Oliver Darcy here at 10:40pm ET on Wednesday, January 25, with the latest on MSNBC, Spotify, New York Post, Substack, Nielsen, YouTube, WarnerMedia, NYT, WaPo, LucasFilm, and more. But first...
Dire situation in Mexico
Journalists in Mexico are fed up.
In a country whose climate is infamous for being exceedingly hostile toward journalists, a spate of murders has disillusioned an already cynical press corps, prompting journalists to publicly speak out about the dangers they face on the job. Across the country, journalists and human rights advocates demonstrated on Tuesday night in favor of press freedom. They held signs that read "journalism at risk" and paid tribute to their fallen colleagues -- those who have lost their lives for simply reporting the news.
Just this month, three reporters have been killed in the Latin American country. Journalist Lourdes Maldonado López, who told Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in 2019 that she feared for her life, was shot to death inside her car on Sunday; photojournalist Alfonso Margarito Martínez Esquivel was shot in the head outside his home on January 17; and Jose Luis Gamboa, the founder and editor two news websites, was killed on January 10.
The Committee to Protect Journalists considers Mexico to be one of the most dangerous countries in the world to practice journalism. By the organization's count, nine journalists were murdered in 2021. Of those nine, CPJ has confirmed that three of those journalists were killed in direct reprisal for their work.
"You feel like an easy target"
Somehow, in recent weeks, the situation has managed to become even more dire, CPJ Latin America and Caribbean program coordinator Natalie Southwick told me on Wednesday. Southwick said that journalists in the country, especially those who cover corruption or organized crime, are currently "thinking furiously" about "whether what they're doing is worth the risk to their families."
A disturbing detail in a Guardian story from earlier this month illustrates the level of worry: "In some regions journalists have become so fearful of being abducted and killed that they take DIY dental impressions and leave them in the freezer at home before going out to report so relatives can identify their remains."
Indeed, fear is gripping even the most seasoned Mexican journalists. "I’ve never felt this worry, not just for me, but a fear for others, for those people I’ve been working with for 20 years," Aline Corpus, a Tijuana correspondent, told NYT. "You feel like an easy target," Corpus added.
"It’s difficult to put into words what the killings have done,” Vicente Calderón, editor of news site Tijuana Press told CPJ. "You would think that, as journalists who go out every day to cover crime and violence in this city, we would have built up some kind of immunity, but even though we have gotten used to [violence], it has still been a terrible week with lots of introspection."
Anxiety and anger
CNN Mexico City producer Karol Suarez writes: "Here in Mexico, a sense of anxiety and anger has gripped the journalism community. The lack of concrete actions from authorities has created an atmosphere of impunity and bitterness among all. Imagine telling the president of your country that you fear for your life, and a few years later, you get killed while arriving home; it's awful, right? Something failed, and it has been failing for more than two decades. Journalists in Mexico are seen as the enemies of politicians and other powerful people. But even with the fear and dangerous circumstances, journalists will continue doing their jobs..."
"Silence zones"
Southwick told me that "there is no doubt" that the recent killings are having a "chilling" effect on journalism. She said that the violence and threats journalists regularly face in the country have contributed to ever-growing "silence zones," or "whole areas of the country where there is very little news coverage because it is not safe." The few journalists in such areas, she said, "cover sports or celebrity news or topics that are not going to upset the local organized crime groups." A representative for Article 19, a media advocacy group, put it like this to the NYT: "What we call zones of silence are being imposed, they’re spreading, they’re propagating like a pandemic..."
What can be done?
Since 2012, safety mechanisms from the government have been in place to help keep journalists safe. A program for human rights advocates and journalists that operates under Mexico’s Interior Secretariat is supposed to evaluate threats and respond appropriately. But a 2019 CPJ report found that many journalists find the response to be "insufficient or ineffective."
