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Wednesday, November 15, 2023

The BBC issues another apology over its Israel-Hamas war coverage, Ben Shapiro dares Candace Owens to quit The Daily Wire, Univision anchor León Krauze exits after the network's controversial Trump interview, BuzzFeed gets a new publisher, The NYT prints two stories spotlighting David Zaslav atop WBD, Meta allows advertisers to attack the 2020 election, lawmakers ask Tim Cook about the cancellation of Jon Stewart's show, and a shakeup rocks Marvel. But first, the A1.

THE A1

Lachlan Takes the Lead

CNN Photo Illustration/Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Lachlan Murdoch is stepping onto center stage.

On Wednesday, his father, Rupert Murdoch, officially stepped down as chairman of News Corporation, the print publishing arm of the billionaire mogul's powerful media empire, marking the end of an era. Rupert, who maintained he will continue an "active role" in the company, will formally transition to chairman emeritus of Fox Corporation, the parent company of Fox News and other broadcasting assets, at the company's annual meeting on Friday.

In his final remarks on Wednesday to the News Corporation board as chairman, Murdoch hit on a number of topics. He spoke about the "opportunities and the challenges" with A.I. He drew attention to The Wall Street Journal's Evan Gershkovich, who remains detained in Russia. And he, yet again, assailed the "intolerant elite" who he claimed "regard differing opinions as anathema." (Yes, Rupert somehow manages to continue to do this without a hint of irony).

But, he saved his most important remarks for last. The nonagenarian ended his remarks by heaping praise on his eldest son, portraying Lachlan as a worthy successor to him, a man fit to sit on the throne and lead his publishing empire into the future. He described Lachlan as a "principled leader" and a "believer in the social purpose of journalism."

"Like my father, I believe that humanity has a 'high destiny,' and Lachlan certainly shares that belief," Rupert said. "That sense of destiny is not just a blessing, but a responsibility."

While Lachlan, 52, has certainly been in his father's shadow during his time in the family business, he has served in senior leaderships roles at Murdoch companies for decades. His profile rose when he took on the role of executive chairman in 2015 at what was then 21st Century Fox. After Disney acquired the bulk of Fox's assets, Lachlan edged out his younger brother, the more progressive James Murdoch, 50, and became chief executive and chairman of the slimmed down company.

In that post as chief executive, Lachlan has at times been described as an aloof figure spending great deals of time in Australia, far from the businesses he oversees. But he has made some notable business moves of his own. In 2020, for instance, he spearheaded Fox's acquisition of the advertiser-supported Tubi for $440 million. By 2023, Tubi's value had grown so much that Fox reportedly turned down a $2 billion offer to purchase it.

That said, when succession intrigue at the Murdoch empire arises in conversation, the focus is never on assets like Tubi, and almost always about the political ramifications. The most notable Murdoch asset is the right-wing channel Fox News, which has unleashed torrents of dishonest and dangerous propaganda upon the world, much of it recently in service of the disgraced former President Donald Trump who is trying to regain power.

Privately, Lachlan, who is said to hold more conservative views than his father, has denounced some of Trump's behavior in harsh terms. People familiar with his private remarks told me last year that Lachlan has freely criticized Trump, having even gone as far as to say that he believed if Trump ran for president it would be bad for the U.S.

But Lachlan, whose Fox News has refrained from openly skewering the GOP frontrunner, has never made such comments in public. Lachlan has talked in broad terms about the dangerous times we live in. On Tuesday night, he made remarks at the American Australian Association's 75th anniversary dinner, acknowledging a time of "generational realignment" and stating that "navigating this" difficult era "will require clear vision, great courage, and political will." But, when it has mattered, he hasn't personally demonstrated the willpower to stand up to some of the sinister forces wreaking havoc on the free world.

