
James Poniewozik / @poniewozik: If only there were a TV media-news show to look into this https://www.npr.org/... https://twitter.com/...
Adam Kelsey / @adamkelsey: You're gonna dump some 27-year-old AP who did nothing wrong because you decided you want a different show in that hour?
Adam Kelsey / @adamkelsey: Completely unnecessary. Put them on whatever show is taking its place or assign them to a different program. It's not like the skills it takes to produce Reliable Sources specifically are wholly unique. Unreal. https://twitter.com/...
@lisa_joseph13: In February, Stelter had cited major investor Malone more than a dozen times in coverage of the Discovery deal for CNN re: NPR. I'm guessing that might have something to do with Stelter's departure. “Reliable Sources” had run on CNN for 30 years. https://twitter.com/...
@deggans: At a time when viewers have never needed more help understanding and unraveling media, CNN canceled its 30-year-old media analysis show, Reliable Sources and let go chief media correspondent/host, Brian Stelter. Sad. (great scoop from @davidfolkenflik) https://www.npr.org/...
Piers Morgan / @piersmorgan: Reminder that Trump/Fox obsessed Mr Stelter dropped me as a guest on his ‘impartial’ media show because I didn't agree with his view that the Hunter Biden laptop scandal was Russian disinformation... now he's been fired by CNN for being too partisan. https://twitter.com/...
Sean Spicer / @seanspicer: Stop exaggerating Ben https://twitter.com/...
Nicholas Dawes / @nicdawes: Public understanding of the political economy of media has never been more important, and @brianstelter has made huge contributions on a big, mainstream platform. This really, really, sucks. https://twitter.com/...
Gene Park / @genepark: to quote Brian Stelter, this is “fascinating” https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Jeremy Barr / @jeremymbarr: Brian Stelter is leaving CNN and “Reliable Sources” is being cancelled. This is the biggest programming decision that has been made by Licht's CNN. “This is going to be the start of what will be significant change,” an insider said. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ...
Sara Fischer / @sarafischer: A few notes about @brianstelter: — Brian is a very rare mix of talent, hustle and kindness — He works harder than almost any reporter I know. At one point, he was hosting a weekly streaming show, a Sunday show, co-authoring a 6x weekly newsletter and breaking digital stories. https://twitter.com/...
Dark Brandon High Cleric / @tonymoonbeam: Surprised this didn't come sooner with takes like this. @brianstelter, is this one still up, or did you delete it? https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: While we are at it a reminder that WBD management has promised $3 billion in savings so the cost-cuts and layoffs that started at HBO Max this week will continue (and likely accelerate) at the rest of the company over the next couple months. https://www.vox.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@baseballaslan: @neontaster His book about the fall of the Today Show ("Top of the Morning") is excellent. I hope he writes a sequel about the Matt Lauer debacle.
Corbin Bolies / @corbinbolies: CNN says @brianstelter's last show will be this Sunday. “We appreciate his contributions to the network and wish him well as he embarks on new endeavors.” https://twitter.com/...
Vivian Schiller / @vivian: Coverage of media has NEVER been important. And @brianstelter knows how to speak truth to power. This is a terrible decision, @CNN. https://twitter.com/...
Ernie Smith / @shortformernie: Let the charge run out and just don't look at the news for the rest of the week https://twitter.com/...
Amanda Katz / @katzish: Whoa indeed. Props to my smart and humane former colleague @brianstelter for a hard job done tirelessly through one of the most insane periods of American political media—I'm sure many great adventures are ahead. https://twitter.com/...
Joe Flint / @jbflint: It was a rare privilege to lead a weekly show focused on the press at a time when it has never been more consequential. I'll have more to say on Sunday."
Joe Flint / @jbflint: From @brianstelter “I'm grateful for my nine years with CNN, proud of what we accomplished on Reliable Sources and so thankful for the viewers who tuned in every week for our examination of the media, truth and the stories that shape our world....
@froomkin: This is a terrible move by CNN. @brianstelter was the symbol of a media establishment willing to question itself. He was a flawed but essential voice in the national media. His firing is a win for all the wrong people. https://www.npr.org/...
Devon Heinen / @devonheinen: @jamesrbuk MSNBC But, wildcard: Back to NYT, but with a podcast in addition to writing stories
Tim Fullerton / @timfullerton: Seems like we need more shows/coverage like @brianstelter provided - not less. https://twitter.com/...
