| | | | | Exec summary: ESPN is suddenly searching for a new president; NPR is promoting Mary Louise Kelly; Facebook is demoting "engagement bait;" the BBC is making a doc about Harvey Weinstein; and "The Office" could be returning to NBC... | | At the end of a year full of conspiratorial thinking and alleged cover-ups, it's downright refreshing to have an actual UFO story in the news...
Sunday's New York Times story about "the Pentagon's mysterious U.F.O program" and unexplained sightings in the sky began to get more media attention on Monday... Partly thanks to the strange videos released by the DOD's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. | | On "Erin Burnett OutFront" Monday night, Luis Elizondo, who used to run the government's secret UFO unit, said "my personal belief is that there's very compelling evidence that we may not be alone." Here's the interview...
-- The counterargument: "It's definitely crazy to spend $22 million to research UFOs," a guest said on "The Situation Room..." | | ESPN president John Skipper was hiding a substance abuse problem for many years. On Monday, he stopped hiding.
"I have decided that the most important thing I can do right now is to take care of my problem," Skipper told stunned colleagues on Monday morning.
And with that, one of the most powerful people in both the media and sports worlds stepped down from his post.
What was the triggering event? Did Skipper reach some sort of breaking point? That's unknown. When Skipper's memo came out, I wondered if an embarrassing newspaper expose was about to hit -- but it's been 12 hours now, and there's been nothing. Here's the full CNN writeup by Ahiza Garcia and I... | | "Addiction doesn't follow neat and orderly lines" | | When I asked the "why now" question, a well-placed source said something that has stuck with me all day long. "Addiction doesn't follow neat and orderly lines," the source said.
This individual also said last week's Disney-Fox deal had nothing to do with Skipper's announcement... | | Disney had just renewed his contract... | | Earlier this year, Disney re-upped Skipper's contract through 2021. The contract renewal news leaked out one month ago. That's what made Monday's news even more shocking. Skipper apparently managed to keep his addiction a secret from even his closest confidants.
"The number who knew before Friday night? Zero. With 99.9% not knowing until this morning," James Andrew Miller tweeted.
The news broke just after 11am ET. Skipper was not at work in Bristol. The aforementioned source put it this way: "He made a choice. He chose his life." | | SI's sports media reporter Richard Deitsch is a must-read on a day like this. He says "you cannot overstate the shock this will be to the ESPN ecosystem."
-- From Deitsch's story: An ESPN spokesperson "said he did not know the nature of the addiction, nor did any staffer spoken to for this piece..." | | Skipper took over ESPN in 2012. His predecessor George Bodenheimer, who served as president of the network from 1998 to 2011, is now back in charge as the "acting chair." He'll be in Bristol in the coming days... But I think it's notable that there's a timetable for his appointment. ESPN says he is in place for the next 90 days to help Bob Iger find a new president.
"I've stayed in close contact with John, and I believe in the direction he's taking ESPN," Bodenheimer said in a statement. If anything, that's an understatement -- he sat next to Skipper at the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame just last week...
-- Jim Miller tweeted: "Keep in mind that most executives at #espn were hired by Bodenheimer. This is the easiest transition possible under circumstances..." | | Who could be the next ESPN president? | | "Throughout its history, ESPN always has turned inwards to find its next president," SBJ's John Ourand writes. With the job unexpectedly open now, "the front runner clearly appears to be Exec VP/Affiliate Sales & Marketing Justin Connolly," he says.
Bloomberg's story names both Connolly and ESPN programming boss Connor Schell as "likely internal candidates." The NYT mentions both of them, plus Russell Wolff and Burke Magnus.
Other names that come to mind: Disney execs Jimmy Pitaro and Kevin Mayer... F1's Sean Bratches, who wanted the ESPN prez job back before Skipper was hired... Ourand's story even mentions Sheryl Sandberg... | | Skipper met with ESPN's entire on-air talent roster just five days ago... | | Just to reiterate how sudden and surprising this news was -- last week Skipper hosted "Talent Gathering 2017" for, Deitsch says, nearly 500 staffers. All of ESPN's famous faces, voices, bylines, were there.
