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Monday, March 27, 2023

Another mass shooting inflicts pain on America, Bob Iger announces Disney layoffs have commenced, CNN talks to Gayle King about a weekly prime time show, former Fox News producer Abby Grossberg signals she might be willing to testify on Dominion's behalf, Twitter hunts for the leaker of its source code, and the WGA says it has a $20 million strike fund if contract negotiations fail. But first, the A1.

THE A1

The Prince and the Paper

CNN Photo Illustration/Henry Nicholls/Reuters

Another high-octane case against a media outlet is getting underway — this one, across the pond in the U.K.

Both Prince Harry and Elton John were in court on Monday as proceedings commenced in an explosive lawsuit brought against Daily Mail publisher, Associated Newspapers.

The lawsuit, which was filed last year, alleges that Associated Newspapers was responsible for "abhorrent criminal activity and gross breaches of privacy" in its efforts to obtain dirt on celebrities. Allegations in the lawsuit include the placing of listening devices in victims' homes and cars, bugging phone calls, and paying police for information.

Actresses Sadie Frost and Elizabeth Hurley, filmmaker David Furnish, and Doreen Lawrence, whose son was killed in a racist attack in 1997, are among the half-dozen high-profile figures joining together in the legal action.

The suit is just one of three that the Duke of Sussex has brought against major U.K. newspaper publishers, including Rupert Murdoch's News Group Newspapers and Mirror Group Newspapers.

To be clear, Associated Newspapers has strongly denied the claims against it. When the lawsuit was filed, the publisher called the claims "preposterous smears" and it said it "utterly and unambiguously refuted" them.

Now it will be up to a judge from London's High Court to determine whether the case will advance, or be thrown out as Associated Papers has motioned for.

Monday was the first in four days of pre-trial hearings, which are expected to conclude on Thursday, in which the judge will hear arguments ahead of rendering a decision.

The presence of Prince Harry and Elton John, which was done entirely on their own volition and not legally required, fueled media coverage on Monday, turning the press' eye on the preliminary hearing. Their appearances were the top stories on a number of U.K. news websites. Even the Daily Mail published an article on their arrival in court.

A spokesperson for Prince Harry told Reuters that the Duke of Sussex wanted to be present to signal public support for the case. In other words, he attended to shine a spotlight on the case.

It's no surprise that Prince Harry would use his celebrity to gin up attention about the lawsuit. He has spent years critiquing tabloid media and talked openly about the negative effects some of the coverage has had on his family.

As the barrister in the case said Monday, Harry "regards Associated's unlawful acts to amount to a major betrayal given promises made by the media to improve its conduct following the tragic and untimely death of his mother, Princess Diana, in 1997."

The allegations in the legal action are all eerily reminiscent of the behavior that was exposed in the News of the World scandal, which ultimately resulted in Murdoch shuttering the popular newspaper and the U.K. launching a probe into press ethics.

It's unclear whether this case will result in such profound consequence. But if it does go to trial, it is safe to say that it will be precisely the type of trial that an outlet like the Daily Mail relishes in covering.

——— BELOW THE FOLD ———

CNN Illustration/From The Tennessean

Tragedy in Tennessee: News organizations are — yet again — covering a mass shooting in America. This time the Nashville community is grieving, after three students and three adults were gunned down at a private Christian elementary school. The Tennessean offered its coverage to readers for free. The paper's top story carried this haunting lead: "The horrible task of counting began before noon. How many children and staff members had gone into Covenant School on Monday morning, and how many had come out alive after the gunshots?" You can read The Tennessean's full article here. CNN is also posting live updates on this page.

► Mass shootings have plagued the U.S. to such an extent that a local reporter at the scene confessed that she had, herself, been the survivor of such an act of violence. "This is something that hits very close to home for me — many of you might not know this, but I am actually a school shooting survivor," WSMV-TV reporter Joylyn Bukovac said live on-air. You can watch her report here.

