Received this email from a friend? Subscribe here.

Thursday, August 3, 2023

Another historic day has come and gone. Scroll down for details on Donald Trump's media strategy, takeaways from Warner Bros. Discovery's earnings, Apple's services record, Fox's station fight, Threads' declining usage, Lizzo's response to a harassment lawsuit, and the WGA and AMPTP spar on the eve of their much-anticipated meeting. But first, the A1.

THE A1

Discourse Danger

CNN Photo Illustration/Win McNamee/Getty Images

Millions of Americans are immersed in a twisted world where language used to describe autocrats is being applied to America's democratic institutions.

The draconian rhetoric, once reserved for the likes of tyrants and dictators, has become commonplace in right-wing media when referring to President Joe Biden and the elected government he leads. The dark and sinister language, normalized on mainstream conservative platforms such as Fox News, has been on full display this week during coverage of Donald Trump's third indictment.

The Biden White House is referred to as the "Biden regime." Federal law enforcement are referred to as the "Gestapo" and Biden's "personal police force." Institutions such as the Department of Justice are referred to as "the Department of Injustice." The indictments against Trump are referred to as "political war crimes" and an "assassination."

Talk of imprisoning Democratic politicians — and even their families — in acts of revenge is par for the course. Even floating the outright execution of Biden, as Charlie Kirk recently did, is accepted in the warped world of MAGA Media, where the audience has been programmed through years of conditioning to welcome such vile rhetoric into their homes.

None of this is an exaggeration. It is the reality of what is being broadcast in millions of homes across the country.

It's all part of a larger trend that has dramatically disfigured the conservative media since Trump ascended to power. With the aim of portraying progressives as an evil force in America, right-wing media's most popular figures and outlets have casually appended despotic terms to Biden and his administration.

The extreme vernacular often flies under the radar, drawing eye rolls from those outside this alternate universe and receiving little media attention. But it shouldn't. Language carries with it serious consequences. And repeatedly conveying to millions of people that their democratically elected leader is a tyrant out to nefariously use the force of government to target and imprison his political opposition carries with it great risk.

"I think it's hard to overstate the dangers here: This language moves beyond mere demonization because it suggests a need for violent resistance," Charlie Sykes, a former conservative talk-radio host and an editor-at-large of The Bulwark, told me Thursday. "It's language that undermines the integrity, the democratic institutions, and the justice system itself. And there's a constant escalation without much concern where this leads or who might act on the idea that our opponents aren't just wrong — but evil, dangerous, and illegitimate."

Sykes smartly pointed out, "One does not argue, debate or disagree with the gestapo." Instead, "You go to war with them."

Each day gives way to evidence that the fact-defying repetition is working. A CNN poll published Thursday found that nearly 70% of Republicans and Republican-leaners said they believed Biden's presidential win was not legitimate, a staggering majority despite there being no evidence of widespread election fraud. Perhaps more alarming, about half of Republicans say they now have no confidence at all that elections reflect the will of the people.

Arguably, the rhetoric saturating mainstream right-wing media today is more extreme than the hyperbole used in the weeks leading up to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In those weeks, just like now, right-wing media forces set the stage and gathered the tinder for Trump — who was happy to light a match to the gasoline-soaked kindling gathered before him on January 6.

At the very least, the poison pumped into the national discourse has maimed America's shared sense of democratic principles and contributed to profound polarization, dividing neighbors, friends, and families. But in the wake of Trump's third arrest, over an attempt to topple American democracy, and ever-intensified rhetoric, let's hope history does not repeat itself.

——— BELOW THE FOLD ———

CNN Photo Illustration/Drudge Report

FROM THE BENCH

Trump's media strategy: Alayna Treene reports Trump appeared at the courthouse in person, not via the optional Zoom, as part of a plan to generate media attention. "The strategy," Treene reported, "is to play into their broader narrative that special counsel Jack Smith is interfering with the 2024 presidential election by taking him off the campaign trail." (X)
Trump's in-person attendance in court certainly did draw significant coverage, with breathless coverage on cable news, special reports on the broadcast networks, and live-updates across the web.
That said, will the public get to watch Trump's actual trials? Charlotte Klein looks at the issue of cameras in the court. (Vanity Fair)
"I'm going to say this loud and often: It's ridiculous how little visibility the public will have into the most important federal criminal proceeding in US history," declares Ken Dilanian. (X)
Zachary Pleat and Payton Armstrong note that the latest indictment "lays out key election lies also spread by right-wing media." (MMFA)
Some right-wing media figures are using the indictments against Trump to urge for the impeachment of Joe Biden. (MMFA)
Others are using it to attack the media, as Laura Ingraham did Thursday evening, opening her show by saying " the supposed "real co-conspirators" are news organizations. 🙄
The actual big picture from Anderson Cooper: "For the third time this year, the 45th president of the United States has been arraigned on felony charge," Cooper said to open up CNN's 8pm broadcast. "This time for alleged crimes against democracy itself."
"And Anderson," Jake Tapper added, "unlike the first two arraignments in New York and Florida, this one was held within view of the crime scene: The U.S. Capitol, at a federal courthouse, where... members of the violent mob that he incited ... have already been convicted and sent to prison."
Over on MSNBC, Ari Melber noted that it's "the first time Donald Trump has been taken into custody by the government he tried to overthrow" on charges related to the very plot to disregard the outcome of the election. (X)
"Those of us who share our views in the media have a particular duty to cease discussing Trump as if he were a normal candidate," argued Tom Nichols. (The Atlantic)
Jenna Moon offered a good roundup of how global media has been reacting to Trump's indictment. (Semafor)

