THE LATEST ARTICLES
HOLLYWOOD
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August 18, 2022
The Brian Stelter Show Is Over
Brian Stelter, the CNN host and inveterate newsletter O.G. and perceived Jeff Zucker mini-me, is the latest casualty of the Licht era. His undeniably successful tenure is a powerful metaphor for the media industry’s past, present, and future.
HOLLYWOOD
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August 17, 2022
Chapek Second-Guessing & Zaz Whispers
The inside conversation in Hollywood and on Wall Street, about Warners’ synergies, HBO layoffs, and the activist investor putting Disney on notice.
MEDIA
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August 12, 2022
The ‘Times’ & Its Times
A little tickle from an activist investor throws into stark relief the Times Company’s subscriber journey and portfolio growth—especially when juxtaposed with its peer set.
MEDIA
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August 10, 2022
Axios in Wonderland
How VandeHei, Allen, Schwartz & Co. remade media in a town that doesn’t like to remake anything. Plus the latest media schadenfreude enveloping Semafor.
MEDIA
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August 5, 2022
Zaz & the Art of Investor Maintenance
In the earnings call heard round the world, David Zaslav punctured a wound in the entertainment industry’s top-line subscriber-growth fetish. Now he needs to perform the ultimate superhero task: make huge hits while cutting huge costs.
MEDIA
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August 3, 2022
Licht’s Hearts and Minds Campaign
A few months into his tenure, Licht is trying to convince Republicans not to boycott CNN, just as Walter Isaacson did two decades ago. Some things never change. But can CNN?
MEDIA
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July 29, 2022
An Alleged Affair to Remember
A close reading of the media melee over what did and didn’t happen between Sergey Brin, Elon Musk, and Nicole Shanahan reveals the second order consequences, near and far term.
MEDIA
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July 27, 2022
Cuomo’s Revenge & Condé’s Numbers
“It’s not a good look,” one of Cuomo’s former colleagues told me. Plus, notes on Remnick’s remarkable run.
HOLLYWOOD
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July 22, 2022
The Tao of Ari’s Abs & Licht’s Deck Chairs
Notes on the yacht-hosing photo of our age, the latest dish on Apple’s battle with Amazon over N.F.L. rights, and the Chris Licht narrative shift.
HOLLYWOOD
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July 20, 2022
Chris Licht’s New No. 2
Three months after taking the reins of a Zucker-less CNN, Licht is appointing a “head of editorial” to effectively function as the newsroom’s new Zucker, or the closest thing to him, and allowing himself to focus on the bigger-picture questions. Such as: Who will helm CNN’s new morning show?