Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Hello there, after a monsoon of media news. Tucker Carlson announces he will relaunch his program on Twitter, CNBC settles and parts ways with Hadley Gamble, Paramount shutters MTV News, LinkedIn executes layoffs, the Directors Guild prepares for negotiations with studios, and so much more. But first, the A1.

THE A1

Trump on CNN's Turf

CNN Photo Ilustration/CNN/Getty Images

The stakes have been raised on CNN's already high-stakes town hall with former President Donald Trump.

A Manhattan jury on Tuesday found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll. Trump was ordered to pay Carroll $5 million, another blistering blow to the leading Republican presidential contender who is ensnared in legal quagmire. In an all-caps response on his Truth Social platform shortly after the decision came down, Trump called the decision "A DISGRACE" and framed it as a "CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME!"

That sort of unhinged non-response flies in the fact-free media universe that Trump and his supporters primarily operate in. Over there, he is rarely challenged. In fact, he's actually used to propagandists promoting his dishonest talking points to the masses.

But that won't be the case when he exits the right-wing media universe for a town hall on CNN Wednesday evening. The prime time special will be moderated by Kaitlan Collins, the "CNN This Morning" co-anchor and former chief White House correspondent who made a name for herself holding the former president accountable during his scandal-ridden administration. Which is to say that Trump will be confronted with tough questions and faced with an unrelenting journalist probing him.

And the Carroll verdict won't be the only difficult topic to be raised. Trump has not made an appearance on CNN in years, last appearing on the network during the 2016 campaign. A lot of consequential news has occurred in that gap and he should certainly expect to field questions related to a wide array of issues, including the January 6 insurrection that he incited.

To be sure, the town hall isn't just a test of Trump and the viability of his 2024 candidacy. It is a test of CNN heading into another momentous campaign season under the stewardship of new network chief Chris Licht, who has sought to reconfigure the network to be less hyperbolic. It is also, as the AP's David Bauder wrote on Tuesday, "a gigantic test" for Collins.

"Once [the town hall] begins, Collins must give audience members the chance to ask questions while determining when to step in with her own," Bauder wrote. "She'll weigh how to correct misinformation in a potentially hostile environment: Invited town hall participants are those who expect to vote in a Republican primary."

Trump himself has spent the last week hyping the prime time event. On Truth Social Tuesday, he wrote, "They made me a deal I couldn't refuse!!! Could be the beginning of a New & Vibrant CNN, with no more Fake News, or it could turn into a disaster for all, including me. Let's see what happens?"

A CNN spokesperson swiftly shot down talk of a supposed "deal." The spokesperson said that the network had only offered "an opportunity to connect with New Hampshire voters via live televised CNN Town Hall event."

That exchange may very well end up being representative of what ultimately plays out on CNN in about 24 hours. Trump will get a platform, but if he uses it to lie or mislead, he will quickly be met with a fact-check.

How Trump reacts when reality almost certainly collides with his chosen narrative, however, remains to be seen.

——— BELOW THE FOLD ———

CNN Photo Illustration/Seth Wenig/AP

Tucker and Twitter: He's back. Well, sort of. Tucker Carlson announced Tuesday that he will relaunch his conspiracy-ridden program on Twitter, a website he praised as the only remaining large free-speech platform in the world after Fox News fired him last month. Carlson made the announcement on Twitter, which of course is now under Elon Musk's erratic control and has taken steps to assail the press in recent months. Carlson demonized the media in his announcement, accusing journalists of excluding facts that detract from their narratives. Ironically, he then did not mention that Musk has censored speech on Twitter while praising the platform as a beacon of free expression. Carlson also did not directly address his abrupt firing from Fox News in the video, but alluded to it, suggesting that he was ousted for attempting to "tell the fullest truth" on his nightly program. Here's my full story.

🔎 Zooming in: Carlson's decision to relaunch his show on Twitter signals his desire to remain present in media and politics, where he has played an outsized role. Aside from Trump, Carlson was arguably the most powerful voice inside the GOP, with lawmakers fearing his wrath and appearing on his program in a symbolic bow to his feet. But whether he can achieve the same level of influence on Twitter is far from certain. A prime time Fox News perch is uniquely powerful and former high-wattage stars at the network whom have left and started digital operations have failed to command the same level of attention as the enjoyed while on Rupert Murdoch's channel.

