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Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Elon Musk faces another Xcruciating day, the deal to sell Forbes falters, Univision's boss addresses the network's Donald Trump interview, Sam Altman's future with OpenAI remains up in the air, Bradley Cooper speaks out on the "Maestro" nose controversy, and so much more. But first, the A1.

THE A1

The Take From Tapper

CNN Photo Illustration/CNN

The relentless war between Israel and Hamas has led to a staggering number of civilian deaths and displaced nearly 2 million people in Gaza, spawning an urgent humanitarian crisis. It's also presented a high-stakes conundrum for the international press as the conflict captures the attention of the world and the line separating fact from fiction remains shrouded in fog. Each and every day, journalists covering the Middle East conflict are faced with thorny challenges, many of which they must grapple with in real-time.

We spoke with CNN's Jake Tapper on Tuesday for a wide-ranging interview about reporting on the war. Below, you'll find our unedited Q&A.

What has been the most challenging aspect about reporting on the Israel-Hamas war?

As always, it's the fog of war. Not knowing exactly what is going on for sure at any given moment, first reports being inadequate, sources for information being biased, the difficulty of knowing what is happening on a battlefield, the near impossibility of getting hard, cold facts in real-time.

As a journalist, how have you balanced the need to show the graphic nature of Hamas' savage attack, while also knowing your broadcast is being carried on air and that such images can potentially disturb viewers?

This is an issue I struggle with all the time, and have been for more than a decade. There's a page at the beginning of my 2012 book "The Outpost" in which I wrestle with just describing *in print* how graphic to be.

I generally feel that we in the news media writ large, all over the world, censor too much. There is part of me that thinks if we showed more of what war is and what gun violence is and what fentanyl and opioids actually do, the better the journalism we would be providing. But these are fights I lose, and I understand why I lose them. I just don't think we should pretend that hiding these images is any less of an overt act than showing them.

In any case, what happened on October 7 to the Israelis, and subsequently the hostages, is such an important part of what is going on right now in Gaza, and I think it is important to show the world. The Israelis perceive Hamas to be an existential threat to their survival. Whatever you think of the IDF response, and I am not defending it or prosecuting it, October 7 marked the end of Israel's containment strategy when it comes to Hamas. And it is part of the story.

And the framing of what happened on October 7 by much of the Arab world, and much of the progressive world in the United States, which in some cases includes outright denialism, is also part of the story. I am reminded of what General Eisenhower said after his decision to invite the news media to witness what the soldiers saw when they began liberating the concentration camps. "I think people ought to know about such things… I think the people ought to know what they are fighting for and the kind of person they are fighting."

Last week, you published an important — and equally disturbing — story about Israeli police investigating cases of sexual assault committed during Hamas' assault. The report has touched off a larger conversation in the international community, with some critics noting there has been relatively little attention paid to the topic. Do you believe it deserves more focus?

It's shocking. The degree to which Hamas terrorists raped and committed sexually violent acts on women and girls on October 7 is hideous, and there is evidence and witnesses to the degradation. It was a very difficult story to do because again it was so graphic and horrifying.

And where is the international women's community? Where is the U.S. feminist community? Do these girls and women not count as victims for some reason? I wasn't aware victimhood for rape came with an asterisk.

On the other hand, there have been some critics who believe the news media, broadly speaking, has not been doing an adequate job showing the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza. What are your thoughts on such critiques?

I've seen a ton of strong coverage that gives glimpses into life in Gaza, but it is incredibly dangerous to be there right now. Journalists have been killed.

The problem as U.S. policymakers explain it is twofold: First and foremost, Hamas staged this brutal attack on Israel on October 7 and ran back into Gaza where they embed within the population. And their spokesmen have been very clear in their public pronouncements that they do not particularly care about the loss of life of Palestinian civilians, and that they have spent money on tunnels for their own safety, that of Hamas fighters, and they consider it the responsibility of the United Nations to protect the Palestinian civilians.

Second, and the Biden administration has been pretty clear about this, in their view Israel is not doing enough to protect civilian casualties during its bombing campaign against Hamas. So thousands of innocent civilians have been killed and it is undeniably horrific.

