Exec summary: Hello from Charlotte, North Carolina... I was here for President Trump's rally... While Oliver Darcy is back in NYC with the rest of the day's media news. Here's the latest...
Fueling the fire
Is President Trump able or willing to control the forces that he has unleashed? Is he able or willing to tamp down the fire that he has fueled?
His actions on Friday strongly suggested that he's not.
So what does that mean for the rest of us?
The "bomb" stuff
I want to tell you all about the rally, but let's go back in time almost 24 hours... At 3:14 on Friday morning Trump posted a nasty tweet about "lowly rated CNN, and others." A few hours later another apparent bomb was intercepted, this time addressed to CNN's New York offices and intended for James Clapper. Thankfully CNN NYC didn't have to evacuate again because the package was spotted at a nearby post office, but people were still placed in harm's way. Trump responded by tweeting about how the "bomb" stuff -- HE put bomb in quotes -- could affect GOP's electoral prospects. That's the behavior of a Fox News pundit, not a president.
In the afternoon and evening, Trump talked about unity, but kept sowing division. In a Q&A with reporters, he was asked if he'd pledge "to tone down the rhetoric for the next few days," and he said "I think I've been toned down, if you want to know the truth. I could really tone it up because as you know the media's been extremely unfair to me and to the Republican Party." At the Charlotte rally, he encouraged "civility," but quickly shifted to media-bashing mode, cueing his fans to boo and chant "CNN SUCKS!"
"He looked on and did nothing to tamp down the cries," CNN producer Betsy Klein pointed out. Klein and correspondent Jeff Zeleny were seated next to me. They are rally vets, but this was my first time, and this experience was eye-opening for me. | |
Why I was there
One of my regrets about 2016 is that I didn't attend a Trump campaign rally. So this year I knew I was going to go to one. I booked the Charlotte trip before this week's mail bombs, but it was remarkable to witness this rally in the wake of the mailings and the arrest of the suspected mailer.
The NYT's Michael Barbaro tweeted: "Imagine a world where our president at his rally tonight said: I'd like to take a minute to say to all those who were sent these terrible pipe bombs, our hearts go out to you. This should never have happened. You are valuable voices in our civic life. Don't be silenced."
As I'm sure you already know, the president didn't say any of that. Instead, he soaked up the crowd's "CNN SUCKS" chants and then said the media has a "major role to play" about tone in this country.
No doubt the media contributes to civic life, and must strive for fairness and accuracy -- but we're not elected officials, we're the people assigned to cover and challenge elected officials. I have lots of thoughts about this, but I'm going to save them for Sunday's "Reliable Sources" telecast... Matt Lewis will join me, and I recommend reading his Daily Beast column titled "Let's Be Honest: The Rage Is Partly the Media's Fault..."
My conversations with the crowd
One minute, it's "You're the fakest news!" The next minute, "We're glad you're here."
Lots of reporters have pointed this out, and I saw it firsthand on Friday: Groups of Trump rallygoers jeer CNN, but then individuals ask for selfies and say they watch the network. Yes, some are insulting and intimidating, but many others are friendly. I had some in-depth conversations with attendees before Trump arrived.
Here's another example: A loud "CNN SUCKS" chant broke out when reporters lined up for their 5 p.m. live shots. Then a man walked over to me and said, "nothing personal." But others screamed "lyin' Brian" and heckled me during a live shot.
THE TAKEAWAY: Some people seem to think the "enemy of the people" stuff is just a performance, kind of like pro wrestling. But others seem to really truly believe it. Here's my Twitter thread of observations from the rally...
This is how it works
Trump beat reporters are accustomed to all of this. The crowd's hostility is just a part of the job, albeit unpleasant. "As they have for months, CNN journalists at the rally on Friday night worked alongside hired security guards," the NYT's Katie Rogers noted in her Friday night story...
On a personal note...
We moved apartments this week, but I've barely been there. Thankfully I'm about to fly home. Jamie posted this on Instagram: She said Sunny ran over to the TV when she heard my voice... "Tilted her head back, and didn't move til he stopped talking..." I hope this picture warms your heart like it warmed mine: | |
The arrest
Just before 11 a.m. on Friday morning, CNN broke in with a bulletin: Federal authorities had arrested a man in Florida in connection to the wave of bombs mailed to high-profile Democratic figures and the offices of CNN. Soon after, we learned more about the suspect, initially through the pro-Trump stickers plastered all over his van, and then via reporting and deep dives into his social media accounts...
Suspect vilified CNN and the news media
| | Oliver Darcy emails: The suspect had an extensive (and obsessive) social media footprint, and among the thousands of posts he made to Twitter and Facebook were dozens in which he vilified news organizations. In one tweet he posted an image of a burning building affixed with the CNN logo and said the news organization "needs to be abolished once [and] for all."
In other posts, the suspect threatened violence against some of CNN's top personalties. He told one CNN contributor that the person should "hug your loved ones" because "your time [is] coming." In a separate tweet to a CNN reporter, the suspect sent a picture that showed a pool of blood. Andrew Kaczynski and I have all the details here...