🐦 Into the Twitterverse: The decision to post his show on Twitter is an intriguing one, given that Carlson certainly received a multitude of offers from right-wing media companies that would have killed to host his content. By opting to go all in on Twitter, Carlson is effectively partnering with Musk, a billionaire who has promoted false conspiracy theories and made his disdain of credible news outlets known. The partnership is perfect, in those regards. But from an advertising standpoint, Carlson is kryptonite. And Musk already has an advertising problem on Twitter. Having Carlson exclusively on his platform will not help, which is likely why Musk stressed on Tuesday night that Twitter has "not signed a deal of any kind" with Carlson and that he hopes other content creators, "particularly from the left," will also "choose to be content creators" on Twitter.

IN THE FOX HOLE

Mike Allen and Sara Fischer reported that Carlson's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, sent a letter to Fox's team before posting the announcement video, accusing the company of breaching his contract. The duo reported that Carlson also claimed Fox News PR boss Irena Briganti leaked info to "embarrass" him and that he intends to subpoena her records. (Axios)
Speaking of mysteriously leaked information, Media Matters published more behind-the-scenes footage of Carlson on Tuesday. The decision to publish the video comes days after Fox sent the progressive watchdog a cease-and-desist letter. (MMFA)
Carlson had a conversation with Lachlan Murdoch on Monday "to discuss a possible exit from the company," Jeremy Peters, Benjamin Mullin, and Ryan Mac report. (NYT)
Newsmax boss Chris Ruddy to Maxwell Tani: "It's hard to think Twitter will be Tucker's final destination. We remain open to having a conversation with him." (Twitter)
Fox's ratings continue to suffer after Carlson's ouster. On Monday, Jesse Watters drew 2.2 million viewers at 7pm. The audience dropped to 1.6 million when election lies promoter Kayleigh McEnany hosted the 8pm hour.
Trump is still ranting against "election undenier" Rupert Murdoch, accusing him of "RINO/GLOBALIST" behavior. (Mediaite)
The lawyer for ex-Fox News producer Abby Grossberg asked a court on Tuesday to issue an order determining if Carlson is still represented by the right-wing network's attorneys, given he was fired from the company.
Fox Corporation swung to a loss in its quarterly earnings after its historic settlement with Dominion Voting Systems. (CNN)
On the earnings call, Lachlan Murdoch not only declined to express any remorse for how Fox News handled the 2020 election, but he reiterated he was proud of the network's team and praised the "exceptional quality of their journalism." Asked if Carlson's firing indicated the network was pivoting to a different strategy, Murdoch said no. And Murdoch said Fox will defend itself against Smartmatic's $2.7 billion lawsuit. More in my story with Chris Isidore here. (CNN)
David Folkenflik called out Howard Kurtz for his lackluster coverage of the Dominion scandal: "That Sunday, Kurtz devoted four minutes to the settlement. About three of those minutes were spent restating the network's legal defenses, defending his own coverage, and assailing press coverage of the case by other outlets." (NPR)

THE BUSINESS

CNN Photo Illustration/Darren Arthur/Getty Images

Gamble Says Goodbye: CNBC has parted ways with Hadley Gamble, the anchor and senior international correspondent who filed a sexual harassment complaint that led to the firing of NBCU chief Jeff Shell. "Gamble has been a distinguished journalist for more than a decade for CNBC, undertaking highly visible and challenging assignments, and developing deep expertise in the Middle East and beyond," a CNBC spokesperson said in a Tuesday statement. I'm told that the announcement of Gamble's departure came after a settlement was reached with her on Monday. More in my story here.

RIP, MTV News: Yet another one bites the dust. Paramount announced that it will shutter MTV News on Tuesday, putting "an end the iconic music video network's news division that once covered a range of issues from pop culture to politics and became a household name for Generation X and Millennial adolescents," as CNN's Liam Reilly wrote. The outlet had already been significantly scaled down in recent years, but the death blow comes as turmoil grips the broader news industry. Read Reilly's full story here.

🔎 Zooming in: While MTV News grabbed most of the headlines, the move to pull the plug on the outlet was part of much larger layoffs in Chris McCarthy's division at Paramount. McCarthy announced a workforce reduction of 25% impacting his part of the company. I'm told most of those impacted were in Paramount Media Networks Group, which houses brands such as Nickelodeon, CMT, and Comedy Central. THR's Lacey Rose has more.

