EXEC SUMMARY: Hey there, this is Oliver Darcy, in for Brian Stelter with my first newsletter of 2020! Scroll down below for the conflicting views Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson delivered to their viewers on Iran, Anderson Cooper's scathing segment on Stephanie Grisham, headlines from Harvey Weinstein's trial, CNBC's apology, and more. But first...
The three I's
As 2020 gets underway, the news cycle -- as some observers have noted -- can be boiled down to three i's: Iran, impeachment, and Iowa. News outlets are keeping the escalating tensions with Iran front and center. Iran was the top story on each of the broadcast news programs Monday.
But Iran isn't the only major story. News outlets are also aggressively covering impeachment and the Democratic primary. The Iowa Caucus is under a month away, and each day brings fresh news on the impeachment front. If we know anything about what the weeks ahead will bring us, it's that it will be a tricky balancing act for news orgs to give each of these stories the attention they deserve..
All three i's...
Are on Page One of Tuesday's New York Times, with the John Bolton news and the Iran crisis above the fold: | |
Is Hannity being briefed?
Sean Hannity opened his Fox show on Monday night, spouting off on Iran in a nearly 10-minute monologue full of bluster. But what was really interesting was the detail Hannity offered about the US' strategy toward the regime. Hannity, for one, insisted that the US "won't be going with boots on the ground in Iran. That's not going to happen."
And then Hannity proceeded to list some targets the US might hit if Iran retaliates for the killing of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani. "They got three major oil refineries and we know where they are," Hannity said. "They have nuclear facilities, we know where they are. We know Iran's terrorist network -- maybe even the mullah's themselves."
>> It's fair to ask: Has Hannity been briefed? Does he know more about the US' plans with regard to Iran than some members of Congress?
Meanwhile, Tucker wonders what happened to the "deep state"
Viewers who were watching Tucker Carlson's show in the hour before likely had some whiplash. While Hannity was extremely supportive of the President's actions, Carlson was extremely skeptical. Carlson pointed out that he and other Fox hosts had considered the intelligence agencies to be "politically tainted and suspect." But now, Carlson noted, some of those same voices are asking Americans to blindly trust those very institutions as the country edges closer to possible war with Iran.
"It seems like about 20 minutes ago, we were denouncing these very people as the 'deep state' and pledging never to trust them again without verification," Carlson said. "But now, for some reason, we do see to trust them, implicitly and completely. In fact, we believe whatever they tell us, no matter how outlandish."
>> Related: "Fox & Friends" host Ainsley Earhardt said Monday she finds it "so interesting" that people are critical of the "intelligence community's decisions." As Carlson pointed out (though he did not name anyone), that is quite a statement to make, given Fox's programming over the past two years...
Bottom line re: Fox
While Carlson might be a vocal critic against action against Iran, it's worth pointing out that he is greatly outnumbered on Fox. Most of the channel's commentators seem in favor of Trump's actions toward Iran. Hannity, for his part, even mocked "stupid commentators on TV" who are "whining" about Trump's decision...
FOR THE RECORD, PART ONE
-- Pete Hegseth gets profiled in NYT as a key member of Trump's "unofficial policy advisers" from Fox... (NYT)
-- What kind of advice might Trump get from Hegseth? On Monday, Hegseth defended targeting Iran's cultural sites, saying, "By the way, I don't care about Iranian cultural sites..." (Mediaite)
-- Someone who does care about targeting cultural sites is Defense Secretary Mark Esper. The top headline on CNN.com Monday night: "Defense secretary contradicts Trump..." (CNN)
-- Lou Dobbs is keeping up his propaganda-like praise of Trump. On Monday he said, "It is a shame that this country which has -- is benefitting so much from this president's leadership does not understand their obligations to a leader who is ... making it possible for all of us..." (Media Matters)
-- A poorly worded letter that a top general said was released by "mistake" on Monday prompted chaos about whether US troops were being moved out of Iraq... (CNN)
-- Pictures from Soleimani's funeral aired all morning on cable news. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen, who was broadcasting from Tehran, said, "I've been at many protests and mourning ceremonies here in this country. I've never seen one with that many people and with the same kind of vibe…a lot of those people extremely angry at the United States..." (Twitter)
-- As Stelter has said, it's the job of media org's in this complex time to shed light and inform readers. This great NYT explainer on presidential war powers does just that... (NYT)
Anderson Cooper: Taxpayers paying Grisham to avoid them
Monday marked the 301st day that has gone by without a formal White House press briefing from the press secretary. And, as Anderson Cooper noted in a scathing "Ridiculist" segment Monday night, there is still "no sign at the podium" of Stephanie Grisham. Grisham has yet to hold a single press briefing since she took over as White House press secretary, leading Cooper to joke that viewers might not even know who she is.