THE INDUSTRY

CNN Photo Illustration/Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The Mix at Max: Warner Bros. Discovery released its Q2 earnings on Thursday, with a mixed bag of news and offering a glimpse at the media giant's future plans. The before-the-bell earnings initially sent the company stock into the red only to later see it up 3% after-hours. Here are the highlights:

► Dollars and cents: WBD (CNN's parent company, of course) reported a net loss of $1.2 billion, down sharply from the $3.4 billion during the same period a year ago. The smaller loss came as the company cut costs by $2.2 billion, or 16% compared to a year ago, and revenue rose 5% to $10.4 billion.

► Streaming update: WBD said its total streaming subscribers slipped by 1.8 million to 95.8 million after launching Max, which includes content from Discovery+. The drop was expected, it said, as subscribers to Discovery+ migrate to the comprehensive Max service. The streamer is "tracking well ahead of our financial projections," said chief executive David Zaslav.

► Strikes' impact: The company's financials were bouyed in the short-term by the dual strikes in Hollywood, with cash flow increasing by more than $100 million in the quarter from savings of productions shutting down. Zaslav said he was hopeful the strikes will soon be "resolved in a way that the writers and actors feel they are fairly compensated and their efforts and contributions are fully valued."

► Future of sports and news: The company is working to bring news and live sports to its streaming services in the U.S., with Zaslav telling investors on the earnings call that it "now has full capability to deliver live programming" on the Max platform. "News and sports are important, they're differentiators, they're compelling, and they make these platforms come alive," he said. "You will hear from us on that soon."

THE MARKET

Apple shares were ⬇️ more than 2% in after-hours trading after revenue declined for a third straight quarter. (WSJ)
But the Silicon Valley titan said it now has 1 billion paid subscribers to its services sector, with revenue in that division hitting a record. (THR)
To that point, Chris Welch wrote that Apple's "big services bet is paying off as iPhone sales dip." (The Verge)
Amazon shares were ⬆️ nearly 10% in after-hours trading after the company reported monster earnings as sales balloon. (CNN)
Lionsgate announced it will purchase eOne from parent Hasbro for $500 million, giving the corporation access to names the likes of "Peppa Pig" and "Clifford the Big Red Dog." (TheWrap)

THE FOURTH ESTATE

Emily Smith exited the New York Post, Ben Smith reports. (X)
MailOnline suspended GB News host Dan Wootton after allegations that he secretly offered his colleagues money years ago for sexual material. Wootan, who is still hosting his GB News program, has denied criminal wrongdoing. (Guardian)
Paul Farhi reports on Wendy McCaw's purchase of the Santa Barbara News-Press, and how "years of turmoil followed." (WaPo)

MEDIA MOVES

NPR promoted Nik Khilnani to senior vice president of product and audience technology. (NPR)
The WaPo hired Olivia Petersen as vice president of public relations. (WaPo)

THE INFO WARS

CNN Photo Illustration/Erik McGregor/LightRocket/Getty Images

Fox's Station Fight: Rupert Murdoch is facing a rare fight in the city of Philadelphia. The right-wing media mogul's local station is facing a challenge to its license renewal on grounds it has broken character requirements needed to hold a broadcast license, due to Fox News' broadcasting of 2020 election lies. Fox Corporation responded to the filed challenge this week. The company argued that revoking its license would amount to a "violation of the First Amendment." The Daily Beast's Justin Baragona has more.