IN THE INDUSTRY

"The White House has proposed new rules to determine who qualifies for access to its press briefing room on a regular basis," Paul Farhi reported, noting they are prompting "retaliation concerns." (WaPo)
The 2023 Peabody Awards were announced. CNN's Shimon Prokupecz took home one of the prestigious awards for "Unraveling Uvalde." PBS claimed three of the prizes for its work in Ukraine, gun violence, and special on Michael Flynn. Vice took home an award for a special on how life for women in Afghanistan changed after the U.S. withdrew. And The New Yorker took home its first prize for a special on China's detention of Uyghurs. (Variety)
Glenn Greenwald announced the death of his husband, David Miranda, which came "after a 9-month battle in ICU." (Twitter)

MEDIA MOVES

The NYT announced David Perpich as publisher of The Athletic; David Rubin as publisher of Wirecutter and chief brand and communications officer of The NYT; and Hannah Yang as chief growth and customer officer. (NYT)
NewsNation hired Mick Mulvaney as a contributor. (Variety)
Variety promoted Jem Aswad to executive editor, music. (Variety)

THE VALLEY

CNN Photo Illustration/hocus-focus/iStock/Getty Images

Layoffs at LinkedIn: It is a difficult time for employees at LinkedIn. The company announced that it will slash its global workforce by about 3.5%, representing more than 700 employees who will be out of a job. The Microsoft-owned company also said it will shutter its China app. LinkedIn is, of course, the latest tech company to be faced with having to make tough cuts as the digital advertising market and economic headwinds cause turmoil in the broader industry. The NYT's Chang Che has details here.

TOO MANY TABS

Though Google promised it would erase users' sensitive data, the tech titan retains specific location data, such as visits to clinics, hospitals, and other "particularly personal" addresses, Geoffrey Fowler reports. (WaPo)
Elon Musk continued his attacks on Meta, saying WhatsApp "cannot be trusted." (PC Mag)
Meta will allow creators across its platforms to earn more depending on how many views their content yield in the company's latest bid to peel users away from TikTok. (Bloomberg)
Meanwhile, TikTok launched a new hub that allows advertisers to better connect with the platforms users. (TechCrunch)
Spotify is cracking down on A.I.-generated songs, purging thousands of fake tunes from its platform. (FT)
Steve Wozniak, Apple's co-founder, cautioned that A.I. will make misinformation and phishing more difficult to identify. (BBC)
IBM touted its newest A.I. as more accurate and more responsible than that of its rivals, a clear rebuke of competitors that addresses user concerns about A.I. dangers. (Axios)

CURTAIN CALL

CNN Photo Illustration/Chris Pizzello/AP

Directors Prepare for Dialogue: The Directors Guild of America is preparing for its negotiations with major Hollywood studios. The union informed members, on the even of the commencement of contract negotiations, that it is aware "there will be conflict." The guild went on to say that "the battle will test us." But, it stressed that the negotiations are about building "a bridge to continued DGA prosperity into the future." As THR's Katie Kilkenny noted, "For the first time in 15 years, the DGA is entering negotiations with employers as fellow industry union the Writers Guild of America is on strike." Read Kilkenny's full story here.

OFF STAGE

The 2023 Peabody Awards winners included FX's "Atlanta," AMC's "Better Call Saul," and Disney+'s "Andor." (Deadline)
AMC saw a subscriber jump during Q1, a sign that viewers are coming to the platform to stream AMC's Anne Rice franchise. (Bloomberg)
At 79, Robert De Niro has become a father for the seventh time — though the identity of the mother is unclear. (AP)
Scarlett Johansson opened up about Disney+'s "Black Widow" debacle, the pains caused by the ensuing lawsuit, and the catharsis of working with Wes Anderson. (Variety)
Jonathan Majors appeared in court virtually to discuss the status of an assault and harassment lawsuit brought against him. (THR)
Season five of "Yellowstone" will come to Peacock starting May 25. (The Wrap)
The upcoming three-part Netflix documentary series about terminator-turned-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, titled "Arnold," will launch on June 7. (Deadline)
Amazon's "Jack Ryan" will return for a fourth season on July 14, marking the show's final stretch. (The Wrap)
Season two of "Minx" will debut on July 21. (Deadline)

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.