NBCU sees record Olympics advertising sales, Norah O'Donnell announces she will step down as "CBS Evening News" anchor, embattled A.I. start up Perplexity inks deals with publishers, Truth Social traffic dives, Meta agrees to a staggering $1.4 billion settlement with Texas, The WSJ details how Elon Musk undermines Lina Yaccarino, "Deadpool & Wolverine" crosses $500 million mark, Jimmy Kimmel passes on hosting the 2025 Academy Awards, and so much more. But first, the A1. |
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| CNN Photo Illustration/Stephen Maturen/Getty Images |
The National Association of Black Journalists is trying its best to weather a storm of backlash.
The organization on Tuesday drew a torrent of criticism over its decision to invite Donald Trump to sit for an interview at its annual convention in Chicago. The Wednesday afternoon Trump event — moderated by ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott, Fox News host Harris Faulkner, and Semafor politics reporter Kadia Goba — has roiled the NABJ, with some of its most prominent members publicly expressing dismay. Karen Attiah, The Washington Post columnist who worked as co-chair of this year's conference, even announced Tuesday that she would resign from her role. While Attiah said a "variety of factors" influenced her decision, she specifically homed in on the Trump interview when making her abrupt announcement.
"To the journalists interviewing Trump, I wish them the best of luck," Attiah wrote on X, adding that she had not been "involved or consulted with in any way with the decision to platform Trump in such a format." Given Trump's adoration of authoritarianism, coupled with the vile campaign he has waged for years on the fourth estate, his appearance at any media-focused conference would be certain to generate heightened levels of controversy. But the fact that the former president, who has flirted with racist elements of his MAGA movement, had been invited to speak at the NABJ conference struck a particular nerve among many of its members.
"The reports of attacks on Black women White House correspondents by the then president of the United States are not myth or conjecture, but fact," April Ryan, the veteran White House correspondent and 2017 NABJ journalist of the year, wrote on X. "To have a presumed orchestrated session with the former president is an affront to what this organization stands for and a slap in the face to the Black women journalists ... who had to protect themselves from the wrath of this Republican presidential nominee who is promoting an authoritarian agenda." But while there was an outpouring of disapproval Tuesday, not everyone was in agreement. Symone Sanders, the former Kamala Harris spokesperson turned MSNBC host, wrote on X that "some of the best journalists in the country are members of the NABJ" and wondered, "So why wouldn't they interview Trump?"
"He is the Republican nominee. Seems like the journalists complaining don't understand their jobs are to actually ask the questions," Sanders argued. "NABJ didn't platform Trump. The voters in the Republican primary did. Just like anyone else who is running for President, he should sit for serious interviews and answer real questions." And despite Trump's aggressive posture toward the press, his attendance at the NABJ as a presidential candidate would not be completely out of the ordinary. Former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush have all attended accepted invitations to attend in recent decades.
The NABJ did not respond to multiple requests for comment Tuesday, but in its announcement it said the Q&A with Trump, "will concentrate on the most pressing issues facing the Black community." Making matters worse for the NABJ, while the organization has welcomed Trump to its stage to speak, it rejected requests by the Harris campaign to make accommodations for her to address the conference. A person familiar with the matter told me that Harris' schedule has been filled to the brim since her sudden ascension to the top of the Democratic ticket. To that end, she was unable to attend the Chicago conference in person. Her campaign did try to make an appearance work, the person said, but was rejected by the NABJ. "The Harris for President campaign team worked very closely with NABJ leadership to find an alternative option," the person said. "The NABJ team unfortunately denied a request for the VP to take part in a fireside chat virtually, or to host an in person fireside chat with the VP at a later date." "Harris has always, and will always, value the NABJ and work to ensure Black reporters have a seat at the table," the person added, drawing a not-so-subtle contrast between the vice president and Trump. "The Harris for President team still welcomes the opportunity to make one of the alternative options happen." |
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CNN Photo Illustration/Aleksandra Szmigiel/Reuters |
The Profits in Paris: The Paris Olympics are not only drawing large audiences for NBCU — they're also sending record profits to the media conglomerate's coffers. NBCU said Tuesday that it will surpass $1.25 billion in sales, securing more advertisers than both the Rio and Tokyo Olympics combined. The company said more than 70% of advertisers are new and that digital revenue has more than doubled from Tokyo, also setting a record high. "The 2024 Paris Games have delivered a uniquely powerful halo for brands at an incredible scale with a highly engaged and passionate audience," Mark Marshall, NBCU's ad boss, said in a statement. "We are proud to have secured the highest Olympic and Paralympic advertising in the history of the Games, and are grateful to our advertisers for their partnership." THR's Alex Weprin has more here. |
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- The ratings remain sky high! Monday night's Olympics programming averaged 31.3 million viewers on NBCU platforms. Ratings are up 77% in the first four days compared to the Tokyo games. (The Wrap)
- Some on the right, however, continue to voice anger with the opening ceremony over the performance that evoked the "Last Supper," even though organizers have apologized and specifically said it was not meant to play off religious imagery. In his interview with right-wing talk host Laura Ingraham, Donald Trump called the ceremony a "disgrace." (Variety)
- And while NBCU is basking in the advertising cash, the criticism aimed at Google over its widely-panned Olympics spot isn't going away. Caroline Mimbs Nyce made the case for why the company deserves the "gold medal" for the worst advertisement of the games. (The Atlantic)
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| CNN Photo Illustration/Michele Crowe/CBS News/Getty Images |
Out Goes O'Donnell: It's the end of an era for the "CBS Evening News." Norah O'Donnell, who was never able to lift the program out of third place, announced that she will give up the anchor chair after the election, trading it in for a smaller role as a senior correspondent. "I have spent 12 years in the anchor chair here at CBS News, tied to a daily broadcast and the rigors of a relentless news cycle," O'Donnell wrote in a memo to staff announcing her exit, first reported by Puck's Dylan Byers. "It's time to do something different." It hasn't, however, been all rainbows and sunshine for O'Donnell in her five years as one of the Big Three news anchors. While she was able to score high-profile interviews, including a sit-down with Pope Francis earlier this year, her time has been dogged by unflattering tabloid reports and less than stellar ratings. CNN's Hadas Gold has more here.