Some of those figures expressed support for Skipper via Twitter when the news hit. "John Skipper is one of the finest people I've ever worked for," Jemele Hill wrote. "I wish my boss the best in his battle," Dick Vitale wrote. "All and only the best to John and his family as he takes on this challenge -- one that so many deal with in silence," Michele Steele wrote. Here's my roundup of the reactions... | | Mary Louise Kelly succeeding Robert Siegel | | | The "All Things Considered" transition plan is set: Robert Siegel will sign off in mid-January, and on January 17, Mary Louise Kelly will begin co-hosting alongside Audie Cornish and Ari Shapiro. Kelly McEvers "will step down at the end of January," NPR says, "but will continue her work as host and executive producer of 'Embedded,' which will increase its output in 2018..." | | | -- Vogue's Bridget Read writes: "The appointment is a promotion for Kelly, a reporter and author who most recently served as NPR's national security correspondent and a guest host on various NPR programs. It's also something of a bold move on behalf of the news organization, given that it was Kelly who confronted NPR's CEO, Jarl Mohn, in an unscripted, nationally broadcast interview in early November..." | | Reuters reporters still detained in Myanmar | | | "It has been a week since Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested. We and their families continue to be denied access to them or to the most basic information about their well-being and whereabouts," Reuters EIC Stephen J. Adler said Monday. "We learned today that the government has authorized the police to proceed with a case against them. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are journalists who perform a crucial role in shedding light on news of global interest, and they are innocent of any wrongdoing. We are grateful for the widespread expressions of support and we call for their immediate release." | | -- "Beginning in January, the Atlantic will launch a metered paywall that will kick in after readers access 10 articles for free in a given month..." (WSJ)
-- Teen Vogue's final print issue features three young women, "aka not celebs," on the cover... (Digiday)
-- Yashar Ali's latest: "Despite unprecedented upheaval, Fox News ends the year on top..." (HuffPost)
-- Maxwell Tani obtained docs that show "Mashable was in deep trouble financially" before it sold to Ziff Davis... (BI) | | | "President Trump has finally arrived at Walt Disney World. And, yes, he speaks," Brooks Barnes writes in Tuesday's NYT. "After a delay that prompted online conspiracy theories, the most common one being that Disney was trying to silence Mr. Trump, Disney World unveiled an audio-animatronic robot in his life-size likeness on Monday as part of its famed Hall of Presidents exhibit." Here are all the details... | | This Facebook tweak will hurt some brands | | | CNN Tech's Kaya Yurieff reports: "Facebook wants users to stop posting 'engagement bait.' On Monday, the social network said it would start demoting posts that exploit its algorithm, which prioritizes updates with high engagement. These posts, which encourage users to interact with likes, shares and comments, often show up in more News Feeds. One such example: 'Tag a friend who is a Capricorn...'" | | Sheila Nevins leaving HBO | | Brian Lowry emails: HBO made it official on Monday, announcing that Sheila Nevins would be leaving the network next year, following Nevins' exit interview with Maureen Dowd that was published over the weekend.
An announcement is expected this week regarding her replacement (Nevins was basically given her solo moment in the spotlight). He or she is expected to come from within the pay channel's ranks... | | Erick Erickson leaving Fox | | Hadas Gold emails: After five years as a Fox News contributor, Erick Erickson says he's moving on. Erickson said in a note on his website that he has felt for some time he doesn't fit in there anymore, and told Fox executives so.
"I am neither anti-Trump nor pro-Trump... All news shows on all networks tend to favor a straight R v. D panel and I'm not in those boxes anymore," he wrote... | | -- Avi Asher-Schapiro tweeted: "I'm joining the Committee to Protect Journalists as a U.S. Correspondent covering press freedom & threats to journalists in the United States..."
-- Is the Sinclair-owned station in Flint, Michigan serving the public well? HuffPost's Eliot Nelson went there to find out... (HuffPost)
-- Here's a new Brookings study: "How to combat fake news and disinformation..." (Brookings) | | PBS to Tavis Smiley: Get your story straight | | | Tavis Smiley went on ABC, Fox and CNN on Monday to condemn PBS for suspending his talk show in the wake of an investigation into inappropriate conduct. "PBS made a huge mistake," he said on "GMA." Within hours, PBS fired back at him, saying the investigation "revealed a pattern of multiple relationships with subordinates over many years," and adding that more allegations "are continuing to come to light since last week's announcement." Here's Joe Sterling's full story... | | | --> Smiley on "Tucker Carlson Tonight:" "We're starting to criminalize legitimate relationships between consenting adults." He hinted that his battle could "end up in court..." | | "When harassment drives women out of journalism" | | | Katherine Goldstein has been studying this issue... Here's her latest report, this time for Vox... | | Matt Lauer "did it so effortlessly with me, that I thought for sure there HAD to be other women. But I didn't know there were other COLLEAGUES," former "Today" show P.A. Addie Zinone said on Megyn Kelly's show Monday morning. Zinone described the "consensual relationship" she had with Lauer, and how the "abuse of power" affected her later. I wonder if there's tension within NBC over Kelly's decision to interview a Lauer accuser?
--> Monday on "NBC Nightly News:" Cynthia McFadden interviewed three Dustin Hoffman accusers...
--> Tuesday morning: Kelly will interview two Russell Simmons accusers... | | BBC plans "definitive" documentary on Harvey Weinstein | | | Megan Thomas emails: In a press announcement, the BBC said the 90-minute film "will bring fresh insights and revelations to the epic story of Weinstein's rise and fall as well as revealing one of the most far-reaching scandals in Hollywood's history -- one which is still developing." Currently titled "Weinstein," the documentary will be directed by Ursula MacFarlane and produced by Lightbox. No release date yet... | | All those anti-Mueller segments on Fox? Trump has been watching... | | Fox's weekend segment suggesting an anti-Trump "coup" continued to stir criticism on Monday, including from MSNBC's Ari Melber, who showed examples of "actual coups throughout history," Mediaite's Josh Feldman reported.