Journalists are working every day to get into Gaza and safely report stories out, documenting the horrors of war and loss of human life. Because of the factors above, not to mention the near-impossibility of getting in and out of Gaza, covering this war has proved challenging compared to, say, Iraq, Afghanistan, or Ukraine.

The war has given way to an alarming surge in antisemitism across the globe. As one of the most high profile Jewish anchors in the world, have you seen a spike in bigoted attacks that target you personally?

My faith only guides my journalism in the sense that I know what it's like to be a religious minority so I apply that across the board to Muslims, Mormons, Catholics and to everyone else. I don't assume that because someone is of one particular faith that they have certain views. That's about it.

I see the war as a journalist and as a human. I want the human suffering to end now. And I would prefer a world where all peoples can live with democracy and self-determination. This is a time where antisemitism is without a doubt on the rise and I've certainly seen an uptick online, but ugly words are just that: words. It's nothing compared to what the people in Israel and Gaza and the West Bank are currently going through.

More than 50 journalists have now died in the region since the onset of the war, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. What is your message to the reporters who are risking their lives to deliver this story to the world?

I've long lived in awe of folks who risk their lives to cover wars. I've been to war zones in Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Israel, but always taking limited risks. I can't imagine having anything worthwhile to say to the people who charge into far more dangerous terrain.

Switching gears, I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you about the Home for Our Troops auction, in which you teamed up with the likes of George Clooney, Wynonna Judd, Don Cheadle, and Mindy Kaling to raise money for injured post-9/11 veterans. How did the auction do this year? What was the number one item?

We had a great year, thanks for asking, raising more than $400,000!

And since pretty much all of that goes to building the specially adapted, mortgage free homes for severely injured US veterans — and the team putting the auction together consists pretty much of me annoying celebrities, the fabulous celebrities themselves giving in to my pestering pleadings, and one employee of Homes for Our Troops — it's a decent accomplishment.

Every year the number one item is different. This year, I thought it was going to be 18 holes of golf with Jason Bateman and Will Arnett at the Bel Air country club but then it ended up being two tickets to the premiere of Jake Gyllenhaal's next movie. I think that's gonna be Roadhouse, so no doubt money well spent.

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

An Israeli air strike killed two reporters and a third person on Tuesday, Reuters reported, citing Lebanese state media and sources. (Reuters)
Reporters Without Borders urged the White House to do more to protect journalists in Gaza. (RSF)
Mosab Abu Toha, a poet and contributor for The New Yorker, has been released after being taken in for questioning by the IDF. (Daily Beast)
"Prominent right-wing commentators with major platforms... spent last week airing their grievances about the Jews, an unprecedented foray into antisemitism that drew cheers from white nationalists for its explicit nature," Matt Gertz writes. (MMFA)
Melissa Barrera was dropped from "Scream VII" after writing on social media that Gaza is "being treated like a concentration camp." (THR)
UTA said it has dropped Susan Sarandon after she appeared at a pro-Palestine rally and said, "There are a lot of people that are afraid, that are afraid of being Jewish at this time, and are getting a taste of what it feels like to be a Muslim in this country, so often subjected to violence." (CNN)

——— BELOW THE FOLD ———

CNN Photo Illustration/Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

Another Xcruciating Day: Billionaire conspiracy theorist Elon Musk faced more backlash on Tuesday, with major advertisers showing their disapproval toward his unhinged recent conduct. Paris Hilton's media company and Fox Sports became the latest companies to pull advertising campaigns from the imperiled social media network. As CNN's Liam Reilly and Clare Duffy, who were first to report the news on Hilton, pointed out, that abandonment dealt a painful blow to executive Linda Yaccarino, who publicly touted X's partnership with the celebrity personality just last month. Meanwhile, the NFL, one of X's highest-profile advertisers, voiced public displeasure with X. "The NFL unequivocally denounces all forms of hate speech and discrimination," Brian McCarthy, the NFL's chief spokesperson, told me in an emailed statement. "We're aware of instances of hate speech on X and have expressed our concerns directly to X both in the past and again in the last few days." Of course, actions speak louder than words, and it is noteworthy that the NFL has signaled that — for now — it will maintain its advertising relationship with Musk and X.