🔎 Zooming in: CBS News and O'Donnell can portray this transition however they'd like. But there is no getting around the fact that it is a massive demotion for O'Donnell. As one source put it to the New York Post's Alexandra Steigrad, "She's been put out to TV journalism pasture. It's like being sent to the graveyard of special projects." And that's not too surprising. As we reported in 2022, previous management at CBS News had explored options to replace her, shopping the anchor gig to Brian Williams. What is honestly remarkable is that O'Donnell lasted in the role for so long. |
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- Embattled A.I. start-up Perplexity is teaming up with major media brands — including Fortune, Der Spiegel, and TIME — for a new revenue-sharing agreement, Reed Albergotti reports. (Semafor)
- "New A.I. search products from OpenAI and other industry leaders are forcing news companies to rethink possible deals with A.I. firms that need news content to answer real-time queries about current events," Sara Fischer and Scott Rosenberg report. (Axios)
- CNN is piloting an assortment of hosts for travel documentaries rather than having a single host carry an entire series, Brian Steinberg reports. (Variety)
- Speaking of CNN: Lynn Sweet wrote about how the CNN-POLITICO Grill "will be the hot ticket at the Democratic convention." (Sun-Times)
- The WaPo "issued an editor's note after the newspaper faced backlash for a front page which included a photo of mourners at the funeral of an 11-year-old girl killed by a Hezbollah rocket strike with a headline about Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon," Natalie Korach reports. (The Wrap)
- Derek Futterman interviewed CNBC media reporter Alex Sherman, highlighting how he's building the network's new sports vertical to reach younger audiences. (Barrett)
- Harrison Vail offered important analysis on what your media tote bag "really says about you." (Air Mail)
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| - Comcast and Diamond Sports finally reached a carriage deal, ending a three-month blackout. (Deadline)
- Netflix "plans to issue long-term debt securities totaling $1.8 billion, the first debt offering for the company since its credit rating was upgraded from junk to investment-grade status," Todd Spangler reports. (Variety)
- Amazon Prime Video is charging less than Netflix for advertisements as the Jeff Bezos-controlled company looks to gain an edge over its rival, Daniel Thomas and Camilla Hodgson report. (FT)
- Hollywood editors and artists fear they will be steamrollered by A.I., Noam Scheiber reports. (NYT)
- Disneyland workers ratified a new contract. (THR)
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- WPP named Philip Jansen chairman. (Bloomberg)
- Crooked Media welcomed Stacey Abrams as a podcast host. (THR)
- The Hollywood Reporter named Liz Culley vice president for entertainment sales and head of special projects. (THR)
- The WaPo hired Lisa Gartner as deputy editor for long-term investigations. (WaPo)
- Bloomberg News tapped Chris Condon as the Federal Reserve team lead overseeing coverage of the U.S. central bank. (TBN)
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CNN Photo Illustration/Stephen Maturen/Getty Images |
Vance's Media Vortex: J.D. Vance's popularity surged in MAGA Media over the last few years, due in large part to his constant presence on right-wing programs. But now, in somewhat of an ironic twist, it is those very appearances that are causing him trouble and hurting his campaign. CNN's Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck unearthed on Tuesday even more comments Vance made disparaging people without children. Most of those remarks were made on right-wing platforms, where friendly hosts almost never push back against Republican officials. Appearances on those platforms certainly help those in the GOP climb in status amongst Republican voters. But a major problem with that media universe is that it offers its dwellers a warped perception of reality. And now that Vance is trying to make his case to the broader public, he's learning that the remarks he was getting praise for in that space don't play so well with the rest of the country. |
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- First in Reliable | "The Donald Trump-controlled Truth Social platform recorded its third straight month of declining traffic. Truth Social attracted 2,112,000 unique visitors, down 38% compared to June 2023 when the site generated 3,407,000 unique visitors," Howard Polskin's The Righting said in a report. "It was the platform's second worst traffic performance since June 2022 when Truth Social had only 1,891,000 unique visitors." (Righting)
- Trump continues to use his pulpit to outright bully private businesses that he does not like. On Tuesday, he directed his supporters to "GO AFTER META AND GOOGLE." (Business Insider)
- Fox News, whose hosts have a history of bashing other networks when they fail to take Donald Trump live, stayed in regular programming as Kamala Harris held a campaign rally in Atlanta on Tuesday. CNN and MSNBC broadcasted the rally.