Renée Camus / Nicki Swift: The Real Reason Brian Stelter Is Leaving CNN
Peter Sterne / @petersterne: It sure sounds like CNN's new leadership fired @brianstelter and canceled “Reliable Sources” because he dared to criticize Trump and the GOP. https://www.npr.org/... https://twitter.com/...
Noam Blum / @neontaster: I know people love dunking on silly Stelter, but he was a legitimately malevolent and harmful presence on cable news. He just masked it with an unassuming demeanor. I hope wherever he lands next, he won't be able to do as much damage. https://twitter.com/...
Steph Haberman / @stephlauren: Wowwww, very sad to see this. https://twitter.com/...
Jamison Foser / @jamisonfoser: oh no who will awkwardly ignore crappy CNN behavior and amplify right-wing falsehoods even while criticizing Fox News for doing the same https://twitter.com/...
Peter Sagal / @petersagal: This is bad. I've known Brian since he was with the New York Times and he interviewed me in 2008. Nobody has ever owned a beat as much as Brian has owned his. He became a target of the Right's media machine because he told the truth about them. https://twitter.com/...
Arik Hesseldahl / @ahess247: @mediagazer @davidfolkenflik Prediction: MSNBC next.
Michael Luo / @michaelluo: Oh no. Sorry to see this. Best of luck to @brianstelter, who will no doubt land on his feet. https://twitter.com/...
Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia: Brian Stelter is out at CNN. Wow. Show had seen viewership declines over the last bit, IIRC. I enjoyed Reliable Sources, disappointing to hear even if understandable. Story from @DylanByers https://puck.news/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: But CNN is cutting costs after Discovery takeover. And Stelter is among hosts who came in for criticism from conservatives for how they handled Trump years. Back in February show, Stelter cited Discovery investor John Malone as a critic of the network, noting possible concern. https://twitter.com/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: The show is the longest running on CNN - it celebrated its 30th anniversary back in March. Stelter touted its rating wins on Twitter. https://twitter.com/...
David Folkenflik / @davidfolkenflik: “It was a rare privilege to lead a weekly show focused on the press at a time when it has never been more consequential,” Stelter told me in leaving, promising to say more on Sunday's show — its final episode. https://twitter.com/...
Frank Pallotta / CNN: CNN is ending ‘Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter’
Matthew Keys / The Desk: CNN finds Brian Stelter unreliable for future of network
Jeff Jarvis / BuzzMachine: The story media miss: themselves
Bob Cronin / Newser: Brian Stelter Is Out at CNN
Claire Atkinson / Insider: CNN cancels ‘Reliable Sources,’ axing Brian Stelter and show staff, with more familiar faces expected to exit as network CEO Chris Licht sets strategy
Greta Bjornson / Decider: Brian Stelter Out at CNN as Network Cancels ‘Reliable Sources’ After Three Decades
Wendell Husebø / Breitbart: CNN's Brian Stelter to Exit Network, ‘Reliable Sources’ Canceled
Dave Urbanski / TheBlaze: Brian Stelter out at CNN; struggling network cancels his ‘Reliable Sources’ show
Adriana Diaz / The Sun: Who is Brian Stelter's wife Jamie Stelter?
Stephen Battaglio / Los Angeles Times: Brian Stelter is out at CNN as his media criticism show ‘Reliable Sources’ is canceled
Rebecca Iannucci / TVLine: Brian Stelter Leaving CNN as Reliable Sources Is Cancelled at the Network
Christian Blauvelt / IndieWire: Brian Stelter Leaving CNN as ‘Reliable Sources’ Is Canceled Amid Warner Bros. Discovery Shakeups
Katie Campione / The Wrap: Brian Stelter Out at CNN, ‘Reliable Sources’ Canceled
Eduardo Razo / Barrett Media: Brian Stelter: Rare Privilege to Host Reliable Sources
RELATED:
Joe Pompeo / Vanity Fair:
Insiders say Brian Stelter's CNN exit is an effort to tone down partisanship, based on earlier comments by David Zaslav, Chris Licht, and investor John Malone — The sudden cancellation of the outspoken anchor and media reporter's show, Reliable Sources, may offer clues …
Discussion:
Vox, Puck, Mediaite, @clancyreports, @sharonwaxman, @sharonwaxman, @sharonwaxman, @mehdirhasan, @violagienger, @melchiondo, @clancyreports, @timjgraham, @violagienger, @briannawu, @clancyreports, @keitholbermann, @sharonwaxman, @pkafka, @ggreeneva, @joepompeo, The Wrap, Variety, The Wrap and Barrett Media
Discussion:
Dylan Byers / Puck: The Brian Stelter Show Is Over
Aidan McLaughlin / Mediaite: BREAKING: Brian Stelter Leaving CNN as Network Cancels Reliable Sources
Jim Clancy / @clancyreports: Another “Talking Heads” show on Cable News is ended. Stelter was only there for a part of its 30-year run. He failed to grasp and report how corporate ownership is crushing U.S. journalism by replacing actual reporters with company office workers. https://twitter.com/...