"If you're wondering: 'Who is Stephanie Grisham?', you're probably not a regular Fox News viewer," Cooper said. "Because that channel is seemingly the one place she feels safe enough to regularly appear. And yes, your taxpayer dollars are indeed paying Miss Grisham to avoid you, ironically, like it's her job."
Speaking of almost only appearing on Fox...
When did Lindsey Graham become a Fox contributor? | | Once upon a time, Lindsey Graham was a Republican senator who was not afraid to exit the Fox-verse and appear on other networks. But, in recent months, Graham has been appearing almost exclusively on Fox. In fact, he's become a regular fixture on the president's favored network.
Since September 1, 2019, Graham has appeared at least 36 times on either Fox News or Fox Biz. He has appeared twice on CBS News in that time frame. We couldn't locate any other interviews he has sat down for on other networks...
"We have limited time..."
I emailed Kevin Bishop, Graham's comms director, and asked why the senator has been doing so much Fox, while avoiding other networks. Bishop said that Fox has the "highest ratings" on cable news. "We have limited time and going to higher rated networks and shows are the best use of our limited time," Bishop said. So I asked Bishop why Graham is largely eschewing broadcast TV, since many broadcast newscasts out-rate Fox News. I also asked why Graham was more than happy to appear on CNN over the years -- until recently.
Bishop's responses were not persuasive. He said that ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN talk to Graham regularly in the hallways of Congress, which is true, but those aren't the same as sit-down interviews. Bishop then claimed that "the ratings for CNN have continued to drop sharply." This is, of course, totally false. Right-wing websites like to cherry-pick stats to claim otherwise, but all of the cable news networks are doing well. As Stelter noted recently on his show, cable news #'s were fairly stable in 2019...
When the call comes from inside the house
Congressman Paul Gosar on Monday shared a doctored photo to attack former President Obama. The photo, which initially showed Obama shaking hands with India's prime minister, was manipulated to show him shaking hands with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. "The world is a better place without these guys in power," Gosar wrote. (Which is strange because, last time I checked, Rouhani is still in office.) When called out, Gosar doubled down.
Separately, conservative radio host Monica Matthews, who has filled in for Sean Hannity before, used a fake quote to attack Rashida Tlaib as a "domestic terrorist." When called out, she too doubled down.
It seems that the focus is often on foreign disinformation and what other countries might be doing to meddle in the Democratic process. But each of these examples is an excellent illustration of the disinformation that is spread by Americans here at home. The call is often coming from inside the house...
CNBC's apology | | Brian Stelter emails: Yet another instance of a TV network making a 2020 graphic mistake: CNBC showed venture capitalist Geoff Yang in a graphic purporting to show Andrew Yang's fundraising total, and Kirsten Gillibrand's face instead of Tulsi Gabbard in the same graphic. The errors went viral. CNBC issued an on-air correction and said "we apologize for that mistake." Individually, these types of screw-ups are fleeting and relatively minor, but taken together, they cause supporters of candidates like Yang to harbor distrust of the media... Especially when the corrections don't get seen and heard as much as the errors do...
TUESDAY PLANNER
The CES show floor opens in Vegas...
Joe Biden sits down for an interview with Lester Holt...
Mike Pence tapes an interview with Norah O'Donnell...
Lisa Rogak's new biography of Rachel Maddow hits bookshelves...
The "Jeopardy!" greatest of all time event begins in prime time on Tuesday night...
