Brian Stelter here at 11:11pm ET on Wednesday, Dec. 1 with the latest on Dr. Anthony Fauci, Lara Logan, Slate, Alec Baldwin, Meredith, Bad Bunny, and much more...
Biden's rebuttal to the media
One of President Biden's many fights right now is a fight against perceptions: Of economic peril, a never-ending pandemic, and his own political weakness. In recent speeches, he is issuing rebuttals and trying to change perceptions.
On Wednesday, for instance, he gently skewered the news media: "If you've watched the news recently, you might think the shelves in all our stores are empty across the country, that parents won't be able to get presents for their children... But here's the deal: For the vast majority of the country, that's not what's happening."
Biden ticked through his administration's actions "taken in partnership with business and labor" and said "shelves are going to be stocked." I felt like the entire speech was a response to recent coverage. His message, in effect, was: Don't succumb to the sky-is-falling style of news coverage that is so commonplace at the moment.
He struck a similar tone on Monday when he addressed Americans about Omicron and said it's "not a cause for panic" -- a subtle pushback to some of the panicked initial reactions to the variant news.
But are his arguments getting through? That's very much debatable. On a recent episode of "Reliable Sources," I talked about news whiplash. As a viewer, it's easy to feel like the country is lurching from crisis to emergency to calamity, and by the time one is solved, the next is already stealing all the headlines...
The Fox distortion field
I know I'm a broken record about this, but anti-Biden media coverage is critical to understanding the Biden presidency. For example, Fox showed Biden's lunchtime speech live on Wednesday, but Newsmax pointedly did not. Host John Bachman said (while interviewing Seb Gorka) that "we're monitoring" the speech, but "I can't watch this guy squint into the teleprompter and tell us, you know, lies anymore, so I'm going to spare the audience that. You know, he's talking about the supply chain here, but I want to go back to this issue with the vaccines." And then Bachman indulged anti-vax talking points.
One of the banners on "Hannity" on Wednesday night -- reacting to the aforementioned speech -- said "BIDEN ADMIN DOWNPLAYS THE SEVERITY OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN CRISIS." Another said, "DESPERATE DEMS RELY ON DECEPTION AND DISTORTION TO TRY AND SELL DESTRUCTIVE AGENDA." That's a lot of D's!
The distortion field is very well demonstrated through Omicron. Biden has said several times this week that the country will fight Covid "not with shutdowns or lockdowns" but with widespread vaccinations, testing, and more. The words "not with shutdowns or lockdowns" have been baked into his public appearances. He could not be any more clear. And yet Tucker Carlson told his fan base on Wednesday that "the Biden administration is once again locking down the country" in response to the new variant. One of Carlson's banners said "POWER-HUNGRY DEMS WILL ONLY INTENSIFY LOCKDOWNS." So the president said A, but Fox says the president is doing Z. Is there any remedy for disinformation like that?
Views from the left
Liberal defenders of Biden are increasingly lambasting political coverage -- and not just Fox's, not by a long shot. During Biden's speech on Wednesday, Eric Boehlert said "I'm glad Biden is calling out media's hysterical, unglued inflation/supply chain coverage." Elsewhere, Zachary Pleat of Media Matters argued that the mainstream media "missed the mark with their gloomy Thanksgiving coverage," writing, "There was no shortage of turkeys, the predicted TSA staffing shortages didn't happen, and Black Friday shopping increased 30% from last year." But do those points match perception?
FOR THE RECORD, PART ONE
-- Flashback to last Sunday's "Reliable Sources:" "Is Biden doing enough to shape his own story?" (CNN)
-- Breaking: "Symone Sanders, Vice President Kamala Harris' chief spokesperson and senior adviser, is leaving the Biden administration at the end of the year..." (CNN)
-- I felt exactly how Dan Diamond felt on Wednesday: He said "today's news cycle-on-overdrive has some real 2020 vibes..." (Twitter)
Thursday's front page
One of the banners on MSNBC's "The Beat with Ari Melber" on Wednesday: "SCOTUS NOW OPEN TO BACKING GOP ABORTION BAN." On Fox's "The Ingraham Angle," a victorious version of the same: "FINALLY PUTTING ROE TO REST." Observers who listened to the SCOTUS oral arguments were largely in agreement that the Mississippi law is likely to stand. WaPo's banner headline in Thursday's edition says "Court signals major shift on abortion:"
THURSDAY PLANNER
Biden speaks at NIH about fighting Covid this winter...