X MARKS THE HATE

Legal experts blasted Elon Musk's lawsuit against Media Matters, telling Brian Fung it contains "fatal flaws." Steve Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas and a CNN contributor, told Fung, "The complaint admits that the thing Media Matters was making a big deal about actually happened. Most companies wouldn't want their ads running next to neo-Nazi content even once, and wouldn't care about the exact percentage of users who were encountering such side-by-side placement." (CNN)
😱 So scary! Musk issued a not-so-subtle threat to his critics on Tuesday: "There is a large graveyard filled with my enemies. I do not wish to add to it, but will if given no choice. Those who pick fights with me do so at their own peril, but maybe this is their lucky day." (The Street)
Yale's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld said it is "irresponsible" and "pathological" for brands to continue advertising on X: "It's self-destructive for any advertiser to be associated with him." (CNN)
But, in an interview with Aidan McLaughlin and Diana Falzone, Anti-Defamation League chief Jonathan Greenblatt defended his recent praise of Musk after facing criticism for saying the X owner had showed "leadership" on "fighting hate." (Mediaite)
Del Harvey, Twitter's former head of trust and safety, broke her silence in an interview with Lauren Goode. (WIRED)
Meanwhile, House Democrats accused X of profiting from Hamas propaganda and misinformation. (CNN)

THE INDUSTRY

Forbes Deal Falters: It's officially dead in the water. Forbes will not be sold to 28-year-old Luminar Technologies boss Austin Russell, the business-focused outlet's chief executive, Mike Federle, said in a note to staff Tuesday. As Axios' Sara Fischer noted, "Russell's bid has been on shaky ground ever since he announced a deal to buy the company in May." Now it's no more. "Because of our consistently strong performance, there has been no shortage of investment interest in our company over the years, and we will continue to consider other opportunities that can help accelerate our growth strategy," Federle told staffers. Fischer has more here.

THE FOURTH ESTATE

Ann Simmons and Louise Radnofsky report on how a "vigorous campaign" is underway for the U.S. State Department to categorize imprisoned Radio Free Europe journalist Alsu Kurmasheva as wrongfully detained by Russia. (WSJ)
Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall recounted his time back in Ukraine, the first time he had visited the country since being severely wounded in an attack that killed his colleagues: "The real purpose of this trip, first and foremost, was going to pay respects to Pierre [Zakrzewski] and Sasha [Oleksandra Kuvshynova]." (Mediaite)
Jeff Zucker is "poised to become an improbable mogul of British conservative media as he nears an agreement to gain control of The Daily Telegraph," Michael Grynbaum writes, reporting that Zucker's vision for the outlet "includes a potential expansion into" the U.S. (NYT)

MEDIA MOVES

Lucasfilm promoted Dave Filoni to chief creative officer. (TheWrap)
Penske Media upped Brooke Jaffe to senior vice president of public affairs and strategy. (THR)
Fox News hired Madison Scarpino as an Atlanta-based correspondent. (Fox News)

THE INFO WARS

CNN Photo Illustration/Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

Univision's U-Turn: The top boss at Univision, Wade Davis, addressed the controversy surrounding how the outlet has recently covered Donald Trump — conceding that the Spanish-language network has "made a decision to adopt a strategy that is different than what some other major networks are using." Davis argued that the manner in which other networks are covering Trump has "been labeled as partisan." Davis said Univision's strategy will be "welcoming of competing issues, ideas, candidates and parties." The translation seems to be: Yes, we want to be more friendly with the twice-impeached, four-time indicted, insurrection inciting former president. Variety's Brian Steinberg has more.

► Former Univision boss Joaquin Blaya ripped the network's recent interview with Trump on Monday, telling Rachel Maddow: "It was not an interview as we understand in the United States. That was basically a one-hour propaganda open space for former President Trump to say whatever he wanted to say."