Missed signals
Donie O'Sullivan emails: The bomb suspect was threatening people on Twitter and Twitter missed it. One woman reported the harassment to the company and the company did nothing. The woman told me, "You think to yourself 'if you see something, say something,' and then when you say something it's ignored."
>> Donie's question: When is Twitter going to get real about abuse on its platform?
>> New Twitter statement on Friday night: "We made a mistake" by not removing the threat... "We are deeply sorry for that error..."
De Niro's message: "Vote!"
Robert De Niro's office was the other media company targeted by the mail bombs. On Friday, he said in a statement, "I thank God no one's been hurt, and I thank the brave and resourceful security and law enforcement people for protecting us. There's something more powerful than bombs, and that's your vote. People MUST vote!"
THE BIG PICTURE
"Journalists across the country feel unsafe"
The Committee to Protect Journalists usually focuses on threats to journalists outside the US. But on Friday afternoon, CPJ's Robert Mahoney said Trump's "rhetorical assaults on the press" must stop. "While we cannot say that Trump's speech directly incites violence, it is clear that some people are influenced by it," he said. "Journalists across the country feel unsafe because of the constant hostility and belittling of their role in our democracy by the head of state. It needs to stop."
Beefing up security
My newest story for CNN Business: This week's mail bombs have spurred another reexamination of security practices at CNN and other major newsrooms. Journalists are urged to stay vigilant and take threats seriously.
All mail destined for CNN's US offices is now being screened first at off-site facilities. This means the package to Clapper "would NOT have come directly to the TWC, even if it hadn't been intercepted first," CNN prez Jeff Zucker said in a Friday morning memo. Read on...
CNN thanks law enforcement
CNN PR tweeted on Friday: "CNN is grateful for the incredible work of @FBI @ATFHQ @TheJusticeDept @NYPDnews @USPISpressroom + the other federal and local law enforcement agencies who keep us all safe. Thank you! 🙏"
A heated clash on Fox
Oliver Darcy emails: Shep Smith and Chris Wallace battled on Friday in an awkward -- and seemingly heated -- clash about whether Trump should take some responsibility for the heated rhetoric in this country. Wallace argued it would be wrong to blame Trump, and Smith fired back, "Nobody did that Chris!" Wallace said it was the "clear implication." Smith noted, "The rhetoric from the podium, the 'CNN sucks' chants, the 'lock her up' chants, it doesn't bring unity." Watch the full clip via Mediaite here...
Blitzer's special message
Wolf Blitzer signed off "The Situation Room" on Friday with a special message about the week's events. He noted that CNN is made up of "thousands and thousands of people" and not just the personalities you see on camera. "People just like you. Men and women who have children. Men and women who have families. Men and women who have loved ones," he said. "Just like all of our viewers, people want to go home to those children. People want their lives back after working hard all day... Those were the people who were put at risk by those improvised explosive devices. People whose names and faces you will never seen." Watch the full clip here...
FOR THE RECORD, PART ONE
-- Don't miss this CNN feature: "48 hours fact-checking Trump..." (CNN)
-- Tim Grieve, the SVP of news at McClatchy, is leaving to launch a "new media venture..." (Miami Herald)
-- Yara Bayoumy of Reuters is The Atlantic's new senior editor leading national security coverage...
-- Alex Sherman reported for CNBC that the front-runner to purchase Fox regional sports networks is "New Fox" -- which was the company that previously sold them... (CNBC)
| | Kelly cancelled
"Megyn Kelly Today is not returning," NBC said Friday afternoon, confirming the previous day's media reports. The cancellation is a stunning change of fortunes for Kelly, who was hired two years ago to great fanfare. Her 9 a.m. show premiered just thirteen months ago. "We'll see you tomorrow," she said on Wednesday, but she didn't -- the show has been on tape since then -- and she won't be back for a goodbye.
"Next week, the 9 a.m. hour will be hosted by other 'Today' co-anchors," NBC said.
Al Roker? Willie Geist? Sheinelle Jones? Hoda Kotb? I'm sure I'm forgetting some folks...
Exit talks take time
Kelly's exit from NBC News is not official yet, but it will be soon. Here's what Kelly's newly-hired attorney, Bryan Freedman. said when NBC announced the cancellation: "Megyn remains an employee of NBC News and discussions about next steps are continuing." So how much $$ will she get on the way out? That's the big unknown right now. Here's my full story...
The blackface segment was "horrifying..."
That's what NBC's Jenna Bush Hager said in an interview with corporate cousin E! News. She was on the panel when Kelly brought up blackface Halloween costumes. "It was horrifying, because it wasn't what we were there to talk about," Hager said...
...But execs were "already convinced" that Kelly was not working
In Saturday's NYT, John Koblin and Michael Grynbaum recount the "the four days that sank Megyn Kelly and sparked a vicious standoff inside NBC News."
Key graf: "In interviews, a dozen people inside NBC News or close to Ms. Kelly described a collapse of breathtaking speed." Kelly "believed at first that she could weather the storm. But her comments were deemed fatal by network executives already convinced that their marquee hire was not working out..."