Sharon Waxman / @sharonwaxman: “It's not a good brand position to be the opposite of Fox News,” said a network insider familiar with Licht's thinking. “He wants to be tough and no bulls—, but not affiliated with a side. It's fair to say he doesn't like the CNN vs. Fox thing.”
Sharon Waxman / @sharonwaxman: WaxWord w/ @katie_campione went behind the scenes to find out the inside details behind Brian Stelter's ouster today from #CNN & the cancellation of his show, @CNNReliable after 30 years. https://www.thewrap.com/...
Sharon Waxman / @sharonwaxman: Two senior Warner Bros Discovery executives denied that Stelter's ouster was influenced in any way by Malone, calling the decision to cancel “Reliable Sources” entirely Licht's. “Chris doesn't want to do the 'who's in, who's out, who's up, who's down' navel-gazey reporting.”
Mehdi Hasan / @mehdirhasan: ‘Mr. Malone said he wants “the ‘news’ portion of CNN to be more centrist, but I am not in control or directly involved.”’ What does ‘centrist news’ to him look like? “One side says the election was fair, but in the interests of balance, one side says the election was stolen”?
Viola Gienger / @violagienger: “During an episode in February, Stelter cited Malone more than a dozen times in coverage of the Discovery deal for CNN and its sister properties, expressing some concern about the investor's influence.”
Jim Clancy / @clancyreports: @LilyBelle05 It's not just Malone. The primary purpose of news networks has become increasing corporate profits, not supporting journalists doing actual news reporting. News costs money. A corporate office worker will book you the same 5 guests every night (or day) for a helluva lot less.
Tim Graham / @timjgraham: “The partisan reputation it garnered — fairly or not”!! https://twitter.com/...
Viola Gienger / @violagienger: Hmm: “Among those publicly joining in on the broader criticism of CNN as having become politicized was the investor John Malone, a major financial stakeholder of the new WarnerDiscovery conglomerate,” CNN's parent company. https://twitter.com/...
Brianna Wu / @briannawu: CNN is canceling @brianstelter's show to save money?!?! Look, it's not perfect but that was the best Sunday show by a wide margin. Hard to not notice that he literally wrote the best book on Trump sycophancy in media, and they're showing him the door. https://twitter.com/...
Jim Clancy / @clancyreports: @KeithOlbermann The late Reese Schonfeld told me “CNN's early success was because the audience never knew what would come up next.” His insight was that ALL of Cable News fails because the audience knows EXACTLY what's coming up next. It has become predictably partisan and painfully repetitive.
Keith Olbermann / @keitholbermann: @ClancyReports Yeah but they dumped him because our alma mater is swinging to the right, Jim, not because of the many flaws in his show
Sharon Waxman / @sharonwaxman: What is new chairman and CEO Chris Licht's plan for the future of the news network? Why would Stelter, a respected media journalist, get the boot along with his show? Who else is at risk to get the ax after Stelter and, last week, legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin?
Peter Kafka / @pkafka: “John Malone doesn't watch CNN. John Malone only watches CNN via Fox News,” says a CNN employee. “If I watched CNN via Fox News, I would hate CNN too.” https://twitter.com/...
Greg Greene / @ggreeneva: It seems comically revisionist to paint Brian Stelter as some ‘woke’ interloper in the CNN newsroom — when I can probably riff through a few searches and find countless examples fellow progressives/center-leftists calling him out for both-sidesy framing. https://puck.news/... https://twitter.com/...
Joe Pompeo / @joepompeo: “I think they [Licht and Zaz] share a vision for CNN. But at the end of the day, Licht is executing his vision on how to get there. No one is telling him what to do or how it works.” https://www.vanityfair.com/...