- On the topic of Fox: Clive Irving has more on the Murdoch family battle: "I was cautioned not to assume that James, Elisabeth, and Prudence agree on all issues, particularly on the idea of a reorganization, just because they are united in opposing the change to the trust." (Vanity Fair)
- Elon Musk's X suspended, then reinstated the account for "White Dudes for Harris," after the group raised $3.7 million for the Democratic presidential hopeful. (Variety)
- Imagine if a Big Tech company had abruptly suspended a prominent right-wing account after it had raised millions for Trump. The outrage in right-wing media would be apocalyptic and sitting lawmakers would almost certainly haul the head of the company before Congress to answer questions.
- Jesse Watters said that some men who vote for Harris have "mommy issues." (MMFA)
- Tiffany Hsu, Stuart Thompson, and Steven Lee Myers report on how Harris is facing "a faster, uglier version of the internet." (NYT)
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| CNN Photo Illustration/Jason Henry/Bloomberg/Getty Images |
Everything Is Bigger in Texas: Meta on Tuesday agreed to pay the state of Texas a staggering $1.4 billion to settle a 2022 lawsuit which alleged Facebook's "tag suggestion" feature violated a facial recognition law. Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, said in a press release that it was the "largest settlement ever obtained from an action brought by a single state." Paxton celebrated the figure, saying it shows the state's commitment "to standing up to the world's biggest technology companies and holding them accountable for breaking the law and violating Texans' privacy rights." The Verge's Justine Calma has more here. |
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- Tension between Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino over the division of labor between the two "are impending some core initiatives, including some payments efforts and restoring ad revenue," Alexa Corse, Suzanne Vranica, and Angel Au-Yeung report in a deep-dive piece. (WSJ)
- The House's chief administrative officer said that TikTok will be removed from all of the chamber's managed devices on August 15. (The Hill)
- The future is talking to robots disguised as humans? Mark Zuckerberg apparently thinks so! The Meta boss said A.I. will help users create a digital twin that can assist creators to interact with their fans. (Axios)
- OpenAI released ChatGPT's delayed Advanced Voice Mode to a select number of paying users. (CNN)
- Reid Hoffman spoke to Jake Tapper about his desire for Kamala Harris to replace FTC head Lina Khan. (CNN)
- The U.S. Senate passed two child safety bills that bolster protections for kids online. (NBC News)
- Nico Grant and John Koblin reported on "how YouTube took over our television screens." (NYT)
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| CNN Photo Illustration/Marvel Studios |
A Box Office Marvel: That was quick! "Deadpool & Wolverine" slashed through the $500 million mark at the global box office on Tuesday as audiences continue to rush to theaters for the superhero movie. After a record-breaking Monday, the Marvel blockbuster had tallied $496.3 million in global ticket sales. That means it most definitely surpassed the half-billion dollar milestone Tuesday, putting the record-breaking R-rated film on a track to join the $1 billion club. Deadline's Nancy Tartaglione has more. ► Will director Shawn Levy return for more Marvel films? He told The Ankler's Richard Rushfeld that he's talking to the studio "about a possible future," among many other things. |
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- Both Jimmy Kimmel and John Mulaney have passed on hosting the 2025 Academy Awards, Matt Belloni reports: "The good news is that Kimmel has done such a nice job these past few years that I think it'll be slightly less difficult to find someone than it was in the Seth MacFarlane/Anne Hathaway–James Franco era." (Puck)
- Taylor Swift addressed the U.K. knife attack that left three children dead: "The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families and first responders. These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families." (CNN)
- Rebel Wilson's feud with three producers for her directorial debut, "The Deb," intensified after they filed an amended defamation complaint accusing her of making false and malicious claims. (Variety)
- Marvel is spending more than $80 million to lure the Russo Brothers back to direct the next two "Avengers" films and "significantly more" to get Robert Downey Jr. to return, Tatiana Siegel reports. (Variety)
- Over in the DC-verse, James Gunn wrapped filming on "Superman." (Deadline)
- Richard Gadd, the "Baby Reindeer" creator, backed Netflix's attempt to dismiss the $170 million defamation lawsuit filed against the streamer by the real-life "Martha." (Deadline)
- HBO said it will debut a Seth Meyers comedy special, shot before a live audience, in the fall. (The Wrap)
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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. You can follow us on Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn. We will see you back in your inbox tomorrow. |
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