Forward

"Is it always like this?"

Vivian Salama, a White House reporter for the WSJ, was with some Australian journalists who were in DC for prime minister Scott Morrison's state visit on Friday. The visiting journalists were stunned. After President Trump and Morrison's impromptu, 30-minute-long Oval Office Q&A with the press pool, one of the Aussies turned to Salama and asked, "Is it always like this?"

I suppose the answer is, no, it wasn't always like this, but nearly every day of news now feels this intense. Hours after the Oval Office Q&A and a joint presser came confirmation that Trump pressured Ukraine's president to investigate Joe Biden's son. Hillary Clinton said "the president asked a foreign power to help him win an election. Again." Trump's political allies, including some of his friends on Fox, basically said "So what, who cares?" Partisans argued about whether the real scandal was about the Biden family or Team Trump. The president told people not to believe the news. He said "the media of our country is laughed at all over the world now," then looked straight at the White House press pool and said "you're a joke." Then he kept fielding their questions. It is all shocking and confusing and exhausting and dispiriting and -- yes -- it is always like this now.

That's why I was grateful to hear some outsider perspectives from visiting members of the press...

"Disjointed and meandering"

Lenore Taylor, the editor of Guardian Australia, wrote an entire column about this topic on Friday. Taylor described what it was like to watch just one full presidential photo op -- this week's visit to the border in Otay Mesa, CA. She said it helped her "understand how the process of reporting about this president can mask and normalize his full and alarming incoherence."

While writing about the border visit, Taylor said, "I've run into what US reporters must encounter every day. I've edited skittering, half-finished sentences to present them in some kind of consequential order and repeated remarks that made little sense. In most circumstances, presenting information in as intelligible a form as possible is what we are trained for. But the shock I felt hearing half an hour of unfiltered meanderings from the president of the United States made me wonder whether the editing does our readers a disservice. I've read so many stories about his bluster and boasting and ill-founded attacks, I've listened to speeches and hours of analysis, and yet I was still taken back by just how disjointed and meandering the unedited president could sound."

In one way this is an argument in favor of the cable news networks' oft-criticized decision to show Trump's Q&A's in their entirety. Reducing a long rant into a single quote does, indeed, do a disservice to the audience, in the same way that covering a presidential smear without fact-checking it does a disservice...

WaPo v. NYT v. WSJ

Back to the Ukraine story. All week long we've seen a terrific competition between WaPo and the NYT, with the papers one-upping each other with details of the mystery whistleblower complaint. On Friday the WSJ joined the competition in a big way with details of Trump's July phone call.

"The journalism is incredible," MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace said. On CNN, Jake Tapper noted that the fresh reporting "comes from a Rupert Murdoch-backed newspaper, the WSJ – Murdoch obviously seen as a close ally of the president." A few hours later, Murdoch's son Lachlan, the CEO of Fox Corp, arrived at the state dinner with his wife Sarah. Also in attendance from Fox: Maria Bartiromo and Lou Dobbs...

FOR THE RECORD, PART ONE

-- While Kellyanne Conway was at the state dinner, her husband George was coming out with this WaPo op-ed authored with Neal Katyal: "Trump has done plenty to warrant impeachment. But the Ukraine allegations are over the top."

-- Other media figures spotted at the state dinner: Marvel chairman Ike Perlmutter and Seven Network chairman Kerry Stokes...

-- Tune in alert: Adam Schiff will join Tapper on CNN's "SOTU" Sunday morning...

Get caught up...

If I may be frank, most people have no idea what this Ukraine scandal is about. And that's not a knock on them -- it's a knock on the news media machine's tendency to blow right past the background info that's essential to understanding a developing story. So here are a few helpful backgrounders:

From Viola Granger for Just Security: "Trump and Giuliani's Quest for Fake Ukraine 'Dirt' on Biden: An Explainer."

From The Intercept's Robert Mackey: "A Republican Conspiracy Theory About a Biden-in-Ukraine Scandal Has Gone Mainstream. But It Is Not True."

CNN's brand-new explainer is leading the home page right now: "What's going on with Trump and Biden and Ukraine," by Zachary B. Wolf.

Friday's top notes and quotes

-- "Assuming the reports are true, I see three crimes here," Jeremy Bash said on MSNBC, citing extortion and two types of conspiracy charges...

-- Elizabeth Warren said that by failing to begin impeachment by now, "Congress is complicit in Trump's latest attempt to solicit foreign interference to aid him in US elections. Do your constitutional duty and impeach the president."

-- House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to Bret Baier: "I think this president has been through enough."

-- Ron Brownstein tweeted: "Every time Trump breaks a window, Republicans in Congress obediently sweep up the glass."