► News organizations walked back their description of the suspected shooter as a female, after authorities said the person identified as trans. A number of news organizations had, initially, published reports on how rare it is for a woman to carry out a mass shooting. "Police on Monday afternoon said that the shooter was a transgender man. Officials had initially misidentified the gender of the shooter," USA Today tweeted, updating its previous coverage. The NYT's coverage was amended to note that "there was confusion about the gender identity of the assailant in the immediate aftermath of the attack."

THE BUSINESS

CNN Photo Illustration/Etienne Laurent/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Doomsday at Disney: The Disney layoffs have commenced. Bob Iger said Monday that the entertainment Goliath will start laying off staffers, following his announcement last month that the company will slash 7,000 jobs. Iger said the layoffs will occur in three waves, ending just before the start of the summer. "The difficult reality of many colleagues and friends leaving Disney is not something we take lightly," Iger said in a memo to staff. "In tough moments, we must always do what is required to ensure Disney can continue delivering exceptional entertainment to audiences and guests around the world – now, and long into the future." Jon Passantino has more here.

🔎 Zooming in: Deadline's Nellie Andreeva has some details on the cuts: "Mark Levenstein, SVP Production for Hulu, and Jayne Bieber, SVP, Production Management & Operations for Freeform are leaving .... Additionally, Elizabeth Newman, VP of Development who was based at 20th Television while overseeing Creative Acquisitions for Disney Television Studios, is leaving and the department will be dissolved."

Getting Gayle: CNN "is finalizing a deal for 'CBS Mornings' anchor Gayle King to host a weekly prime-time show," The WSJ's Isabella Simonetti scooped Monday. Simonetti reported that King "is expected to begin hosting a once-a-week show this fall, while continuing her duties at CBS." A person familiar with the matter confirmed the talks, but cautioned to me that a deal is not yet done. That said, the person said that they are optimistic about a deal ultimately being reached. Read Simonetti's full story here.

IN THE INDUSTRY

It's over for The Grid, which was acquired by Jimmy Finkelstein's forthcoming outlet The Messenger. Sara Fischer reports the website will shutter, with the outlet's employees being considered for positions at The Messenger. (Axios)
Former National Enquirer boss David Pecker met with the Manhattan grand jury in the Trump hush money probe. (CNN)
The WaPo on Monday published a visualization showing how bullets from an AR-15 "blow the body apart." Sally BuzzBee said in an editor's note the special report drew on public information requests, the examination of nearly 100 autopsy reports, and interviews with trauma surgeons. (WaPo)
Don't miss this piece from Sarah Larson on how Audie Cornish is looking to "remake the news." (New Yorker)
Olivia Messer writes about the "shameful" end of The Texas Observer, which will shut down this week. (Daily Beast)
"The little paper that knew": Matt Kapp writes about The North Shore Leader, the first "to call out" George Santos and "begin what ultimately became a devastating, and hugely entertaining, media pile-on." (Air Mail)
Peacock is adding a "Morning News Live" hub that will feature offerings such as "Morning Joe" and "Squawk Box." (Deadline)
Heidi Chung and Andrew Wallenstein make some predictions on "what the near future holds for media and tech." (Variety)

MEDIA MOVES

TIME announced Sam Jacobs as interim editor in chief. Edward Felsenthal will stay as executive chairman after stepping down from the role of top editor. Felsenthal will also become a contributing editor. (TIME)
CBS News elevated Vladimir Duthiers to "featured host" on "CBS Mornings." (Variety)
Bloomberg Opinion hired Jhodie Williams as editor. (Talking Biz)
Snap tapped Rob Wilk as president of Americas as it rebuilds its sales team. (Variety)
Paramount named Kristin Southey as executive vice president of investor relations. (THR)

THE INFO WARS

CNN Photo Illustration/Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Flipping on Fox: Fox News producer Abby Grossberg, who filed two explosive lawsuits against the right-wing network last week, signaled on Monday she could potentially testify on Dominion Voting Systems' behalf when the $1.6 billion defamation case heads to trial. The disclosure came in new court filings in her case on Monday. In one of the filings, Grossberg said she "will never testify on behalf of Fox News in the trial" and "will only voluntarily testify — if at all — on behalf of Dominion." Grossberg, who said she was officially fired by Fox News on Friday, worked in a senior capacity on both Maria Bartiromo and Tucker Carlson's shows, which could make her a very helpful witness for Dominion to have in its pocket.