Josh Dickey / The Wrap: Brian Stelter Offered Jobs by Fox News' Greg Gutfeld and Babylon Bee - and Other Conservative Dunks on Ousted CNN Host
Brian Steinberg / Variety: Brian Stelter to Exit CNN After ‘Reliable Sources’ Is Cancelled
Corbin Bolies / The Daily Beast:
Sources: Chris Licht told staff “there will be more changes and you might not understand it or like it all” and the Reliable Sources newsletter will relaunch — “You might not understand it or like it at all,” Licht told CNN staffers of future changes after acknowledging …
Discussion:
Alexander Gladstone / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: Cineworld, owner of Regal Cinemas, is preparing to file for bankruptcy in the US after struggling to rebuild attendance since the pandemic — Theater admissions aren't recovering fast enough for the world's second-largest cinema chain to avert insolvency
Discussion:
Forbes, Insider, @benfritz, SlashFilm, The Wrap, Reuters, NME, Looper, Bloomberg, New York Post, Media Play News, @jbillinson, @cararlombardo, @ivanthek, @frankpallotta, IndieWire and The Hollywood Reporter
Discussion:
Sergei Klebnikov / Forbes: Cineworld Shares Plunge More Than 50% After Report Of Looming Bankruptcy, AMC Falls
Matthew Fox / Insider: GameStop and AMC plummet as meme stocks melt down after Ryan Cohen ditches entire Bed Bath & Beyond stake
Ben Fritz / @benfritz: Movie theaters are coming back!!! Well, actually... https://www.wsj.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Lex Briscuso / SlashFilm: Cineworld, Parent Company Of Regal Cinemas, Is Preparing To File For Bankruptcy
Charlotte Krol / NME: Cineworld is preparing to file for bankruptcy
Aahil Dayani / Looper: Major Bankruptcy About To Rock The Movie Theater Industry
Alexandra Steigrad / New York Post: Regal Cinemas owner Cineworld preparing to file for bankruptcy: report
Erik Gruenwedel / Media Play News: WSJ: Regal Cinemas Parent Cineworld to File for Bankruptcy
Josh Billinson / @jbillinson: I paid them $23.50 this month. I've already seen four movies and gotten all this random free stuff added to my account. Shocked to learn this isn't saving movie theaters! https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Cara Lombardo / @cararlombardo: The second-largest movie theater chain is preparing for bankruptcy, as number one AMC lives on as a meme stock. $CINE shares down 70% on this @gladstonea scoop: https://www.wsj.com/...
@ivanthek: Maybe Adam Aron will buy some assets with those newly-issued $APEs https://twitter.com/...
Frank Pallotta / @frankpallotta: Regal Cinemas, the second biggest theater chain, is preparing to file for bankruptcy, per @WSJ. A signal that while theaters have experienced a rebound, chains have struggled to truly bounce back from the destruction the pandemic wrought. https://www.wsj.com/...
Samantha Bergeson / IndieWire: Cineworld, Owner of Regal Cinemas, Will File for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy — Report
Eric Vilas-Boas / Vulture:
The CNN Originals hub launches on Discovery+ on August 19 with more than 800 episodes from CNN Original Series, CNN Films, and HLN Original Series — At your service. — “The most trusted name in news” has a new streaming home next to venerable programming like The 90 Day Fiancé and Mermaids: The New Evidence.
Discussion:
Lauren Forristal / TechCrunch: After CNN+ shutdown, Discovery+ adds a CNN Originals hub to its US service
RELATED:
Wilson Chapman / Variety:
HBO plans to remove ~36 titles from its service as early as this week, citing the pending Discovery+ merger; the move will likely help cut costs and residuals
HBO plans to remove ~36 titles from its service as early as this week, citing the pending Discovery+ merger; the move will likely help cut costs and residuals
Discussion:
Vanity Fair, CBR, NPR, @richard_kadrey, @thedavewain, @defnotbeka, @adamconover, @perezhilton, @loudmouthjulia, @loudmouthjulia, @loudmouthjulia, @alexweprin, @jasondashbailey, SlashFilm, Billboard, @morganwick, Engadget, BGR, Looper, @bags, @hulkied, The Daily Beast, Gizmodo, @bjhiddenjokes, TechCrunch and Deadline
Discussion:
Chris Murphy / Vanity Fair: Why Does Everyone Care So Much About the HBO Max Chaos?
Sorrel Kerr-Jung / CBR: HBO Max Removes All But a Single Episode of Uncle Grandpa
Emma Bowman / NPR: HBO Max cuts dozens of titles in a cost-cutting move before a merger with Discovery+
Richard Kadrey / @richard_kadrey: A good thread on media mergers. https://twitter.com/...