FOR THE RECORD, PART TWO
-- Trump unfollowed the @DRUDGE_REPORT account on Monday. The move comes after Matt Drudge soured on Trump. But it's also worth noting it has become clear as of late the @DRUDGE_REPORT Twitter account is a fan account, not run by Drudge himself... (Twitter)
-- NYT editor Dean Baquet to Joe Pompeo: "I do think the press is being appropriately questioning in this case. That's what we are supposed to do — ask hard questions when the government does its most serious business. And nothing is more serious than military intervention..." (VF)
-- Stephen Colbert on the "Late Show" Monday night: "This is it, folks. This is what's been keeping you up at night for the last three years. It wasn't the baggy suits. It wasn't 'covfefe.' It was his ability to wage war with no understanding of the consequences..." (Beast)
A glimpse into the private chats between Trump and Limbaugh?
Trump phoned into Rush Limbaugh's radio program on Monday and ranted and raved about everything from Iran to immigration to the media. At one point, while discussing the Mueller report, Trump said, "Even I was impressed with how clean I am, Rush." Limbaugh replied back, "You may be cleaner than any previous president we can think of."
Clearly, they are in an alternate world. But I was kind of wondering: Is that how they speak when in private? Was that a glimpse into their off-camera interactions?
Top journalists offer 2020 predictions
The editors at Columbia Journalism Review partnered with The Guardian to publish an article on Monday which asked top journalism voices for their thoughts on how media outlets will cover the 2020 election. The whole thing is worth a read, but I've pulled some highlights...
-- Ben Smith: "The media has this incredible quadrennial habit of learning all the lessons of four years ago and applying them when the medium has already moved on. Things keep changing, yet we fight the last war. So I think the media is totally prepared not to repeat the mistakes of the last cycle, like giving Trump endless livestreams and letting him use provocative tweets to dominate the conversation, but I'm sure we will f**k it up in some new way we aren't expecting."
-- Chris Hayes: "To me, the biggest sin of 2016 was proportionality. Particularly vis-a-vis Hillary Clinton and the email story, and then the Wikileaks story."
-- Dean Baquet: "In 2016 I think the media got the country wrong. I don't think we got Trump. We didn't understand how much the country was angry at elites, upset about the fallout from the economic crisis."
-- Charlie Sykes: "Going back to 2016 ... it's difficult to remember that there was still a lot of diversity of opinion in conservative media. There were a lot of conservative commentators and talk show hosts who were very critical of Donald Trump. What's really changed is how increasingly tribalized the media has become."
Judge Judy endorses Bloomberg
The 2020 election has just been infused with the addition of another reality television star. Judith Sheindlin, most commonly known as "Judge Judy," announced Monday that she was endorsing Michael Bloomberg. Sheindlin filmed a campaign ad for Bloomberg that the former NYC mayor's campaign said is set to run "across digital channels and in relevant broadcast programming across 26 states."
>> Sheindlin was on Chris Cuomo's show Monday night. She told Cuomo she "looked at that [Democratic] field" and didn't "see greatness there..."
Why it could matter
Former CBS executive Joe Ferullo wrote that while "celebrity endorsements are a well-worn part of politics," Sheindlin's "could be different." Why? "Audience studies conducted during my years as a CBS executive working with the 'Judge Judy' show consistently ranked her as tough, fair, honest and direct — attributes any politician would die for," Ferullo wrote in a piece.
"Unlike actors in a drama or comedy, daytime stars such as Sheindlin, Ellen DeGeneres or Dr. Phil McGraw aren't playing a role — they are simply themselves on the screen, coming into your home every single day," Ferullo added. "Viewers feel they get to know them as people, and develop a bond that's deeper than any other celebrity connection."
FOR THE RECORD, PART THREE
By Kerry Flynn:
-- Tiffany Reid is joining Bustle Digital Group as fashion director. She was most recently style director of Hearst Women's Fashion Group... (WWD)
-- Kate Knibbs is joining Wired as senior writer. She was most recently at The Ringer... (Twitter)
-- Twitter launched a new ad product called Promoted Trend Spotlight which supports 6-second videos, GIFs or images at the top of Explore... (Twitter Blog)
Sports Illustrated staffers intend to unionize
Kerry Flynn emails: Sports Illustrated staffers announced their intention to unionize on Monday, seeking better workplace protections amid turmoil at the legacy brand. The union represents about 80 staffers in print, digital and video. The union effort comes in the wake of Seattle-based startup Maven taking over the company from Meredith in October and immediately laying off more than 40 employees. Maven did not respond to a request for comment…
G/O Union slams decision to "dismiss" employee
| | Flynn emails another one: Speaking of unions, GMG Union tweeted Monday ridiculing G/O Media management's decision to "dismiss" Victor Jeffreys: "The decision to dismiss him on New Year's Eve and deny him, or his colleagues, a chance at closure was callous. He was the backbone of company morale and culture. We are extremely disappointed in management's cowardly action."
