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MEDIA

Black Monday: Inside the Carlson-Lemon Double Shocker

Insights and revelations regarding a stunning and extraordinary day in the media industry. (Jeff Shell, please buy these guys Rivians!)
Dylan Byers • April 25, 2023
Eriq Gardner • April 24, 2023
Rupert’s Post-Tucker, Post-Dominion Legal Headache
Gaming the Murdoch family’s Smartmatic settlement—plus, a look into a last ditch CNN legal maneuver.
Dylan Byers • April 21, 2023
Jonah and the Whale
BuzzFeed C.E.O. Jonah Peretti.
BuzzFeed News and the world it made, and didn’t make, and what happened in between.
Dylan Byers & Tina Nguyen • April 19, 2023
The Fox-Trump Curse & The Murdoch Kiss of Death
Deciphering the post-settlement legal murmurs surrounding Fox’s new vulnerabilities, audience leakage, and a potential blood sacrifice.
Fox News host Lou Dobbs told his viewers that the Dominion scandal appeared to be “the endgame to a four-and-a-half yearlong effort to overthrow the president of the United States.”
Dylan Byers • April 14, 2023
The Fox News Fall Guys
Lawyers on both sides of the Dominion v. Fox News case have zeroed in on Lou Dobbs, Jeanine Pirro, and Maria Bartiromo as the epicenter of the network’s financially-driven indulgence of quack election conspiracies. But what if they genuinely believed in them?
On Wednesday, Judge Eric M. Davis sanctioned Fox’s legal team, indicating that he would launch an investigation into whether they had withheld details about Rupert Murdoch’s role as executive chairman of the news channel.
Dylan Byers • April 13, 2023
Rupert’s Headline Risk
As Fox’s Dominion case heads to trial, and Hannity and Tucker et al. face the prospect of testifying before a jury, many Murdoch-watchers are grumbling about why he didn’t settle in the first place.
Former press secretary Sean Spicer is back on the market after his contract negotiations with Newsmax went south.
Tara Palmeri • April 12, 2023
Sean Spicer Joins the Newsmax Exodus
The former White House flack turned television personality is out at Newsmax, alongside three high-level executives, amid a wave of testy contract negotiations. Could he return to the Trump bosom?
Chris Licht, chairman and C.E.O. of CNN.
Dylan Byers • April 7, 2023
Lichtology & Ari’s New Reports
News and notes on the latest in the media trade: a subtle pivot at CNN, more intrigue from Ari Emanuel’s combat deal, and murmurs from D.C.
Endeavor C.E.O. Ari Emanuel (pictured) and president Mark Shapiro’s emotional pitch to WWE leadership led to the deal.
Dylan Byers • April 5, 2023
The Art of Ari’s WWE Deal
Discussing deal points in a suite at Wrestlemania, a secret meeting at Raine, and an emotional pitch in Stamford: How Vince McMahon scored big and Endeavor took the next step in its leverage journey. Plus, some notes on CNN and Chris Licht 2.0.
President of ABC News, Kim Godwin
Dylan Byers • March 31, 2023
Do You Believe in Godwin?
Kim Godwin’s latest round of layoffs has re-ignited a furor of religious intensity inside ABC News.
During the tenure of the Times’ C.E.O. Meredith Kopit Levien, the success of the company—and, the uniqueness of its success—has become the media story of our time.
Dylan Byers • March 30, 2023
The Meredith Moat
In an era of unprecedented disruption—new mediacos, new models, highly capitalized competitors, and CNN gyrations—none of the big guns are holding a candle to the Times.
TikTok C.E.O. Shou Chew—prepped by SKDK—withstood a drubbing from lawmakers on Thursday.
Dylan Byers • March 24, 2023
TikTok Schadenfreude, Iger’s Cuts & D.C. Media Games
News and notes on the inside story in the media industry: what Silicon Valley billionaires want Washington regulators to do with TikTok in D.C., how Iger’s cuts are playing in Bristol and Manhattan, and updates from the Washington media carousel.
One possible, momentary beacon of hope in television news’ long slide toward insignificance was Jen Psaki’s maiden voyage on MSNBC.
Dylan Byers • March 22, 2023
Psaki’s Promise, Trump Debate Politics & A CNN Low
News and notes from inside the television news business: Jen Psaki’s promising debut, the politics behind hosting the RNC debates, and a CNN ratings nadir.
kim godwin
Dylan Byers • March 17, 2023
Are You There, Godwin?
ABC News’s latest front in the ego management wars.
WBD C.E.O. David Zaslav, at the end of the 9 a.m. call, described CNN as an “unmoored boat.” But, he said, “this is our company, our boat. We all have an oar.”
Dylan Byers • March 15, 2023
The Zaz in CNN
A scholarly perusal of the WBD C.E.O.’s arrival at CNN HQ. Plus, news and notes on Zucker’s media rollup and Mad Dog Beckman.
The wallet buster for Fox and the Murdochs in Dominion v. Fox News will whittle down to two calculations: putative damages, and alleged “diminution of enterprise value.”
Eriq Gardner • March 13, 2023
Inside the Murdoch-Dominion Settlement Chatter
Right now, either Dominion or Fox is misjudging the financial situation. So which side is it?
Dafna Linzer stepped down as Politico’s executive editor.
Dylan Byers • March 11, 2023
Dafna Punk
The fast and mysterious departure of Politico’s executive editor may have been neither fast nor mysterious.
Dylan Byers • March 8, 2023
Tucker’s Troubles & Licht’s Cri de Coeur
Inside Fox News, the network is starting to manifest the same tensions and schisms as the party it covers. Plus, news and notes on Licht’s pivot and Semafor’s controversial partnership.