Shareholders of 850 Fifth Avenue Partners vote on the merger with BuzzFeed…
"Annie Live" brings the live musical back to NBC...
The National Christmas Tree lighting takes place in DC...
Britney Spears turns 40...
One case does not "tell you much at all"
At Wednesday night's CNN town hall about Covid, Dr. Anthony Fauci reacted to Wednesday's news about the first known Omicron case in the US. The person in California is vaccinated and is said to have only mild symptoms. "You really can't make a broad general statement or an extrapolation for what would go on with unvaccinated people or people who were boosted," Fauci said. "So there's a lot more to be learned." The two-week clock remains in effect...
Meadows' book revealed
Martin Pengelly has done it again. Pengelly, a reporter at The Guardian, has an impressive track record of obtaining new books days or weeks before they are put on sale. Is it through a secret bookstore contact? A publishing world insider? No one knows. But I experienced it first-hand when he nabbed a copy of my book "HOAX" before it went on sale last year. He did it again on Wednesday with "The Chief's Chief," Mark Meadows' forthcoming memoir. The headline: "Trump tested positive for Covid few days before Biden debate, chief of staff says in new book."
Meadows' account lines up with other reporting and medical common sense. Still, when Trump issued a sort-of denial on Wednesday, Meadows dutifully retweeted it. During his book tour, he should be asked in detail about the apparent cover-up...
Lara Logan doubles down on outrageous Fauci-Nazi comparison
Oliver Darcy writes: "Fox News personality Lara Logan on Wednesday appeared to double down on her widely condemned comparison of Fauci to Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, who is infamously remembered as the 'Angel of Death' for the brutal experiments he performed on prisoners at the Auschwitz death camp. Logan tweeted a number of stories and tried to draw a comparison between AIDS research under Fauci and the grotesque experiments Mengele performed. Doing so, she bizarrely posted links to two websites that promoted the fringe and false claim that AIDS is not caused by HIV. And she blocked the Auschwitz Museum on Twitter as she amplified an attack on the organization. Here's my full story..."
ADL and AJC condemn Fox for silence
Darcy adds: "Logan's reprehensible behavior, and Fox's refusal to address the matter, prompted fresh criticism Wednesday. The Anti-Defamation League told me Fox seems 'to be immune to shame and allergic to remorse.' And the American Jewish Committee called on Fox to 'voice their disapproval of her statements,' adding that 'their silence has been deafening.' Fox, however, remained silent amid the controversy and ignored multiple requests for comment..."
>> Auschwitz survivor Michael Bornstein told "New Day" co-host John Berman that Logan's comments are "disgusting." His daughter said it is "equally disturbing" Fox is not condemning her remarks...
FOR THE RECORD, PART TWO
-- Fauci "has almost entirely stopped appearing on Fox News since July," despite many booking requests. "It's not exactly a surprise given the channel's coverage of the doctor..." (Politico)
-- In other Fox news, Trump will be joining "Fox & Friends" at 8am ET on Thursday...
-- Surprised? Trump's "new social media company appears to have missed the November deadline it set to release an invitation-only beta version of 'Truth Social...'" (CNBC)
-- Christian television network founder and preacher Marcus Lamb, who discouraged vaccinations, has died after being hospitalized for Covid-19... (CNN)
Cuomo addresses CNN suspension
Oliver Darcy writes: "Chris Cuomo addressed his indefinite suspension from CNN Wednesday on his SiriusXM radio program, saying it 'hurts' and describing it as 'embarrassing.' But, Cuomo said, he understood the reason for it, 'and I understand why some people feel the way they do about what I did.' Cuomo said he never wanted to 'compromise any of my colleagues' and that he's not going to talk about this any more. You can listen to his comments in full here..."