Instead, on one of the great issues of our time, the attacks on the very foundation of America's democratic system, Lachlan and his father not only failed to stand up to the menacing powers, but played an active role in elevating their poisonous lies. Lachlan and Rupert allowed election disinformation to take hold on their air — and Lachlan, in particular, then publicly defended the channel's 2020 election coverage, despite the lies that saturated it having cost their company the better part of $1 billion in legal settlements in the wake of the Dominion Voting Systems case.

As his father steps aside and Lachlan assumes the throne, one should not expect the outlets to take on a different tone under his leadership. Lachlan himself vowed to investors earlier this year that there will be "no change" in strategy at Fox News, though it should be noted that was prior to the announcement that Rupert would hand over the crown.

Nevertheless, the highly-anticipated succession raises the question of whether Lachlan will ever occupy the post of GOP kingmaker that his father had filled for decades. Jim Rutenberg, a reporter for The New York Times who has for years reported extensively on the Murdoch family, noted to me on Wednesday that with Rupert, "you see major Republican candidates come to the Avenue of the Americas and kiss the ring and try to warm him up." He added, "Will Lachlan be that person?"

Rutenberg said that he will be closely paying attention to what, if any, effect Rupert's transition to chairman emeritus status will have.

"My main interest is in two things," Rutenberg told me. "Murdoch continues to indicate that he is still going to be super involved. So how much is this a full on passing of the baton if Murdoch is still in meetings and providing input as the most famous media mogul who has ever lived?"

"And secondly," Rutenberg continued, "if it is a real passing of the baton, does Lachlan step into the role that his father has held in American media and politics for at least two generations? Rupert became a looming presence in American politics in the mid-70s. Will Lachlan step out and be a figure, a notable person, or will he maintain his current stance which is really one that hangs back and doesn't like to be out front?"

——— BELOW THE FOLD ———

CNN Photo Illustration/Guy Smallman/Getty Images

BBC Apologizes: The BBC on Wednesday issued an apology after an anchor incorrectly read a Reuters report and told viewers that the Israeli military had targeted medical staff and Arabic speakers as it took control of Gaza City's Al- Shifa Hospital. "As BBC News covered initial reports that Israeli forces had entered Gaza's main hospital, we said that 'medical teams and Arab speakers' were being targeted," a correction posted online said. "This was incorrect and misquoted a Reuters report. We should have said IDF forces included medical teams and Arabic speakers for this operation." The BBC added, "We apologise for this error, which fell below our usual editorial standards. The correct version of events was broadcast minutes later and we apologised for the mistake on air later in the morning."

🗣️ Speaking of which: While it would be far better, of course, to simply not make errors like this on issues of paramount importance, it is worth commending the BBC for publicly owning its mistakes and coming clean with viewers. Mistakes will always happen. How a news organization handles such mistakes says a lot about its values. And the BBC has excelled in being transparent with its audience in this regard.

IN THE WAR-ZONE

Edith Olmsted wrote about how news organizations are accepting certain conditions to embed with the Israel Defense Forces. (New Republic)
CNN's Nic Robertson spoke to David Rind about traveling into Gaza with the IDF: "Our intent, of course, was to go in and ask the questions that you do on any military embed. You take advantage of the opportunity to go and look and put your eyes on the situation to try to test what you're being told." Robertson later added, "As reporters going in there, we're absolutely aware that the IDF has a track record of lying to reporters." (Tug of War)
Israel's communications team has had its hands full producing content to push its perspective on the war. Still, the poor quality of its content shows they're not winning the PR war, argues Marc Owen Jones. (Daily Beast)
Jake Tapper spoke to Aaron Troodler about his trip to the region to cover the war: "The whole trip was soul crushing, both because of the pain and death and destruction going on in Gaza, and also because of the pain and death and destruction that happened in Israel on Oct. 7." (Washington Jewish Week)
Tapper also called out Elon Musk for "pushing unvarnished antisemitism at a time of rising antisemitism against jews." (Threads)
👀 Ben Shapiro, who recently ripped Candace Owens' rhetoric on Israel as "disgraceful," responded to her not-so-subtle quip back to him: "Candace, if you feel that taking money from The Daily Wire somehow comes between you and God, by all means quit." (Mediaite)
Owens responded by stating that Shapiro was "utterly out of line." 😬
Laura Loomer, a right-wing extremist who's found a home on Rumble, called for Palestinian Americans to be kicked out of government. (MMFA)