IN THE BATTLEFIELD

Despite hype in right-wing media, Hunter Biden's former business partners told lawmakers that then-Vice President Joe Biden discussed "nothing" of importance during speaker phone meetings with his son's business partners. (CNN)
Stephen A. Smith defended Joe Rogan's 1/6 trutherism by setting up a straw man. "I'm not agreeing with him, I'm agreeing with his right to express that opinion." (Mediaite)
Rap Epps' attorney spoke to Diana Falzone about his case against Fox News: "They were acting not just with malice in the defamation context, but ... with malice that ought to be punished, knowing that their lies would destroy these individuals' lives." (Mediaite)
Who could have guessed? Mike Huckabee's "The Kids Guide," a series of summative children's books published by Ever Bright Media, is riddled with misinformation, it turns out. (Mother Jones)

THE VALLEY

CNN Photo Illustration/Gabby Jones/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Threads Usage Tanks: One month after launching Threads to record growth, Meta is having difficulty retaining active users. Sensor Tower data indicated the app's daily active user count is down 82% as of July 31. According to the firm, only 8 million users are logging on each day, a much smaller figure than the 44 million who were using the app at its height just weeks ago. Data from SimilarWeb affirmed what Sensor Tower found, finding that the platform had sharply declined to 11 million active users by July 29. CNN's Brian Fung has more.

🔎 Zooming in: The decline in usage can likely be attributed to the reality that Threads simply lacks basic functions many users long for. The platform still omits a search function. It has not yet verified many notable figures who bore the blue check on Instagram, but once-upon-a-time had it on Twitter. And, most importantly, it fails to support desktop functionality, a must for journalists and other users who want to post about live events in real-time.

TOO MANY TABS

Yikes! Meta is also struggling to retain users of its Ray-Ban smart glasses, which launched to much fanfare back in 2021. Salvador Rodriguez and Joanna Stern report that less than 10% of the glasses purchased are being actively used. (WSJ)
Kate Conger asks the question we are all thinking: "So what do we call Twitter now anyway?" (NYT)
Elon Musk's X is being taken to court by AFP after the French news outlet alleged the social media platform refused to broker payment terms with the organization regarding its news content. (WaPo)
TikTok is "developing a new privacy-tech solution for advertisers called PrivacyGo," Dan Whateley and Lauren Johnson report. (Insider)
Google will offer several new updates to its search function that are designed to facilitate users' control over their privacy and personal information. (TechCrunch)

CURTAIN CALL

CNN Photo Illustration/Amy Harris/Invision/AP

Lizzo Lampoons Lawsuit: Lizzo on Thursday broke her silence on a lawsuit filed by three of her former dancers, alleging they were harassed and subject to a hostile work environment while working for the Grammy-winning singer. "These last few days have been gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing," Lizzo said in a statement. "My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned." Lizzo went on to say that "usually" she chooses "not to respond to false allegations," but described the current claims against her as "too outrageous not to be addressed." Lizzo said that there is "nothing" she takes "more seriously" than the "respect we deserve as women in the world." CNN's Lisa Respers France has more.

HOLLYWOOD HELL

On the eve of their now much-anticipated meeting, the WGA sent a sharply worded statement to members about the "playbook" of the studios. (THR)
The AMPTP, which represents the studios, fired back in a statement of its own, calling the WGA's rhetoric "unfortunate" and saying the studios' "only playbook is getting people back to work."
"So the studios and writers agreed to meet tomorrow, but they couldn't resist bashing one another before they did. Everyone should feel great about a potential deal!" joked Lucas Shaw. (X)
Ashley Cullins wrote about how the strikes "could impact lavish Hollywood CEO pay." (THR)
Fran Drescher, the SAG-AFTRA president, visited strikers at the New York picket lines in Union Square, urging producers to "yield to our deal." (THR)
CBS released amended premiere dates for its fall schedule as the strikes remain ongoing. (TheWrap)
The Miss Universe competition will still air on both Roku and Telemundo. (Deadline)
Season two of Issa Rae's "Rap Sh!t" has been pushed back to November. (TheWrap)

OFF STAGE

Nintendo shattered its first-quarter profits record thanks to the massive commercial successes of "Legend of Zelda" and "The Super Mario Bros Movie." (CNN)
Taylor Swift is adding shows to her "Eras Tour" in both the U.S. and Canada — in 2024. ( Variety)
The first two episodes of Taylor Sheridan's spy thriller, "Special Ops: Lioness," broke audience records, with the series becoming Paramount+'s most-watched series premiere worldwide within the show's first 24 hours. (Deadline)
Amazon has renewed "The Summer I Turned Pretty" for a third season. (THR)
A musical adaptation of "The Notebook" will head to Broadway in 2024. (Variety)
The trailer for "Dicks: The Musical" has dropped and shows Megan Thee Stallion teasing her acting chops. (YouTube)

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 next week.