Meanwhile, some of President Trump's favorite shows kept up the anti-Robert Mueller, anti-FBI segments on Monday. "A White House adviser said the president has enjoyed the attacks," this new WashPost story says. "In recent weeks, he has spoken to a number of Fox News hosts, Republican lawmakers and others who have castigated Mueller's team, the adviser said." That's the feedback loop in action...
-- ICYMI: Important CNN story: "Trump predicts exoneration in Russia investigation as allies fear a 'meltdown'"
-- Related story from The Daily Beast: "A Frustrated Donald Trump Plots Counterpunches and Talks Lawsuits" | | "Our Cartoon President" coming in February | | | Brian Lowry emails: Showtime's Stephen Colbert-produced animated spoof of President Trump, "Our Cartoon President," has a Feb. 11 premiere date... The rollout plan was announced on Monday... Preview pic here: | | | For the record, part three | | | -- Chris Cillizza's latest: The nine lamest "questions" that Ivanka Trump was asked on "Fox & Friends..." (CNN)
-- This is an intriguing profile of Fox's Harris Faulkner, partly because of the grafs about Brian Kilmeade... (LAT)
-- We'll see about this: "Milstein Properties responded to the uproar over the news that its longtime tenant, Lincoln Plaza Cinema, will close in January by telling Deadline it plans to preserve the space as a movie theater after vital renovations are completed..." (Deadline)
-- Fox's "A Christmas Story Live!" didn't bring the holiday cheer, Chloe Melas reports... (CNN) | | Awful pay cuts at the DC City Paper | | | Erik Wemple tweeted this on Monday, citing an "informed" source: "Washington City Paper staffers will be undergoing a 40 percent pay cut starting in 2018. If a buyer for the publication is secured, those cuts could be staved off." Bob Mahoney of the paper's publisher Southcomm told Wemple, "We had a candid discussion this morning and that's all I'll say..." | | "The Office" coming back? | | | TVLine's Michael Ausiello broke this news on Monday: "NBC is getting ready to put pen to paper on a revival of The Office... The Peacock network is eyeing a continuation of the beloved workplace comedy for the 2018-2019 season... Steve Carell, who starred as the branch's regional manager, Michael Scott, for seven of the comedy's nine seasons, will not be involved in the new series. The search for a new RM/boss is said to be already underway." I, for one, will definitely watch the new iteration of the show... | | "Jedi" leans into political fray | | | Brian Lowry emails: The enormous box office for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" makes it an inviting target for pundits and media outlets -- who have frequently politicized aspects of the franchise in the past -- as everyone seems to have a hot take on the movie. But the latest film did seem to lean into the political fray with some of its subplots (and needless to say, SPOILER ALERT if you haven't yet seen it). Read more here... | | How will "Hamilton" play across the pond? | | Quite well, apparently. Megan Thomas emails: The hit Lin-Manuel Miranda musical -- with its decidedly patriotic view on the Revolutionary War -- opens in London's West End later this week and tickets are already sold out for the run.
--> Some advance buzz about the production in the British press: "Who or what is Hamilton? An ignorant Brit's guide to the hit musical..." | | Lowry reviews "Gunpowder" | | | Brian Lowry emails: HBO will air a three-part miniseries this week starring and produced by "Game of Thrones'" Kit Harrington. The backstory, actually, is somewhat better than the BBC-produced show, with Harrington portraying a distant relative of his who was involved in the 1605 Gunpowder Plot against the government over its persecution of Catholics... Read Lowry's full review here... | | | "Reliable Sources" TV highlights | | | Catch up on Sunday's show | | The effects of "fake news" talk | | | Committee to Protect Journalists advocacy director Courtney Radsch joined me on Sunday's "Reliable..." She said that in 2017 "the whole 'false news' issue has landed more than twice as many journalists in jail as last year." She said CPJ is seeing that the "fake" slur is being used "not only to imprison and attack journalists, but to kick them out of the country." Watch... | | | I was blown away by Tamara Holder's extraordinary statement to Rupert Murdoch. Here's the ten-minute video in its entirety. Holder, a former Fox News contributor who settled with the network, said she was breaking her NDA because Murdoch's dismissive comments about harassment ("nonsense!") had freed her to speak out. She urged TV networks to "bring us back," referring to victims of harassment and abuse. "We just want to work," she said... | | Re: the Disney-Fox deal... | | | On Sunday's show, BTIG's Rich Greenfield dismantled the White House's suggestion that the Disney-Fox deal could be a job CREATOR. He projects that it will result in thousands of job losses. Here's the video of the segment, also featuring Amy Chozick and David Folkenflik... | | | Email brian.stelter@turner.com... I appreciate every message. The feedback helps us craft the next day's newsletter! | | | Get Reliable Sources, a comprehensive summary of the most important media news, delivered to your inbox every afternoon. | | | | | |
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