Dave Wain / @thedavewain: Cineworld going bankrupt and streaming turning to shit. I should probably feel smug and superior, sat in a well-stocked movie rental store. Instead I just feel pretty glum at the whole sorry state of it all. https://twitter.com/...
@defnotbeka: thanks to bittorrent, you'll be able to watch these shows forever! remember to seed in order to keep the shows you love alive and well :) https://twitter.com/...
Adam Conover / @adamconover: Remember when the promise of streaming was an endless library where even niche shows would be watchable forever? Now b/c of the merger, HBO Max is DELETING dozens of shows, just to save $ on taxes and residuals. A needless, shameful waste. https://variety.com/...
Perez Hilton / @perezhilton: HBO Max deleting a ton more shows! WTF?! Poor executive decisions keep becoming a slap in the face to creatives whose works helped build the streamers' backbone. https://variety.com/...
Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia: Pulling back on unscripted originals made sense in lieu of HBO Max + Discovery+ merge. The staunch pullback from kids + animation signals a much larger strategic shift that I think is the wrong call. Unclear: how animation pullbacks will affect DC + other top IP expansion efforts
Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia: It certainly seems to signal a belief that value of kids/animated programming at scale isn't reflected on the balance sheet. Why try to compete with Netflix, Apple, Disney — who're investing tenfold in that area when they can excel in others and use that investment elsewhere?
Julia Alexander / @loudmouthjulia: My assumption: key IP like Looney Tunes/Scooby Doo will receive investment. WBD isn't going to walk away from kids entirely. Four quadrant service! But, level of shows/films ordered in broader animation + family programming will decrease. Investment continues, but quantity drops.
Alex Weprin / @alexweprin: @loudmouthjulia The thing that nags at me: Cartoon Network has some legitimately great IP, and HBO Max has the OG (Sesame Street). And that content is sticky for years. Why abandon it?
Jason Bailey / @jasondashbailey: Three uses of “content” in a one graf statement. Bleak as fuck, folks! https://variety.com/... https://twitter.com/...
Latifah Muhammad / Billboard: ‘Selena + Chef’ Season 4: All the Ways to Stream the Show for Free
Morgan Wick / @morganwick: If WBD can't eat those “costs and residuals” they're in bigger trouble in terms of making a streaming service work than previously thought. https://twitter.com/...
Jacob Siegal / BGR: HBO Max lost 37 more TV shows and movies - here's the full list
David Baghdassarian / @bags: @mediagazer @wilsonbchapman This is another reason I hope physical media never goes away (aside from the obviously superior audio and video quality). I don't want to be subject to the whims of a streaming service.
@hulkied: They apparently did this to save on residuals. Fucking residuals. Which are already shit on streamers. If I was asked to pitch to Discovery execs, I would tell them to go fuck themselves. This is not how you treat your talent. Everything about this just makes me furious. https://twitter.com/...
Fletcher Peters / The Daily Beast: Why Is HBO Max Erasing the Best Queer Teen Series From Existence?
Jess Weatherbed / The Verge:
Google plans to prioritize “content made specifically by and for people” in Search in English globally, covering shopping, arts and entertainment, and more — The first update starts rolling out on Monday — Google is making a series of updates to Search that aim to tackle clickbait …
Discussion:
Search Engine Land, The Keyword, One Man & His Blog, TechCrunch, The Guardian, @sengineland, @optionshawk, @nickwilsdon, The Register, @mordyoberstein, @sengineland, @rustybrick, @chrismessina, @zombie_wretch, @rustybrick, @dannysullivan, @johnkoetsier, @campuscodi, @corbindavenport, @atgarone, Engadget, Insider and Fast Company, more at Techmeme »
Discussion:
Barry Schwartz / Search Engine Land: Google's new helpful content update targets sites creating content for search engines first
Danny Sullivan / The Keyword: More content by people, for people in Search
Adam Tinworth / One Man & His Blog: Major Google update incoming: the helpful content update is imminent
Aisha Malik / TechCrunch: Google will roll out new updates to reduce low-quality and unoriginal content in search results
@sengineland: Google shares 15 questions to help evaluate your content and avoid being negatively impacted by the Helpful Content Update. See them all here: https://searchengineland.com/ ...
Joe Kunkle / @optionshawk: Looks like $GOOGL doing a pretty nice overhaul of Search https://blog.google/...