► In Monday court filings, Grossberg also submitted changes to the deposition she gave in the Dominion case. In one amended answer, she said her former co-workers are "activists, not journalists." Grossberg said they "impose their political agendas on the programming." CNN's Marshall Cohen has all the details here.

IN THE BATTLEFIELD

Jim Geraghty cautions that while the Dominion evidence might be devastating to whatever was left of Fox News' reputation, it doesn't equate to a legal slam dunk. (WaPo)
Mark Levin: "Some books need to be banned." (MMFA)

THE VALLEY

CNN Photo Illustration/Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Seeking the Source: Twitter is on the hunt. The beleaguered Elon Musk-owned social media company has launched an effort to determine who leaked its source code online. To that end, the company filed a request for a subpoena to compel Github, where the code was leaked, to hand over information that might lead to the identifications of the party responsible. "The purpose for which Twitter's DMCA Subpoena is sought is to obtain the identity of an alleged infringer or infringers," Twitter told the court. CNN's Brian Fung has details here.

TOO MANY TABS

Twitter celebs are balking at the notion of paying Elon Musk to keep their blue verification badge. (Associated Press)
More good economic news for Meta and Snap: Guggenheim raised its price targets for both companies, saying that it is "seeing more stability in advertising demand compared to the final quarter of last year." (Investing)
Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez announced she does not support a TikTok ban. (NYT)
Right-wing social media app Rumble said it is "working hard" at launching a short video feature to "compete against TikTok." (Twitter)
"The standoff between the U.S. government and TikTok underscores a growing problem for policymakers: Chinese apps are booming in America," Sara Fischer notes. (Axios)
Max Boot: "Yes, TikTok is a threat to America. But so are U.S. social media companies." (WaPo)
Brian Fung writes about how talk of a TikTok ban is increasing anxiety in the Asian American community. (CNN)

CURTAIN CALL

CNN Photo Illustration/Mike Blake/Reuters

WGA's War Chest: The WGA has "amassed a strike fund of nearly $20 million," Deadline's David Robb reported Monday. "That's more than double the $9.2 million it had set aside in a strike fund in advance of the 100-day strike of 2007-08," Robb noted. The news comes as the WGA and AMPTP, which represents the studios, continue to negotiate on a contract. The current contract will expire on May 1. The WGA is expected to update its members on the status of negotiations after this week.

OFF STAGE

Taylor Swift fans were in court Monday for a status hearing on their lawsuit against Ticketmaster. (CNN)
Rebecca Rubin looks at the failure of "Ant-Man: Quantumania," which has yet to cross $500 million at the global box office: "With a production budget of $200 million and a marketing spend of at least $100 million, 'Ant-Man 3' is expected to fall short of the roughly $600 million needed to break even in its theatrical run." (Variety)
The fifth "Indiana Jones" is eying a Cannes premiere. (Variety)
Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon" will be released October 20. (Collider)
Questlove will direct a live-action version of "The Aristocats" for Disney. (Deadline)
Jessica Chastain will star in an eight-episode Apple limited series called "The Savant." The show is based on a Cosmopolitan story. (THR)
Kelly Clarkson will head to Las Vegas for a residency promoting her new album "Chemistry." (Rolling Stone)
Katie Phang was moved to tears while speaking with "EEAAO" star James Hong: "Thanks for all of the stuff that you've done for our community, and that you're continuing to do." (People)

Thank you for reading! This newsletter was edited by Jon Passantino and produced with the assistance of Liam Reilly. Have feedback? Send us an email here. We will see you back in your inbox tomorrow.