CNN staffers are bracing for a major leadership announcement, the biggest names in comedy are collaborating on a special podcast, ESPN plans to telecast dozens of college football games in theaters, Stephanie Ruhle faces scrutiny, Twitter/X is reversing its no-politics ad policy, Taylor Swift is breaking another record, and more. But first, the A1. |
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CNN Photo Illustration/Joe Raedle/Getty Images |
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Newsrooms are preparing for Hurricane Idalia. The storm, barreling toward Florida, is on track to grow into a Category 3 major hurricane before making landfall and punishing the Sunshine State with high winds and dangerous storm surge. Idalia, fueled by hot-tub like waters enhanced by climate change, has rapidly intensified this week into a menacing system threatening residents in the Big Bend. The looming storm has become the top story across most major news outlets, leading the broadcast evening news reports and commanding the top spot on news homepages Tuesday evening. Expect it to continue controlling the news cycle through Wednesday, when it is scheduled to make landfall early in the morning and wreak havoc on the state throughout the day. Idalia has even managed to blow the deepening legal troubles Donald Trump is facing off the cable news screens — at least, to some degree — for the moment. Instead, viewers have been treated to live shots from the coast and interviews from local officials urging residents to take the hurricane seriously and evacuate certain areas. News organizations are pouring their resources into covering the life-threatening storm, which has been billed as a once-in-a-generation event given the storm could be the strongest to ever strike the Big Bend region. Outlets have deployed anchors, correspondents, reporters, and photojournalists across the Gulf Coast. The Weather Channel boasted that it had stationed twelve reporting crews across Idalia's projected storm path in three states. Local newsrooms are also aggressively covering the storm, doing their part to deliver important updates to residents who find themselves in its crosshairs. Carolyn Fox, managing editor of the Tampa Bay Times, told me that her newsroom has made preparations that will allow it to continue covering the storm, no matter how bad the situation in the Tampa Bay region gets. "A team of editors, including myself, has evacuated to Orlando to a hotel we know reliably retains power and internet," Fox said. "We have five go-teams with large SUVs and proper supplies strategically placed around the Tampa Bay region." The Tampa Bay Times, one of the leading news outlets in the region, has offered its coverage to the general public at no cost. Fox said that the online audience for the outlet has "tripled or quadrupled" in recent days as people turn to local sources of news and information. She added that locals appear to be heeding warnings from officials and taking the storm seriously. "It's been difficult for area residents," Fox said, "given how fast the storm has come on and the shifting track." |
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CNN Braces for (More) Change: Staffers at CNN are bracing for a major organizational shakeup — yet again. Amid reports that parent Warner Bros. Discovery is eyeing Mark Thompson, the former New York Times chief executive and BBC director-general, as the next leader of the network, staffers have been buzzing about when an announcement could be made and what it all might mean for the future of the news organization. "Wild day at CNN, but not on camera," Variety's Brian Steinberg tweeted, alluding to the chatter inside the network's halls. Puck's Dylan Byers added considerable fuel to the fire Tuesday night, reporting that that Thompson has been selected and an official announcement is imminent, citing "sources familiar with the company's plans." WBD did not comment, but the reports have led to a palpable sense of apprehension, anxiety and excitement about how Thompson could help bolster CNN's digital bonafides and pull it into the streaming age. |
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- "Under Armour's founder Kevin Plank forged an unusual relationship with television anchor Stephanie Ruhle that included trips on his private jet, access to confidential company information and a secret phone reserved just for their communications," Gabrielle Fonrouge and Lillian Rizzo report, citing court records. The duo said MSNBC declined to comment and that Ruhle did not respond to their inquiries. (CNBC)
- The WaPo laid off staff from Arc XP, its technology department which it was considering selling, Max Tani reports. (Semafor)
- A reporter and photographer for Chicago's Spanish-language TV station, Univision Chicago, were robbed while filming a story about a string of robberies. (AP)
- Raw Story has filed a FOIA lawsuit against the Pentagon. (Raw Story)
- RIP: BBC radio broadcaster Jamie Crick has died at 57. (BBC)
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- ESPN will telecast dozens of college football games in movie theaters. (AP)