-- The Intercept's DC bureau chief Ryan Grim: "Trying to think what Trump would have to do for Pelosi or Schumer to think it deserves impeachment. Shoot somebody on 5th Avenue? They've become like his immovable supporters."

Trump's scandal playbook

NBC's Shannon Pettypiece is right -- he has a "tried-and-true pattern." She writes, "Step one: Deny the reports while arguing that even if true, there is nothing wrong with what was done. Step two: Divert attention to a subplot that implicates political rivals. Step three: Discredit investigators by accusing those involved of a deep state or partisan witch hunt." More here...

SPEAKING OF...

Rudy says he has a strategy

The NYT's Annie Karni and Maggie Haberman are out with a story on Rudy Giuliani reveling in "another cable dust-up defending Trump," this one on Thursday's "Cuomo Prime Time." They call it a "suicide-mission media strategy..." and he says: "Some government lawyer would be nervous to do what I do. I'm a private lawyer, I represent my client, and I'm going to prove it to you that he's innocent. Whether you like it or not, somehow I'm going to eventually get you to cover it."

FOR THE RECORD, PART TWO

-- "Greetings from Mike Pence's parallel universe." This is a super-smart Ben Terris story... (WaPo)

-- Friday night distribution deal news via Joe Flint: "DirecTV and Disney have reached an agreement in principle for new distribution deal. Crisis averted." (Twitter)

-- "The president of AT&T's Xandr is leaving the advertising and analytics unit as it begins to operate more closely with WarnerMedia," Ben Mullin and Sahil Patel report. They note that he's expected to take a job with AT&T or WarnerMedia, which of course own CNN... (WSJ)

Ahead on this Sunday's "Reliable Sources..."

I'll be joined by WaPo intelligence and national security reporter Shane Harris, plus Carl Bernstein, Samantha Vinograd, Philip Bump, Tara Dowdell, and David Zurawik... "The Education of Brett Kavanaugh" authors Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly will also join me live, Sunday at 11am ET on CNN...

WEEKEND PLANNER

A funeral mass for Cokie Roberts will be held Saturday morning... ABC News Live and NPR will stream the service on their websites...

On Sunday the Hong Kong protests enter week 16...

The much-hyped "Friends" 25th birthday is on Sunday...

Oprah is on "CBS This Morning" on Monday to announce her new book club selection, "in partnership with Apple..."

Emmy weekend is here

The pre-game shows will air all Sunday afternoon and the awards ceremony will start at 8pm ET/5pm PT at the Staples Center in L.A.

"Hollywood seemed glum" in the days leading up to TV's biggest night, though, the NYT's John Koblin wrote Friday. He says it has something to do with the writers-agents dispute. WME, CAA and UTA cancelled their Friday night parties. "But the weekend won't be a total social washout: Netflix's chief content officer Ted Sarandos is throwing an invite-only bash at his house on Friday night; The Hollywood Reporter and the Screen Actors Guild are still having their fete; and the usual post-awards-show parties hosted by HBO, Netflix and Amazon will go on."

What to expect

"This is our first Emmy Awards as FOX Entertainment -- as a new company -- and we are taking a fresh approach," Fox PR says. There won't be a host, but there will be performers: "Halsey is set to perform the tribute during this year's 'In Memoriam' with an acoustic performance," EW reports. Thomas Lennon "will provide 'refreshing, lighthearted' off-camera commentary" during the moments when winners are walking to the stage. And Adam Devine "will introduce the variety genre with a special 'whimsical' performance..."

Lowry's predictions

Brian Lowry emails your Emmy forecast: The requisite predictions of who will likely win (and who should) include big names and gusts of nostalgia. But the bigger overall story might be a steady downward trend in ratings – along with other award shows – that could see a record low this year, with the telecast playing on Fox opposite a "Sunday Night Football" game that features the L.A. Rams, no less. More...

How Hope Hicks is adjusting to L.A. life

Hope Hicks has been on the job running PR at Fox Corp for nearly a year now. Shawn McCreesh, writing for Air Mail, says execs and journalists "describe Hicks much the way the Washington press corps does: delightful and delightfully competent. (Just don't quote them on it!)"

Some of her neighbors have not been welcoming: "Recently, during a boutique fitness class at a local gym, Hicks was recognized and confronted by the instructor. Not everyone felt comfortable sweating next to someone who'd done Trump's bidding. So Hicks collected her things and bounced." McCreesh, citing Hicks' friends, say she misses DC...

