Sneak peek: Fox Nation will launch on Tuesday, a Facebook exec will field Q's about "fake news," and the White House will hold a rare press briefing. Scroll down for details...
It's about the lying
Again and again and again in the Trump age, the story is the lying. On Monday evening, prosecutors alleged that Paul Manafort "breached" his plea agreement by repeatedly lying to the FBI and special counsel Robert Mueller's office while purportedly cooperating with the Mueller probe.
And just like that, the Mueller investigation was front and center again in a very big way. What did Manafort lie about and how did Mueller's team know?
>> Jeffrey Toobin on Anderson Cooper's show: "If I were Trump, I would be unnerved that Mueller's office knows enough about the facts of this case to say 'you're lying.' How do they know that? Who told them? What documents do they have? What tapes do they have? THAT has gotta be unnerving..."
>> "If the government is to be believed here, that Manafort lied, Manafort's committed legal suicide," Tom Winter said on Chris Hayes' show. "What this document says is that he's lied on a variety of subjects..."
>> Garrett Graff tweeted: "Huge opportunity here for Mueller to push more material into public view. Stay tuned…"
Fox's framing
Martha MacCallum briefly mentioned the Manafort bombshell in her 7pm hour. Tucker Carlson didn't bring it up at all. While CNN and MSNBC's 8pm hours began with long, informative segments about the breaking news, Carlson ignored it. But he did cover part of the Mueller probe by expressing sympathy for George Papadopoulos, who began a 14-day prison sentence on Monday. Lying was at the heart of that case, too.
Carlson's banners included "IS AMERICA 'SAFER' NOW?" and "WHERE'S THE RUSSIA COLLUSION?" At 9, Sean Hannity said Manafort was merely refusing to go along with Mueller's "narrative," standing up to "threats and coercion..."
Speaking of Fox...
Birth of Fox Nation
21st Century Fox is launching a new streaming service, Fox Nation, full of conservative politics and entertainment programming, on Tuesday morning. | | This is a big test of the Fox News audience and a big extension of the Fox brand. The Murdochs are trying to convince the biggest fans of Fox News, who already pay for cable every month, to pay more for extra programming on the internet.
THE RISK: The streaming service could have technical snafus, could have a hard time attracting subscribers, or could flop for other reasons. It could cannibalize Fox's TV audience and undermine the core business.
THE REWARD: The streaming service could hand Fox a huge new revenue stream and a direct relationship with fans. It could give Fox more control over its future and more leverage in dealings with cable companies. It could be the jumping off point for more Fox-branded products, now that fans have signed up with their credit cards.
What Fox Nation is all about
-- Fox has been encouraging sign-ups for almost a month, using its prime time TV shows and other powerful megaphones.
-- It is not a "news" channel per se. It is all about opinion and entertainment. The programming is resolutely right-wing and pro-Trump.
-- It looks like a slimmed-down version of Netflix or Hulu, with shelves full of on-demand shows.
-- There isn't a daily schedule because there isn't a TV-style linear feed. But there will be some live shows, including "Liberty Files with Judge Napolitano," "UN-PC" with co-hosts Britt McHenry and Tyrus, and "Reality Check with David Webb."
-- This is cool: Users can opt in for push notifications when the live shows begin...
-- The live shows will be during the day, so they don't conflict with "Fox & Friends" or prime time...
-- It will be up and running at 7 a.m. ET on Tuesday...
A purer form of the drug
"When Fox News isn't Fox News-y enough for you." That's not the slogan for Fox Nation, but perhaps it could be. As Michael Grynbaum put it in this NYT story, "Fox Nation may be the id of Fox News." There will be documentaries about Robert Bork and Benghazi. Twice a day segments by Tomi Lahren. Cameos from Sean Hannity and others. Fox says the service is for "superfans" -- a/k/a the viewers most committed to the cause.
I understand the business rationale, but I wonder how the people in charge -- including, or perhaps especially, the Murdochs -- justify actually going through with that business rationale. Throwing fuel on a fire might make good business sense for the Murdochs right now; that doesn't mean they should do it. This streaming service is yet another step into a tribalized, fragmented society. The filter bubble feels more and more like a filter prison...