Nick Wilsdon / @nickwilsdon: Recipe/food bloggers preparing for the roll out of the “Helpful Content Update” from Google https://searchengineland.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
Thomas Claburn / The Register: Google promises to adjust search algorithm to favor ‘people-first content’
Mordy Oberstein / @mordyoberstein: I'm so curious to see how this plays out. Been saying for months that I think Google is starting to profile language structures to pick out the typical non-nuanced dribble.... Well here it is.... Let's see how this shakes out! https://twitter.com/...
@sengineland: Google says new Helpful Content Update will be sitewide and “removing unhelpful content could help the rankings of your other content.” https://searchengineland.com/ ... by @rustybrick
Barry Schwartz / @rustybrick: SEOs will look back at this update and it should be like a Panda, Penguin, Florida update type of update - it may change how content SEO is done going forward. More at https://searchengineland.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...
@chrismessina: Imagine the rise of an AI robot army seeks vengeance on humans because their content no longer ranks highly enough in Google. https://blog.google/... https://twitter.com/...
Jess Weatherbed / @zombie_wretch: Great news if, like me, you tend to slap “reddit” onto the end of search terms to find recommendations that feel like they come from people who have actually used a product, rather than parroting company claims.
Barry Schwartz / @rustybrick: SEOs will look back at this update and it should be like a Panda, Penguin, Florida update type of update - it may change how content SEO is done going forward. Lots of coverage of this update summarized at @Techmeme https://twitter.com/...
Danny Sullivan / @dannysullivan: Excited our “helpful content update” launches soon. Been watching team work hard on it, part of a broad continuing effort to bring more authentic info into Google Search. I'm on vacation this week but will try in few hours to answer questions I see, though our posts cover a lot. https://twitter.com/...
John Koetsier / @johnkoetsier: Human writers rejoice! AI coders: back to the workshop “to make it easier for people to find helpful content made specifically by and for people” >> Google search updates will prioritize real reviews over clickbait https://www.theverge.com/...
Catalin Cimpanu / @campuscodi: They've said this before, yet here we are, in 2022, when half of search results are Vietnam-hosted blogs which don't honor DMCA and are full of content scraped from legitimate news outlets, who typically are buried on the 10th SERP https://twitter.com/...
Corbin Davenport / @corbindavenport: This might be the single best thing to happen to tech journalism in years, *if* it's properly enforced. No one likes reading spam articles with no helpful information, and most writers don't like writing them. https://blog.google/...
Anthony Garone / @atgarone: I have been complaining about this problem for the past month or so. SEO has made the web unlikeable. Anything I search for either goes to some unhelpful listicle or “25 vendors in 2022 who...” The web used to be personal. SEO has made it so corporate. https://blog.google/...
Kris Holt / Engadget: Google will downrank click-farm garbage and aggregators to improve search results
Tom Dotan / Insider: Google launches a new assault in its war against ‘unhelpful’ websites, content aggregators, and SEO tactics that game its Search algorithm
Jessica Bursztynsky / Fast Company: Google's search tweaks will help prioritize quality websites in results
Alexandra Steigrad / New York Post:
The New York Daily News' union blasts Alden Global Capital, the newspaper's owner, for working conditions it says are causing staffers to “quit in droves” — The New York Daily News union slammed the vulture hedge fund that owns the 102-year-old newspaper for unsustainable work conditions …
Discussion:
@nydnunion, @nydnunion, Columbia Journalism Review, @tvgrimreaper, @nydnunion, @noah__goldberg and @nydnunion
Discussion:
@nydnunion: Twelve journalists have resigned from the Daily News over the last three months. That's about 20% if our newsroom. Staffers are quitting in droves. Our owners — Alden Global Capital — don't seem to care. New York City should care.