>> This Washington Post story noted that "CNN did not specify how long the suspension would last, but the network has a track record of sometimes allowing people back on the air after stints in the penalty box. Someone close to the situation said that the network would not be undergoing this evaluation process if a decision had already been made about Cuomo's future..."
>> November's cable news #'s came out on Wednesday, and "Cuomo Prime Time" was the network's #1 show of the month among total viewers. The original series "This is Life with Lisa Ling" and "Diana" ranked #1 in the 25-54 demographic...
YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST
Slate's new politics editor
Natalie Shutler is joining Slate as the publication's politics director. "Natalie comes to us from the New York Times, where she was the news director of the Style section," EIC Jared Hohlt wrote in an internal memo. "We are so excited for her to bring that range and curiosity to Slate, and to lead and revitalize our politics coverage... into the midterms and beyond."
Will Dr. Oz address these questions?
So TV host Dr. Mehmet Oz wants "a career change," Anderson Cooper said Wednesday night, citing his run for Senate in Pennsylvania as a Republican. But what parts of his current career might affect his political ambitions? On "AC360," Randi Kaye reported on a number of "questionable" medical recommendations and remarks that Oz has made over the years. There's a lot more here...
FOR THE RECORD, PART THREE
-- Last week "was a very good week for Lester Holt and 'NBC Nightly News.'" The newscast beat ABC's "World News Tonight" among total viewers for the first time in three years, Mark Joyella reports... (Forbes)
-- On Wednesday Univision launched a 24/7 streaming news channel for Spanish-speaking audiences... (TVNewser)
-- Brian Fung writes: "Facebook will no longer limit users from searching for or praising Kyle Rittenhouse..." (CNN)
-- Derek Thompson launched his new newsletter by writing about "how doomism, gerontocracy, vetocracy, and the negative effects of injecting attention metrics into everything from science to politics is starving the world of a taste for invention and an ability to do big good audacious things." So it's obviously a must-read! (The Atlantic)
-- A Journal exclusive: "Racy affair saga between Jeff Bezos and Enquirer reaches final chapter..." (WSJ)
News orgs side with Bannon
Oliver Darcy writes: "It reads like a headline from the Twilight Zone, but it's not. News orgs are siding with Stephen Bannon who is fighting to have documents related to his prosecution publicly released. Paul Farhi and Elahe Izadi reported that a coalition of media outlets, including WaPo, NYT, CNN, NBC, and others, have submitted a legal brief saying as much. As the duo noted, the move does create 'some strange bedfellows.' More here..."
Biden's FCC nominee grilled over past Fox criticism
FCC nominee Gigi Sohn faced questioning Wednesday over her past criticism of Fox News, including her portrayal of the network as "state-sponsored propaganda." Sen. Roy Blunt questioned whether she was "biased against" the channel at a hearing on Wednesday. Sohn said she made the comments in her "role as a public interest advocate" and insisted she'd be impartial in a government role. Mediaite's Aidan McLaughlin has more here...
>> Notably, Newsmax and One America News "are supporting her nomination..."
Meredith's deals are done
As THR's Alex Weprin noted here, there were a pair of announcements after the market closed on Wednesday: IAC's Dotdash "completed its acquisition of Meredith's media businesses," including People, EW, Food & Wine and other titles, and Gray Television completed its acquisition of Meredith's TV stations. "And with that," he wrote, "Des Moines' number one media company is effectively no more."
>> Related: The Des Moines Register wrote about the local impacts earlier this week...