The business bet
Fox Nation is not HBO Now or CBS All Access. It is not a new way to watch Fox News -- it is a supplement. Some of Fox's existing talk shows will be repurposed on the platform, yes, but only as audio replays. So this is all about getting the MAGAsphere to pay $5.99 a month for shows without threatening the cable companies.
How many have paid? Fox "is not divulging," Grynbaum says, but the company is said to be "pleased by the initial response."
The LAT's Stephen Battaglio says Fox "won't disclose its investment in Fox Nation." But keep in mind, virtually all of the hosts are already on the network's payroll, so the costs are mostly in production and marketing. John Finley is the exec in charge of the startup... Per Battaglio, he "said the service could be financially successful without reaching 1 million subscribers..."
"Diamond & Silk" are on board
Oliver Darcy emails: Fox News announced Monday that pro-Trump social media personalities "Diamond & Silk" have agreed to make a weekly video for Fox Nation. It will be "five minutes of commentary, focused on events of the day and casual discourse."
>> Some context: Fox has a long history of allowing "Diamond & Silk" to appear on its programs and use its airwaves to mislead people (see here). This announcement only made that official...
The bottom line
-- This streaming service makes sense for several reasons. It creates more shelf space for contributors who might be agitating for a show of their own. Fox execs can use Fox Nation to groom talent and try out future shows for the TV network...
-- The streaming service is not ad-supported, so execs don't have to worry about ad boycott efforts...
-- Nor do they have to worry about ratings... Nielsen won't be measuring anything... Viewership tends to be very low for these kinds of startups, but as long as Fox's superfans keep renewing their subscriptions, that's OK...
-- A rival media exec adds: "No outlet can be afraid of experimenting with a new way to drive revenue and connect with audiences." And "if it doesn't work, at least they'll have gained data on a few hundred of their most passionate loyalists -- and they'll be able to cater new products to them..."
"I don't believe it"
Such a sad contrast. At the exact same time NASA experts were celebrating a successful landing on Mars on Monday, President Trump was dismissing his own admin's new climate change report. He told reporters on the South Lawn of the W.H., "I don't believe it."
>> Renato Mariotti responded on Twitter: "Climate change isn't something you 'believe' in, like ghosts. It is a scientific fact. If Trump denied the theory of gravity, he would still fall to the earth if he jumped from an airplane."
"Life and death" consequences while Trump denies reality
Trump was "publicly dismissing the expert findings of his own administration," Jake Tapper said on "The Lead" Monday afternoon.
Tapper noted that more than 300 scientists and other experts were involved. This, he said, is "part of a pattern that you're familiar with, I'm sure, where the president disregards facts in favor of whatever reality he finds most politically or personally expedient at the moment. Vaccines cause autism. That's false, but he believes it. He saw multiple New Jersey Muslims celebrating 9/11 on television. That's false, but he believes it. The list goes on and on. But now the consequences are literally life and death. And the president is ignoring the conclusions of the experts who work in his administration, such as the CIA's assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was behind the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi or the intelligence community's conclusion that Russia sought to interfere in the 2016 presidential election..."
FOR THE RECORD, PART ONE
-- There will be a W.H. briefing on Tuesday. The first one this month. Sarah Sanders will take Q's at 1 p.m. ET...
-- Kudos to CBS correspondent Paula Reid, who fact-checked Trump in real time on Monday... When he said "Obama had a separation policy," she said "it was different" and explained why... Video here...
-- The GM cuts were a punch in the gut on Monday. Erin Burnett showed how Trump's promises to car country were hollow. And Chris Cuomo pointed out the plant closings are coming amid economic warnings... | |
Trump floats state-run TV idea
POTUS also railed against CNN on Monday, complaining about the effects of CNN International's telecasts around the world. "Something has to be done," he said, "including the possibility of the United States starting our own Worldwide Network to show the World the way we really are, GREAT!"