>> A G/O spokesperson declined to comment on the tweet...
The Weinstein trial is underway
"Day one of the Harvey Weinstein trial was proof of all the ways this is a landmark case for women's rights and legal history," BuzzFeed's Nishita Jha wrote Monday. Here's her full story.
Weinstein showed up with a walker and headed inside while a group of his accusers spoke outside court.
"Today is a day for us to honor how far we've come and how much we've endured to get here, but it is not the end," Rose McGowan said. Here is the CNN team's recap of the morning. Then came word from the west coast...
Weinstein indicted in L.A.
The NYT's Jodi Kantor wrote on Instagram: "The prosecutors are accusing Weinstein of raping one woman and assaulting another on two successive days in Beverly Hills in February 2013. Basically: of hurting women day after day. Can two trials proceed at once? No, LA is likely to wait for NY to finish. What consequences will the LA case have for the NY one? I don't know. But for Weinstein, this was a very, very bad day. He is now fighting charges on two fronts. The number of victims whose stories will be heard in court is growing."
| | Lowry's takeaways from the Globes
Brian Lowry emails: It's generally wise not to try to extrapolate too much from the Golden Globes, given that the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. remains one of the more confounding groups involved with the whole awards hierarchy.
Still, there were a few takeaways from Sunday's event, including the fact that — despite Ricky Gervais' tart admonition to the stars in attendance — politics is going to be a major part of the current awards cycle, ratings might be leveling off, and Netflix could discover there's a difference between getting nominated and overcoming the issues surrounding its movie status to actually win...
About the host:
Lowry continues: Conservatives were delighted by host Ricky Gervais skewering Hollywood and telling winners not to discuss politics during his monologue, with the term #HollywoodHypocrites trending. But it's worth noting this hardly came as a surprise to anyone who has paid attention to his past appearances, which yielded headlines like "Conservatives rally behind Ricky Gervais" as far back as the 2011 Globes ceremony.
>> As an aside: The host also again took potshots at the Hollywood Foreign Press, poking at the elderly nature of its members by comparing them to the "vegetables" served as part of the show's plant-based meal...
The ratings slipped again...
But only slightly. Per THR, the show "averaged 18.33 million viewers, a scant 2 percent drop from the 2019 show's 18.61 million.."
Writers Guild Awards nominations announced
Lowry adds: Elsewhere, the awards race took a little more shape with nominations for the Writers Guild's movie honors, with Globes drama winner "1917" among the nominees — a good sign for the movie, which opens wide this weekend. Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood" script was, notably, ineligible because he has refused to join the guild, after taking that prize on Sunday.
FOR THE RECORD, PART FOUR
By Lisa Respers France:
-- Lizzo says she's quitting Twitter because of the trolls...
-- Brad Pitt's acceptance speech at the Golden Globes was a hit because he knows there are some things we just can't get over...
-- Here's why Taylor Swift presenting with Amy Poehler at the Golden Globes was kind of a big deal...
-- Asian wins at Golden Globes are a reminder that representation matters...
NFL scores big ratings on Wild Card weekend
Frank Pallotta emails: Upsets and overtimes led to the best viewership for the NFL's Wild Card weekend in four years. The league's Wild Card playoff weekend averaged roughly 30 million viewers across four games, which was up 7% over last year's opening round, with the Ravens, 49ers, Chiefs and Packers (go Pack go!) joining the playoffs next week, the NFL's ratings victories could continue…
>> Note from Oliver here: The "Reliable" team is most definitely rooting for the Seahawks. Sorry, Frank!
| | | Thank you for reading! Send me feedback and/or tips via email, or find me on Twitter. See you tomorrow... | | | |