THE INDUSTRY

THE FOURTH ESTATE

Univision anchor León Krauze has exited the network after its controversial interview with Donald Trump. Krauze had just been hired by Univision last year and Mark Mwachiro reports he had more than a year left on his current contract. (TV Newser)
BuzzFeed's longtime publisher Dao Nguyen is stepping down from the post amid a strategic pivot at the company, Mark Stenberg reports. Jessica Probus will take over in the role. (AdWeek)
Behind the Chris Licht-era turmoil at CNN, James B. Stewart and Benjamin Mullin report, was a "series of shattered friendships" between David Zaslav and those he was once close with, including Jeff Zucker, Don Lemon, and Brian Stelter. (NYT)
"Advertisers don't want sites like Jezebel to exist," Jason Koebler and Emanuel Maiberg argue. (404 Media)
The Telegraph banned its journalists from using ChatGPT to pen pieces, saying it's tantamount to plagiarism and that, as such, journalists will face the same repercussions should they use it. (Press Gazette)
Benjamin Hall, the Fox News reporter wounded last year while covering the Ukraine war, was honored at the 30th annual TFAS journalism awards dinner. "I stand here not because I was injured, or because of my experiences, because I stand here just to tell you all that journalism is essential," Hall said. (AdWeek)
CNN senior programming producer Kendall Trammell spoke to Daniel Wine about the work her team does "behind the scenes to keep readers informed." (Inside CNN)

IN THE MARKET

Jonathan Mahler, James B. Stewart, and Benjamin Mullin chronicle David Zaslav's rollercoaster of a year at the helm of Warner Bros. Discovery following the merger that put him front and center in Hollywood during one of the industry's most tumultuous periods. (NYT)
In the story, Zaslav said the striking writers were "right about almost everything." He added, "So what if we overpay? I've never regretted overpaying for great talent or a great asset." (THR)

MEDIA MOVES

Vox named Elbert Ventura executive editor. (Vox)
NewsNation signed Ross Coulthart as a special correspondent. (The Hill)
The NYT hired Joel Petterson as a senior editor. (NYT)
NPR named Valerie Kipnis its 2023-24 Above the Fray fellow. (NPR)

THE INFO WARS

CNN Photo Illustration/Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Meta Allows Election Misinfo: Election deniers have scored a big win. Social media giant Meta quietly made the decision to allow political ads on its platforms that question the legitimacy of the 2020 election. In other words, candidates are free to claim the former election was "rigged" or "stolen" and Meta will accept their money. The WSJ's Salvador Rodriguez spotlighted the consequential policy change on Wednesday, noting it was actually made last year but hadn't "gained wide attention." Meta, however, continues to prohibit advertisers from questioning the integrity of future elections. CNN's Clare Duffy has more.

IN THE BATTLEFIELD

"Tons of crazy": Brian Stelter offers the "inside story of how Fox fell for the 'Big Lie.'" (POLITICO)
House Speaker Mike Johnson is taking heat from the right, with Steve Bannon and Charlie Kirk both voicing support for him to resign "if he's not up to the task" of carrying out their hardline policies. (MMFA)
Ethan Collier outlines how right-wing media has sought to "downplay and justify" Donald Trump's "vermin" comments. (MMFA)
Trump's social media company, Truth Social, has burned through millions of dollars, Drew Harwell reports, raising "substantial doubt" over whether it can survive. (WaPo)
Jacob Chansley, best known as the "QAnon Shamon," is running for a congressional seat in Arizona. But, David Gilbert writes, he isn't even "the most extreme" candidate. (WIRED)

THE VALLEY

CNN Photo Illustration/Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Trusting TikTok: More and more Americans are turning to TikTok for their news and information. That's according to the Pew Research Center, which released findings from a new survey on Wednesday. The results indicated that users consuming news on the dominant short-form video platform have ballooned in recent years, nearly doubling since 2020. In fact, according to Pew, nearly 1 in 3 Americans aged 18-29 get news from TikTok. Axios' Eleanor Hawkins has more here.