So it sounds like he wants his own version of Russia Today.
>> Jeremy Barr's theory: Trump "clearly misses the CNN/White House fight, which has been dormant for one week now..."
Someone should tell Trump about VOA...
As Politico's Rebecca Morin noted here, "the U.S. government currently funds Voice of America, an international radio broadcast source." And not just that: There's also Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Asia, and other projects, all under the auspices of the United States Agency for Global Media, formerly known as the Broadcasting Board of Governors...
Dems keep gaining seats
Remember that point on election night when some folks thought the Dems were struggling to even flip 23 seats to win the House? The net gain # is 38 now that Mia Love has conceded in Utah. And two races remain uncalled, California's 21st Congressional District and New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District. "The Democratic candidate leads in both races," CNN's newest story notes.
In fact, news outlets have withdrawn their projections in CA-21. On Monday night Democrat TJ Cox pulled ahead of Republican Rep. David Valadao...
>> Chris Cillizza's latest: "Yes, 2018 was a massive Democratic wave! Here's proof."
FOR THE RECORD, PART TWO
-- Our deepest condolences to Oprah Winfrey, whose mother Vernita Lee died on Thanksgiving. Lee was 83. Lisa Respers France has a full story here... (CNN)
-- WaPo is launching "Post Reports," a new "20-minute daily news podcast that will publish every weekday at 5 p.m.," starting December 3... (Digiday)
-- Michelle Castillo's latest: Facebook Watch "is pivoting to older audiences as teens tune out and publishers balk..." (CNBC)
Nine countries involved in this hearing on Tuesday
The "International Grand Committee" on Disinformation and "fake news" will meet at 11:30 a.m. local time in London on Tuesday... Reps from the UK, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Ireland, Latvia, and Singapore will be there... Along with a VP from Facebook.
Hadas Gold and Donie O'Sullivan will be covering it for CNN... Til then, read their latest, titled "The crazy tale of how the UK parliament ended up with secret Facebook documents..."
Rovell leaving ESPN
I broke this bit of news on Twitter Monday morning: ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell is leaving ESPN... But the most interesting part is what he's doing next. Rovell is close to a deal with The Action Network, a sports-betting startup, to cover the business of betting and help with content strategy. Patrick Keane recently became the company's new CEO.
"Rovell is expected to cover all things sports betting for Action, as he has done at ESPN," WaPo's Ben Strauss writes. "News of his looming departure came on the same day that Rhode Island became the eighth state to accept sports wagers..."
FOR THE RECORD, PART THREE
-- As WarnerMedia prepares to launch a streaming service in late 2019, Brad Bentley is becoming EVP for direct-to-consumer development, and Jeremy Legg is taking over Turner and HBO's tech operations... (Variety)
-- Elana Schor is hopping from Politico to The AP... (AP)
-- Steven Perlberg is leaving BuzzFeed after two years... And moving to Berlin... (Twitter)
The story behind this photo
CNN's Holly Yan writes: "Kim Kyung-Hoon has taken countless photos in his 13 days covering a migrant caravan in Mexico. But one image in particular stands out: The photo of a Honduran mother and her 5-year-old twin girls running away from tear gas." You surely saw the photo on Sunday night and again on Monday. | | "Immediately after the tear gas, the woman and girls fled to a migrant camp in Tijuana, about a 30-minute walk away. It's not clear what will happen to the family next." Read on...
Out: "Crisis actors." In: "Staged photo."
Oliver Darcy emails: Some members of the far-right media floated a conspiracy theory on Monday that suggested, without any real evidence, that the photo was "hoaxed" or "staged." The theory was based off the fact that photographers, who were snapping pictures of other migrants at the border, could be seen in the background of the picture. The Gateway Pundit and Daily Wire were among the outlets to promote the theory, along with right-wing personalities like Dinesh D'Souza -- who retweeted a thread on it -- and David Reaboi, who claimed cameramen were "setting up staged scenes at the border." In recent weeks, there has been an effort made by many on the right to dehumanize the migrants and portray them as a gang of criminals. This image clearly posed a threat to that, so it's no surprise that some sought to discredit it...