FOR THE RECORD, PART THREE

-- How Bill de Blasio chose to announce his exit from the 2020 race: A live interview on "Morning Joe" Friday morning... (NBC)

-- Josh Dawsey's framing: "The mayor of South Bend outlasts the mayor of New York City..." (Twitter)

-- Bianna Golodryga, who had a part-time deal with CNN while she was on CBS, is now full-time with CNN... Her new title is senior global affairs analyst, and she'll also be doing some fill-in anchoring... (Twitter)

-- John D. Stoll penned a wonderful tribute to Paul Ingrassia, who died this week. He quotes Ingrassia's brother Larry: "Paul mastered the art of impatience." Here's why that can be so valuable in journalism... (WSJ)

Makeup artist sues Charlie Rose and Bloomberg

Charlie Rose's longtime makeup artist Gina Riggi "is suing him and Bloomberg LP, citing 'a toxic work environment suffused with sexual harassment and gender-based abuse,'" Irin Carmon reports. "She says she witnessed a lot of young women being harassed and/or groped." And says "she can back up many of the accounts of women who already accused him of harassment, and more." Read Carmon's full report for The Cut here...

>> Bloomberg responded to the suit by saying that Riggi "was a contractor of Charlie Rose Inc.," not an employee of Bloomberg. Rose's show was taped at Bloomberg HQ...

>> Rose hasn't responded. In the past he has apologized for his "inappropriate behavior" while saying he doesn't believe all the allegations against him are accurate...

"The Opioid Files"

Katie Pellico writes: Jeff Leen, WaPo's investigative editor, says the opioid crisis is a nationwide problem that requires nationwide response from the media. That's why the Post published a DEA database that the paper said "tracks the path of every single pain pill sold in the United States."

"We truly believe that this story is bigger than any one news outlet," Leen said. "It's affected almost every community throughout the nation. It really requires a nationwide level of media attention. So we believe that other people should have access to this data to see how it affected their communities."

Leen is the guest on this week's "Reliable Sources" podcast. Listen via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, or your pod player of choice, or read our recap here...

FOR THE RECORD, PART FOUR

-- Endeavor has set September 27 as its IPO trading date... (TheWrap)

-- 🔌: I'll be on "CNN Tonight with Don Lemon" later this evening, talking about this week full of Dem candidates campaigning on late-night TV...

Fox needs a hit. Is "Ad Astra" the answer?

Frank Pallotta writes: As Stelter pointed out in last night's newsletter, "Ad Astra" is opening this weekend, and while it won't break any box office records, this weekend is a big deal for Disney and 20th Century Fox.

Fox has had a dismal year at the box office since Disney acquired the studio, and other Fox assets, in March. The studio has struggled so much that CEO Bob Iger called it out during an investor call in August. The sci-fi film, which had a reported $80 million budget and stars Brad Pitt, may have a tiny opening compared to some of Disney's blockbusters, but this weekend's performance is less about breaking the ticket booth and more about Fox's reputation. The film made $1.5 million on Thursday night, so Fox is hoping it can stick the landing on Sunday...

FOR THE RECORD, PART FIVE

By Frank Pallotta:

-- Reed Hastings says "Fleabag" is the show he covets above all others... (Deadline)

-- Roku shares plunge as competitors loom... (THR)

-- Beau Willimon re-elected as president of WGA East... (Variety)

'Downton Abbey' reopens its doors in royal fashion

Brian Lowry emails: The "Downton Abbey" movie is pretty much what you'd expect it to be, for good and ill – an over-sized Christmas special, basically, with a Royal visit setting events in motion. Doing it as a movie amounts to a cash grab, but it's ultimately a fairly satisfying one.

Meanwhile, Variety is projecting a "Downton" opening weekend that would exceed expectations, which likely augurs more theatrical revivals for TV franchises.

Up next: "El Camino," the "Breaking Bad" movie, which is basically just making a pitstop in theaters en route to Netflix and AMC...

FOR THE RECORD, PART SIX

By Lisa Respers France:

-- Suzanne Whang, who viewers came to love as the voice and face of "House Hunters" for nearly a decade, died Tuesday after a long battle with cancer, according to her agent. She was 56.

-- Kenya Moore of " The Real Housewives of Atlanta" and her husband Marc Daly have split after two years.

-- Celine Dion doesn't want Drake to tattoo her face on his body.

'Between Two Ferns' plants lots of laughs in Netflix movie

Brian Lowry emails: Zach Galifianakis' web series "Between Two Ferns" gets somewhat awkwardly blown up into movie form for Netflix, but the painfully awkward celebrity interviews still feature their share of laughs, and it's worth hanging around especially for the closing outtakes, which demonstrate just how challenging it is for the interviewer and his victims to maintain straight faces.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

Your Streaming Wars scorecard

Frank Pallotta writes: Big Media and Big Tech are waging an all out streaming war to fight for your attention, not to mention your subscription dollars. To compete, the insurgents and the incumbents alike are poaching top-talent producers and making splashy announcements about exclusive content deals. Since it all can be pretty confusing to consumers, I put together a brief scorecard of who's offering what and for how much. Here you go...

Thanks for reading! Email me your feedback anytime. See you on Sunday...