THE LATEST ARTICLES
MEDIA
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November 2, 2022
A Licht in the Attic
In the last 72 hours, at least twenty CNN employees (on-air talent, rank-and-file staff, and more) have called or texted me, many of them unsolicited, to convey that things have never been worse.
MEDIA
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October 28, 2022
The Chris Licht Gut Punch
CNN staffers are in a panic over forthcoming layoffs, pining for Zucker, and waiting for the next shoe to drop. The party line is “right-sizing,” but Licht and Zaslav’s new approach—a smaller digital footprint, fewer original series and films, cross-functional consolidation—appears to reflect a growing delta between the CNN they inherited and what they want it to be.
MEDIA
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October 26, 2022
Politico’s New Playbook
A couple recent flagship hires at the Beltway Bible represent a new chapter in the talent wars—and the influence of its new owner, Axel Springer.
MEDIA
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October 21, 2022
Tapper Troubles & Semafornication
News and notes on the industry’s inside conversation: a check-in on the Tapper experiment, Murdoch curiosities, and Semafor’s launch.
MEDIA
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October 19, 2022
The Murdoch Succession Moment Arrives
New reporting on Lachlan’s ascension, Rupert’s merger rationale and Journal-Fox rollup fears.
MEDIA
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October 14, 2022
A Wrinkle at ‘The Times’
Friday news and notes on the inside conversation coursing through the media business, from Times grumblings to Tapper’s primetime performance.
MEDIA
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October 12, 2022
Timesism & Its Discontents
The New York Times is stronger than ever—lightyears ahead of the Post in subscription, acquisitive, by far the most influential beacon of journalism on Earth. And yet a string of amicable high-profile journalistic departures has led some Media Cassandras to shriek. Big deal? No deal? Well, it’s the Times, after all, so it’s a thing.
HOLLYWOOD
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October 7, 2022
More MSNBC Murmurs & CNN Fantasy Football
News and notes emanating from the media industry on a fall Friday: the Semafor pre-launch buzz, Punchbowl rumors, the Licht vision, and the MSNBC pickle.
HOLLYWOOD
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October 5, 2022
MSNBC’s Wagnerian Opera
Alex Wagner’s early ratings suggest that the MSNBC audience may be actively tuning her out. It’s an invitation for Tapper and Licht to quit the apparent mutual disarmament pact around 9 p.m. and take back the hour.
HOLLYWOOD
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September 30, 2022
A Tree Falls in Late Night
Trevor Noah, not even 40, is the latest star to pull the plug on his own late night show—once again proving that the linear big bang has landed after 11:30, and may soon upend Colbert, Fallon, and Kimmel, too.