@nydnunion: We're fighting for a contract that makes The News a better place to work. Our top editor @andrewjulien has refused to attend bargaining sessions. Alden's attorney has repeatedly claimed he and Julien “speak with one voice.” NYC: We need you to speak with one voice right back
Mathew Ingram / Columbia Journalism Review: Concerns over TikTok user data persist
@nydnunion: We're down to two staff reporters to chase crimes on the street. Our sports department has been gutted. We lost our longtime back page editor. Our Metro editor left. We were already hanging on by a thread after Alden issues buyouts last year. Now we can barely put out the paper
Gerry Smith / Bloomberg:
Paramount renews its US media rights to Champions League in a deal valued at $1.5B+ over six years, more than double the size of its previous contract — Paramount Global renewed its US media rights to Champions League football matches in a deal valued at more than $1.5 billion over six years …
Discussion:
Jeff Kotuby / The Streamable: Paramount Global Retains U.S. Rights to UEFA Champions League Until 2030 for $1.5 Billion, Keeps on Paramount+
Katie Campione / The Wrap: Paramount Signs $1.5 Billion Deal to Keep US Rights to UEFA Champions League
Andrew Bucholtz / Awful Announcing: Paramount beats out Amazon to retain UEFA Champions League for six years, more than doubling previous contract
Jeff Baumgartner / Light Reading: Streaming overtakes broadcast and cable TV viewing for first time - Nielsen
Erik Gruenwedel / Media Play News: Paramount Inks New $1.5 Billion UEFA Champions League Soccer Rights Deal
Jonathan Tannenwald / @thegoalkeeper: (And let's remember to put a “men's” in front of all that, because the women's Champions League rights are sold separately.) https://twitter.com/...
@usmnt_thoughts: Paramount wins this deal in my opinion. They're paying the same per season for the most prestigious club competition in the world as Apple is for MLS. I'm also very happy coverage is staying with Paramount / CBS who have done a really good job 👍 https://twitter.com/...
Lucas Shaw / @lucas_shaw: Paramount/CBS is paying ($1.5 billion ($250M a year) to keep the rights to the champions league. That's 2.5x the previous deal. Scoop from @gerryfsmith https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@worldsoccertalk: Good news for Paramount+ subscribers. With CBS renewing its deal with the Champions League for 6 more years, everything stays the same CBS will pay more than $1.5 billion for the rights, more than double the previous contract. Scoop by @gerryfsmith #UCL https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Drake Hills / @livelifedrake: The $1.5B is just for English-language rights. UEFA was gunning for $2B for English and Spanish, the latter to be sold later. The bag is still rising 📈 https://twitter.com/...
Derek Rae / @raecomm: When all the main networks in the USA are invested in ⚽️, it's a good thing. So well done to everyone at, or involved with CBS. Congratulations 👏 https://twitter.com/...
Jonathan Tannenwald / @thegoalkeeper: UEFA gets its big check and stays on mainstream TV, which it needed more than it (and others) might have been willing to publicly admit. Going solely to Amazon would have been trouble. https://twitter.com/...
Karen K. Ho / The Cut:
A profile of Alex Wagner, who has taken Rachel Maddow's MSNBC time slot after stints at culture magazines, a nonprofit, and earlier shows at MSNBC and Showtime — Alex Wagner has no chill. We're talking about the upcoming midterm elections in a small, undecorated corner office at 30 Rock …
Discussion:
@karenkho, @karenkho, @sdkstl, @tmclaughlin3, @alexwagner, @gregmepstein, @karenkho, @datadrivenmd, @laurinliu, @shiramstein and @karenkho
Discussion:
Karen K. Ho / @karenkho: Good morning. I profiled the smart, funny, incredibly hard-working, and highly capable host @alexwagner for @TheCut, and what her debut means for a community often covered like a foreign country: https://www.thecut.com/...
Karen K. Ho / @karenkho: I hope you take some time to read why it's a really big deal @alexwagner — a hyper-qualified journalist and Burmese American woman — is MSNBC's newest primetime host during a midterm election year: https://www.thecut.com/...
Staci D Kramer / @sdkstl: >>I didn't know seeing someone like Wagner take on this position would feel so important until I saw the show teaser. Hearing about what's going on in Asian America from someone who is a part of it always feels momentous.<< https://twitter.com/...
Timothy McLaughlin / @tmclaughlin3: “Wagner was raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., the only child of Tin Swe Thant and Carl Wagner. Her mother, an exile from Myanmar, once known as Burma...” https://twitter.com/...
@alexwagner: Thank you for this lovely profile, @karenkho ! Someone call Cardi B! https://twitter.com/...
@gregmepstein: Fascinating, wide-ranging profile of @alexwagner, by @karenkho @TheCut. And 💯 true: “For too long, the [AAPI] community has been covered by white journalists as if it's a foreign country.” https://twitter.com/...
Karen K. Ho / @karenkho: News about Asian Americans is deserving of primetime coverage and a smart, hyper-qualified host like @alexwagner reflective of the community, especially when you consider the relatively few AsAm female anchors and hosts since Connie Chung's debut in 1993: https://www.thecut.com/...