🔎 Zooming in: The news of an increased reliance on TikTok for news comes as mis-and- disinformation about the wars in Eastern Europe and the Middle East run rampant on social media platforms, raising concern among lawmakers.

TOO MANY TABS

Megan McArdle argues there is "no need" to ban TikTok: "One should be doubly suspicious when complaints about disinformation veer into McCarthyist territory — attaching legitimate foreign policy concerns to wild speculation about brainwashing of the U.S. electorate." (WaPo)
GPT-5 is on the way, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman confirmed, though he still doesn't entirely know what it will look like. (Futurism)
Microsoft is rolling out Azure A.I. Speech, which allows users to create videos of avatars capable of speech. (TechCrunch)
Meta is seeking to pass the buck when it comes to protecting kids, saying it should be the app store's, or parents', responsibility. (WaPo)
The Mark Zuckerberg-controlled company is also explaining why it is for laws that would regulate some teenage use of platforms. (TechCrunch)
Instagram introduced 25 new filters - the first time the app has done so "in forever," Chris Welch notes. (The Verge)
Snapchat has introduced a feature that allows users to purchase Amazon products without ever leaving the app. (CNN)

CURTAIN CALL

CNN Photo Illustration/Apple TV+

The Problem With Canceling Stewart: A bipartisan group of lawmakers sent a letter to Apple's Tim Cook on Wednesday, asking whether the cancelation of Jon Stewart's Apple TV+ show was related to content he planned to air about China. The letter was signed by Republican House Select Committee Chairman Mike Gallagher and Democratic Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi. The NYT and CNN previously reported that Stewart was approached by Apple executives who were concerned about how the show was gearing up to cover China and A.I. "If these reports are accurate, it potentially speaks to broader concerns about indirect Chinese Communist Party influence over the creative expression of American artists and companies on CCP-related topics," the letter said. CNN's Liam Reilly has more here.

THE MARVEL MESS

Shakeup at Marvel Studios: Destin Daniel will no longer direct "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty." Anthony D'Alessandro, who was first to report the news, framed it as an "amicable exit." But the big move comes as Marvel finds itself struggling like it never has before. (Deadline)
"The Marvels" didn't "crash and burn at the box office this past weekend due to superhero fatigue," Scott Mendelson notes. (TheWrap)

HOLLYWOOD HEALING

SAG-AFTRA members have begun voting on the agreement struck with the major studios. The voting process will continue until early December.
Two SAG-AFTRA board members spoke to Gene Maddaus about why they opposed the deal, contending it didn't go far enough to protect against the threat of A.I. (Variety)
Ben Schwartz noted the agreement "addresses key issues," but warned that "future struggles await the entertainment industry. (The Nation)

OFF STAGE

Jimmy Kimmel will return as the host of the Academy Awards, Brooks Barnes reports. (NYT)
Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, and David Schwimmer posted tributes to Matthew Perry: "Having to say goodbye to our Matty has been an insane wave of emotions that I've never experienced before." (CNN)
Gwyneth Paltrow's legal dance with an errant skier is headed to London's Pleasance Theater for a 10-day stage run title "Gwyneth Goes Skiing" in December. (Variety)
Universal pushed back the theatrical release of "The Fall Guy," which stars Ryan Gosling, to May 3. (THR)
Jon Hamm will star in Shawn Ryan's television series "American Hostage," based on the podcast by the same name. (The Wrap)
"SEAL Team" will conclude with hits seventh season on Paramount+. (Deadline)
"Lawmen: Bass Reeves" opened to an average audience of 3.3 million on CBS. (The Wrap)

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. You can follow us on Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn. We will see you back in your inbox tomorrow.