A nominee for "word of the year"
Oliver Darcy emails: Dictionary.com announced on Monday in a blog post that it had selected "misinformation" as 2018's word of the year. The online dictionary said "the rampant spread of misinformation poses new challenges for navigating life" and noted that tech platforms this year "have made some very high-profile decisions on how to deal with individuals and communities who spread misinformation." It also outlined ways individuals can fight misinformation. "Armed with awareness, we can all do our best to recognize misinformation when we encounter it and work toward stopping its spread," the blog post said...
Lowry recommends "Icebox"
Brian Lowry emails: A full review will come later, but having just watched it, it's hard imagine a more timely film than "Icebox," a look at a young Honduran boy's attempt to seek asylum in the United States. The movie -- from first-time director Daniel Sawka, expanded from his master's thesis short and produced by James L. Brooks' Gracie Films -- was acquired by HBO, which will premiere it on Dec. 7...
| | FOR THE RECORD, PART FOUR
Via Sandra Gonzalez and Megan Thomas:
-- In the wake of #MeToo, "these women have their long-overdue seats in the corner offices vacated by men." Robin Wright and Christiane Amanpour are among the women on Elle's list...
-- "I Think About This A Lot" by The Cut's Ali Jaffe: Ina Garten saying "Store-bought is fine..."
Who is Lena Dunham becoming?
The Cut's Allison P. Davis gets at that question in this must-read profile...
| | By Chloe Melas:
-- Padma Lakshmi spoke on "Today" about how a Trump tweet led her to write an NYT op-ed about being raped as a teen...
-- Amanda Bynes opened up to Paper Magazine about her public meltdown...
-- I sat down with "Shark Tank" star and cyber security CEO Robert Herjavec...
CBS needs a new partner for MacGyver
"George Eads is taking another early leave from a CBS drama," THR reports. "The actor will exit the network's MacGyver reboot on which he has co-starred since the pilot. Sources tell THR that the CSI grad had an altercation in October and stormed off the show's Atlanta set despite having several remaining hours of production remaining for the day." He's been back at work since, but now he's out... And his character "will be written out..."
Meet "Judge Jerry"
Jerry Springer is returning to daytime TV with a new show, "Judge Jerry," backed by NBCUniversal TV Distribution. Chloe Melas has all the details here...
Rethinking "Last Tango in Paris"
Brian Lowry emails: The Boston Globe's Ty Burr has a very thoughtful look at the problematic aspects of one of the late director Bernardo Bertolucci's signature films, "Last Tango in Paris," and how to process that in remembering him...
FOR THE RECORD, PART FIVE
By Lisa Respers France:
-- Kim Kardashian West says she was high on ecstasy when she got married the first time and when she made her now-famous sex tape...
-- "Shrek" writer Terry Rossio has apologized for using the N-word in a tweet during a discussion about the anti-vaccination movement...
-- Rihanna's fans were not happy about Chris Brown's recent comments on her sultry Instagram pics...
| | How to catch up on "Reliable Sources"
If you missed Sunday's show, you can listen to the podcast via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or TuneIn... Watch the video clips on CNN.com... Or watch the full program via CNNgo or VOD...
All eyes on Mississippi
On Sunday's "Reliable," I spoke with Lamar White Jr., whose work may have tipped the race. He's the publisher of the Bayou Brief, and he was the first to post an explosive video of Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith talking about a "public hanging." He told me, "I still don't understand exactly what she meant by it. It's not a compliment..."
Fox's new "villain"
It's Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. On "Reliable," Cenk Uygur and Olivia Nuzzi joined me to discuss her social media prowess. Uygur, who championed Ocasio-Cortez's candidacy, said "she uses social media as a jiu-jitsu to turn their attacks against them."
But Nuzzi pointed out that tweets and grams are no substitute for interviews with reporters. Here's the segment...
Thanks for reading. Email me feedback anytime! See you tomorrow...
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