IN THE BATTLEFIELD

An observation from Reid J. Epstein: "Ignore Trump? Democrats now want him plastered all over the news." (NYT)
Charlotte Klein has more: "The [Biden] reelection team says it's calling out news outlets for 'falling down on the job' in covering the stakes of a second Trump presidency. But will pushback on social media persuade reporters—or simply antagonize them?" (Vanity Fair)
Joe Scarborough warned about a second term for Trump, going as far as to say, "He will imprison, he will execute whoever he is allowed to imprison, execute, drive from the country." (Mediaite)
Trump's social media company, Truth Social, has sued 20 media outlets for supposed defamation. (Independent)

THE VALLEY

CNN Photo Illustration/Carlos Barria/Reuters

Open Question at OpenAI: Will he return or won't he? Whether Sam Altman heads back to lead OpenAI remains in flux, with Bloomberg and Reuters reporting Tuesday that negotiations on the matter continue. "Such a newfound possibility highlights the volatility of a moment that carries broad ramifications for the AI industry, shaping how Microsoft may direct billions in future investments into A.I.," CNN's Brian Fung wrote, adding that "the situation's fluidity has been a hallmark of the crisis." Read Fung's full story.

► Meanwhile: Microsoft is "preparing its San Francisco offices for OpenAI employees, even as chaos lingers," CNBC's Jordan Novet and Jennifer Elias report.

TOO MANY TABS

"Before Sam Altman was ousted from OpenAI last week, he and the company's board of directors had been bickering for more than a year," Cade Metz, Tripp Mickle, and Mike Isaac report. (NYT)
"OpenAI's turmoil is about more than Sam Altman," Allison Morrow argues. (CNN)
"A new lawsuit from an author whose work was used to train OpenAI's artificial intelligence model spotlights the company's partnership with Microsoft to create ChatGPT," Winston Cho reports. (THR)
But a federal judge has dismissed the majority of Sarah Silverman's A.I. copyright infringement lawsuit against the tech giant. (THR)
Switching gears: YouTube is going to war with ad blockers. (404 Media)
Meta global marking director Jackie Pimentel told Amanda Perelli that Threads is "doing a lot of activities with the NBA" and "trying to bring on more and more sports content" to the platform. (Business Insider)
Snapchat is testing a paid subscription plan that would eliminate advertisements across the app. (The Verge)

CURTAIN CALL

CNN Photo Illustration/Robert Kamau/GC Images/Getty Images

Cooper Addresses Controversy: Bradley Cooper on Tuesday broke his silence over the controversy related to his use of a prosthetic nose while portraying conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein. Talking to "CBS Mornings" ahead of the release of the much-anticipated biopic, "Maestro," Cooper said that they almost didn't use the prosthetic. "I thought, 'Maybe we don't need to do it,'" Cooper said. "But it's all about balance, and, you know, my lips are nothing like Lenny's, and my chin. And so we had that, and it just didn't look right [without the prosthetic]." Cooper also used the device with the full support of Bernstein's family, which has spoken out in defense of him. THR's James Hibberd has the details.

OFF STAGE

"The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" has raked in $101 million across its global opening. (Deadline)
Both Netflix and Prime Video are engaging in a culture of self-censorship in India as the streaming giants face increasing government pressures, Gerry Shih and Anand Gupta report. (WaPo)
Rapper A$AP Rocky will stand trial after being accused of firing a gun a former friend. (Pitchfork)
Sony announced a new "Karate Kid," which will star Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan. The film, slated for a 2024 release, will be a sequel to both the original 1984 film and the 2010 remake. (TheWrap)
Nicole Kidman, Antonio Banderas, and Harris Dickinson will star in A24's "Babygirl." (THR)
Netflix renewed "Black Mirror" for a seventh season. (Variety)
The BBC's flagship series "Top Gear" will not be returning "for the foreseeable future" after one of its hosts, Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff was injured in a crash while filming. (BBC)
"NCIS Sydney" has become the most-streamed CBS series premiere on Paramount+. (TheWrap)
Ed Harris, Lewis Pullman, and Pete Davidson will join Jennifer Coolidge, Dustin Hoffman, and Gabrielle Union on the cast of "Riff Raff." (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. You can follow us on Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn. We will see you back in your inbox tomorrow.