- Fox Sports has signed an agreement with Google Cloud to gain access to generative A.I. capabilities. (Variety)
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- TechCrunch promoted Connie Loizos to general manager and chief editor. (TechCrunch)
- Mason Media, Alex Rodriguez's production house and studio, hired CNN alumna Dana Z. Currier as its new COO. (Variety)
- The Independent promoted Christian Broughton to chief executive. (Press Gazette)
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Comedians Collaborate: Some of the biggest names in comedy are teaming up. Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, and Seth Meyers are set to launch a limited Spotify podcast. The program, titled "Strike Force Five," will debut its first episode on Wednesday and the hosts will donate all the proceeds to staffers impacted by the dual Hollywood strikes. THR's Lacey Rose has details. |
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- "When it comes to the Hollywood strikes, it's not just the entertainment industry that's being hurt," Krysta Fauria reports, noting that it is hurting a multitude of sectors across Tinseltown. (AP)
- "The consequences of Hollywood's dysfunction are becoming clearer by the day," Ryan Faughnder writes. (LAT)
- "We're fighting the good fight." The stars of "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul" joined protesters outside Sony Pictures Studios on Tuesday. (Deadline)
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- "With misinformation abounding, it is clearly in the public interest to have unfiltered access to hard facts." Anthony Coley argues, "If you want the public's trust, broadcast the Trump trials." (POLITICO)
- Once upon a time, Glenn Beck offered truthful assessments of Trump. Nowadays, he prods the disgraced former president about locking people up if he is elected again. (Mediaite)
- Oops! Bret Baier amplified a bogus Covid report from the Daily Mail — a report that ultimately was appended with a major correction. (X)
- 🔌 I spoke to Bill Press about covering Fox News and continued to express my puzzlement as to why The NYT and The WaPo — among other news orgs — won't dare call the channel "right wing" in stories. (Press Pod)
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CNN Photo Illustration/Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters |
X'ed Out No More: Elon Musk is reversing a major decision implemented by Twitter/X's previous management, moving to accept political ads on the platform for the first time since 2019. The company made the announcement in a blog post, saying the change was about building on its "commitment to free expression." The social network, which has been ensnared in a cascade of controversies since Musk took over, vowed to prohibit false or misleading content in such ads. But such a promise should be taken with a big grain of salt, given all the other promises it has simply failed to live up to. CNN's Clare Duffy and Brian Fung has more here.
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- X is currently facing a monstrous 2,200 arbitration cases and filing fees for totaling more than $3 million, Lora Kolodny reports. (CNBC)
- Gillian Follett goes "inside Threads' first month of influencer brand deals." (AdAge)
- Google unveiled a watermark that will permanently, though invisibly, mark an image to show that it has been produced by A.I. (Axios)
- ChatGPT is accurate on medical issues 72% of the time, according to a new study. (Axios)
- YouTube creators who break policies will be allowed to take an education course rather than be jettisoned by the streaming giant. (TechCrunch)
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| CNN Photo Illustration/Michael Tran/AFP/Getty Images |
Swift's Spotify Success: She has another record under her belt. Spotify announced on Tuesday that Taylor Swift had become the first female artist in its history to achieve 100 million monthly listeners. The news came after the pop sensation released her third re-recorded album, "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" in July. Variety's McKinley Franklin has more here. |
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- CBS will run a tribute to the late Bob Barker, the longtime host of "The Price is Right," on Thursday. (TheWrap)
- After initially slated for a limited theatrical release, Apple has moved to release Martin Scorsese's upcoming film — "Killers of the Flower Moon" — in theaters worldwide on Oct. 20. (THR)
- Too Much of a Good Thing? Ridley Scott said he's got a whopping four-and-a-half-hour version of his upcoming film, "Napoleon," that shifts the attention away from Joaquin Phoenix's titular character and onto Vanessa Kirby's Joséphine. (TheWrap)
- In an uncharacteristic move, Disney teased impressive streaming numbers for the first four episodes of its new Star Wars show, "Ahsoka," which raked in 14 million global views since its Aug. 23 debut. (THR)
- Following a first look at the film on Monday, the trailer for David Fincher's "The Killer" has dropped. (YouTube)
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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. |
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