FOR THE RECORD, PART FOUR
By Kerry Flynn:
-- Laid-off Meredith staffers spoke out Wednesday about working unpaid overtime for Ayesha Curry's Sweet July magazine. They were let go from Shape, which ended its print edition last month, but say they're now being asked to return to work temporarily to finish the sixth issue of Sweet July... (NYPost)
-- "Amid video growing pains, Amazon Live struggles to attract publishers," Max Willens writes... (Digiday)
-- Sarah Emerson is joining BuzzFeed News as a senior tech reporter. She was previously at Medium's OneZero... (Twitter)
-- "Christy Carlson Romano says her TikTok, YouTube videos are a 'memoir so far,'" Doha Madani writes... (NBC News)
Disney's new chair
"Walt Disney Co. has named longtime board member Susan Arnold as its new chair to replace Bob Iger when he leaves the company at the end of this year," the LAT's Ryan Faughnder reports. She brings "decades of corporate experience to her elevated role," but not creative expertise, as some media reporters pointed out...
Redstone: No immediate urge to merge
"ViacomCBS Chair Shari Redstone, who in the past has hinted at more deals to bulk up the media empire, said" in an interview at the Reuters Next conference that "the company will focus on organic growth and seek global expansion opportunities," Dawn Chmielewski reports. Redstone said "I think our growth trajectory is actually pretty high at this point in time." Believe her? Viacom shares closed down 4% on Wednesday.
>> FWIW, I have noticed Paramount+ ranking quite high on Apple's "Top Apps Right Now" list this week...
Thanksgiving records
Fox Sports data guru Michael Mulvihill shared this amazing stat on Wednesday: "America watched 16.9 billion minutes of NFL Football on Thanksgiving Day, the most ever watched on a Thanksgiving." He added, "We're now in a place where Netflix can break every streaming record with Squid Game *and* traditional TV can have the most-watched NFL Thanksgiving ever and the most-watched regular season CFB Saturday ever... If this isn't the new normal it feels awfully close..."
>> Speaking of amazing Thanksgiving stats, Sportico reporter Anthony Crupi called this "the most hilarious ratings development of 2021 thus far: The National Dog Show beat out the Oscars by nearly 1 million viewers..."
Baldwin: "I didn't pull the trigger"
Oliver Darcy writes: "ABC on Wednesday morning confirmed our scoop that Alec Baldwin sat down with George Stephanopoulos for his first formal interview since the fatal shooting on the 'Rust' set. And by the afternoon, the network had released several excerpts. Most notable was Baldwin saying he 'didn't pull the trigger' of the prop gun. 'I would never point a gun at anyone and then pull the trigger, never,' Baldwin said. He said he isn't sure how the live bullet got in the prop gun and got visibly emotional when talking about Halyna Hutchins' death. The interview will air Thursday on ABC at 8pm and stream on Hulu afterward. Baldwin clearly wanted a long-form opportunity to share his story..."
>> Stephanopoulos tweeted, "I've done thousands of interviews over the last twenty years. This was the most intense..."
FOR THE RECORD, PART FIVE
-- "Ben Affleck is feeling grateful for the second chances he's received, both professionally and in his love life," Marianne Garvey writes. Here's his full interview with the WSJ...
-- Lisa Respers France writes: "Slash talked to me about his new album, his relationship with Axl Rose and being a popular Halloween costume..."
-- One more from Lisa: "Billie Eilish continued her tradition of giving the same Vanity Fair interview for the fifth year in a row..."
-- Via Chloe Melas: HBO Max released the first full trailer for "And Just Like That..." on Wednesday...
Bad Bunny and Olivia Rodrigo topped Spotify streams this year
End of the year lists are starting to land... And here is one of the first:
"For the second year in a row, Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny was the most streamed artist, according to Spotify's 2021 Wrapped," CNN's Leah Asmelash wrote. "With more than 9.1 billion streams this year, Bad Bunny beat out Taylor Swift, who came in at No. 2, followed by BTS, Drake and Justin Bieber, respectively. But the most streamed song in the world, almost predictably, is Olivia Rodrigo's smash hit "drivers license.'" More here...
SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST...
Pet of the day!
Reader Paula Kohl emails: "This is Crusher. Named after our two favorite TV shows: 'Star Trek Next Generation' and 'Big Bang Theory...'"
Thank you for reading! Please do email us your feedback and tips. And we would also love your Pet of the Day submissions. We'll be back tomorrow...
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