@datadrivenmd: “She was aware from a young age of how often other people didn't view her the way she saw herself: When she was 12 years old, a white line cook asked her if she was adopted. It wasn't the first time she was asked that question.” This is a great article. Highly recommend. https://twitter.com/...
Laurin Liu / @laurinliu: “For too long, the [AAPI] community has been covered by white journalists as if it's a foreign country. I didn't know seeing someone like Wagner take on this position would feel so important until I saw the show teaser.” #alexwagnertonight https://twitter.com/...
Lizbeth Diaz / Reuters:
Human rights organization Article 19 says 18 journalists have been killed in Mexico so far in 2022, four have been forcibly displaced, and two went into exile — This year will be the deadliest on record for journalists in Mexico, with 18 killed so far, human rights organization Article 19 said in a report Thursday.
Charlotte Shane / New York Times:
A look at the emotional power of TikTok audio memes, which have emerged as a cultural currency as strong as, or stronger than, images and text — 'Brain — feel.' — On March 25, 2020, Chris Gleason was in bed at his parents' house in Pennsylvania, thinking up ideas for videos that might go viral.
Discussion:
Mark Little / @marklittlenews: The Lullabies of the TikTok generation. This is a work of modern art. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Kaleigh Rogers / @kaleighrogers: Absolutely adored this joyful deep dive into the irresistible “brainfeel” of TikTok sounds by @CharoShane https://www.nytimes.com/...
Charlotte Shane / @charoshane: I wrote about audio memes and the pleasure of sound for @NYTmag. It made me happy to write and I hope it makes you happy to read. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Shira Ovide / @shiraovide: This is so good. https://www.nytimes.com/...
Molly Taft / Gizmodo:
A look at Chevron-sponsored Permian Proud, a new site in a Texas news desert that offers local event info, feel-good stories, and positive “news” about Chevron — At first glance, the story looks like something your aunt might post on her Facebook from her local newspaper.
Discussion:
@mollytaft, @kevincollier, @jessicahuseman, @grits4breakfast, @chrisnelder, @emilybell, @m_scribe, @chiaraeisner, @chiaraeisner, @mollytaft, @mollytaft, @mollytaft and @mollytaft
Discussion:
Molly Taft / @mollytaft: scoop from me: Chevron unrolled a “local news and information” website in Texas this week, and data shows that the author of the “articles” is a San Francisco PR professional who has been running a similar Chevron-funded “newspaper” in CA for years: https://gizmodo.com/...
Kevin Collier / @kevincollier: Setting up a fake news website with mostly harmless innocuous articles, then once in a while throwing in stories ideologically aligned with your client, is exactly how a lot of state-sponsored influence operations work. We've seen Iran, China, and Russia all do this. https://twitter.com/...
Jessica Huseman / @jessicahuseman: oh great oil companies are taking advantage of local news deserts super https://twitter.com/...
@grits4breakfast: “navigating over to the ‘Industry’ tab makes it clear that the site is also set up to help Chevron disseminate greenwashing information about the company.” https://twitter.com/...
Chris Nelder / @chrisnelder: Hey it worked for FPL... https://twitter.com/...
Emily Bell / @emilybell: Thread... the Chevron controlled papers are not new but fascinating reporting on their expansion https://twitter.com/...
Melody Schreiber / @m_scribe: What do local news deserts and oil companies have to do with each other? This is FASCINATING. https://gizmodo.com/...
Chiara Eisner / @chiaraeisner: Great reporting from @mollytaft on how Chevron has started bankrolling yet another website that promotes company talking points in articles that masquerade as local news https://twitter.com/...
Chiara Eisner / @chiaraeisner: For more great investigative reporting tracking energy companies secretly bankrolling phony local news sites, see @Blaskey_S's coverage of Florida Power & Light and the Capitolist: https://www.miamiherald.com/ ...
Molly Taft / @mollytaft: while bylines on the “local news stories,” all based in the Permian Basin, are hidden on the site, the website's source code shows that the writer is Mike Aldax, who has been running Chevron's Richmond, CA-based “newspaper” since 2014: https://www.theguardian.com/ ...
Molly Taft / @mollytaft: the Chevron site is aimed at the Permian Basin, which an Earther analysis found is one of the most local media-starved regions in a state that has seen a huge exodus of local reporters in the past 2 decades: https://twitter.com/...