Notes and quotes
-- Megan Garber asks in The Atlantic, "What if, when Megyn Kelly wondered aloud why blackface is bad, her ratings had been high? What if she had been a darling of advertisers? What if she had proved better able to return on the massive investment NBC had made in her, and for her...?"
-- The Wrap asks: "Can Andy Lack Survive Atop NBC News After Megyn Kelly Debacle?"
-- Some good NBC news amid all the drama: Us reports that "Peter Alexander has been named the new 'Weekend Today' co-anchor for Saturday mornings...
This Sunday on "Reliable"
I'll be joined by Margaret Sullivan, Matt Lewis, Kathleen Hall Jamieson, and Bill Carter... plus "news deserts" researcher Penelope Abernathy and NYT publisher A.G. Sulzberger... Join us Sunday at 11 a.m. ET on CNN... | |
FOR THE RECORD, PART TWO
By Daniella Emanuel:
-- Sarah Zhang writes about the public's use of Facebook groups for therapy -- and the privacy issues that ensue... (The Atlantic)
-- Here's an interesting read about the drama that has gone on behind the making of "Viper Club," a film inspired by the kidnapping of deceased war journalist James Foley... (The Daily Beast)
-- In the spirit of Halloween, Mekado Murphy looks back at some eye-catching horror film ads that frequented newspapers in the 80s... (NYT)
-- The Netflix mockumentary comedy series "American Vandal" has been cancelled... (Deadline)
| | Facebook takes down more Iranian pages
"Facebook said Friday that it had removed 82 pages, groups, and accounts that were run from Iran but targeting people in the US and the UK," Donie O'Sullivan reported. Facebook said it found the pages a week ago and that it wanted to disclose its findings to the public because of the looming midterm elections.
Apple v. Bloomberg continues
In his interview with Christiane Amanpour this week, Tim Cook said Bloomberg's story was "100% a lie."
That would be the Bloomberg Businessweek cover story alleging that China has infiltrated Apple chips. Apple wants the story retracted. Erik Wemple and others have written about how the ball is in Bloomberg's court now.
Here's Friday's development: "According to multiple sources, Bloomberg was not invited to Apple's fall product event next week in Brooklyn," BF's Joseph Bernstein reported. "Apple declined to comment."
AND: Amazon, which was also named in the Bloomberg story, has "pulled its fourth-quarter ads from Bloomberg's website..."
FilmStruck struck down
Frank Pallotta emails: WarnerMedia announced Friday that FilmStruck, its classic films streaming service, will be shutting down next month. FilmStruck was for a niche audience, sure, but the streaming service was a cinephile's dream. It introduced me to dozens of old films and helped strengthen my empathy via cinema. The service was also rare because it wasn't about what's next. So many other streaming services focus on where we're going (new films, new content, new, new, new!), but FilmStruck made you stop and consider where we've been. That's important in this "on to the next one" society, and I'll greatly miss it.
But the business rationale makes sense: WarnerMedia is redirecting $$$ to the streaming service that will launch in late 2019. Here's hoping FilmStruck's great catalog of classics are a part of the new service...
Fox Nation's launch date
I missed this yesterday: Fox's bright red streaming service, Fox Nation, will launch on November 27. And the monthly cost will be $5.99. Fox announced the details on Thursday. I'm very interested to see if this service takes off. Fox says it's for "superfans," so it's chock full of conservative opinion shows... Fox still wants people to subscribe to cable and watch its channels, but with Fox Nation it gets another bite at the apple, another source of revenue for its particular brand of programming...
-- BTW: Do you think President Trump will get a complimentary subscription?
FOR THE RECORD, PART THREE
By Julia Waldow:
-- Nellie Bowles has some fascinating stories about an increasing wariness of screens in the place where they're most present -- Silicon Valley. Parents in the tech sector are weaning their kids off the devices; nannies are being told not to use phones and tablets near their charges; and a new digital divide is growing across the country among children of different socioeconomic classes... (NYT)
-- WhatsApp is adding stickers to its messaging platform... (TechCrunch)
-- As the midterms near, the Student Press Law Center is offering student journalists a guide to publishing political ads... (SPLC)
| | 'Ray Donovan' brings 'fixer' baggage to New York swing
Brian Lowry emails: "Ray Donovan" has received more than its share of off-season publicity, mostly in the context of the "fixer" role that Michael Cohen played for Trump. (Cohen even tagged the show in a tweet, before his plea deal.) The Showtime series finally returns, but it's carrying some more conventional baggage, with a move to New York shaking things up after last season's questionable cliffhanger finale.
Read Lowry's full review here...
Is Apu out of the picture?
Daniella Emanuel emails: Following criticism over the depiction of Apu from "The Simpsons," IndieWire reports that the show is getting rid of the character. Producer Adi Shankar, who launched a script contest earlier this year in an attempt to solve the "Apu problem," told the outlet he got the news from two "Simpsons" employees and a third source who works with creator Matt Groening. When asked for a response to Shankar's statement, Fox said "Apu appeared in the 10/14/18 episode 'My Way or the Highway to Heaven.'"
That's a wrap on today's newsletter... Shout out to Oliver for all the help today...
Email me here anytime... And see you Sunday! | | | |