Southwick told me that they've heard from journalists on the ground who feel that authorities are dismissive of the threats they face or are slow to respond. "The ongoing brutality against the journalists in this country is a direct consequence of the authorities’ unwillingness and inability to combat the festering impunity that fuels these killings," Jan-Albert Hootsen, CPJ’s Mexico Representative, said in a statement. The group is calling on the government to do more...
FOR THE RECORD, PART ONE
-- The type of story that makes you grateful for US press freedoms: Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan "has promised that a well-known television journalist would not go 'unpunished' after she was arrested for allegedly insulting him..." (Guardian)
-- Dylan Byers matched my Brian Williams/CBS News story from earlier this week. He says CBS "is reeling from the ill-fated recruitment" and adds that ViacomCBS has "hired a consulting firm to analyze the news division..." (Puck)
-- Jeff Zucker, describing the vision for CNN+: "We do want a service that has a wider aperture and is broader than just today's bleak news..." (NYT)
-- Amy Schneider's historic winning streak on "Jeopardy!" came to an end on Wednesday after 40 games... (CNN)
-- Devon Ivie interviewed the librarian who beat Schneider, Rhone Talsma. He approached the game this way: "I thought I was destined to lose, so I just did my best..." (Vulture)
JUST IN:
Ruhle to replace Williams at 11pm
"MSNBC will soon announce plans to move morning anchor Stephanie Ruhle to the 11 pm ET hour that Brian Williams turned into an elite destination," Sara Fischer scooped for Axios Wednesday night. Ruhle's current 9am hour will be annexed by "Morning Joe," meaning that the MSNBC morning show will run in some form for four hours, from 6am to 10am. A person familiar with the matter confirmed the lineup changes to Brian Stelter. Details expected soon...
VAB: Nielsen error cost hundreds of millions
A new study by the Video Advertising Bureau published on Wednesday estimated that a Nielsen error, which resulted in the undercounting of out of home viewing, cost TV networks hundreds of millions of dollars in lost advertising revenue. The VAB said that its analysis found a $350 million loss between September 2020 to December 2021, which reflected seven months of the 16-month error. The group said total losses "could exceed $700 million." Variety's Brian Steinberg has the details here...
Civil conflicts expert warns about future of American democracy
Donie O'Sullivan writes: "Throughout the last year, I’ve spoken to hundreds of Trump supporters across the country. For many, their entire media ecosystem has (falsely) told them that American elections are rigged. Some Trump supporters can see through it --they know that it is a lie. But others believe what they hear from Trump and his allies in right-wing media. Barbara Walter, an expert in civil conflicts, watched some of our interviews with such Trump supporters. Drawing on what they told me, she offered her analysis on where American democracy might be headed. Hint: It's not good..."
THURSDAY PLANNER
Comcast reports earnings before the bell; Apple reports after the close...
It's the "Super Bowl of guild days..." Scroll down for details...
Will Justice Stephen Breyer formally announce his retirement? Sources tell CNN such an announcement with Biden could come as soon as Thursday...
Three ledes capture history
>> WaPo: "Justice Stephen G. Breyer will retire at the end of the Supreme Court’s current term, giving President Biden a chance to reinforce its liberal minority and deliver on his campaign pledge to make history by nominating the first African American female justice..."
>> NYT: "Justice Stephen G. Breyer, the senior member of the Supreme Court’s three-member liberal wing and a persistent if often frustrated advocate of consensus as the court moved sharply to the right, will retire upon the confirmation of his successor, people familiar with the decision said, providing President Biden a chance to fulfill his pledge to nominate a Black woman..."
>> CNN: "Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer plans to retire, setting up a seismic confirmation battle at the start of a midterm election year as President Joe Biden tries to find his footing with his agenda stalled and Democrats divided in Congress..."
How the news broke
Brian Stelter writes: "Something strange happened when NBC's Pete Williams broke the news about Breyer on Wednesday. NBC broke into broadcast programming with a special report from Lester Holt at 11:54am -- but MSNBC and CNBC didn't simulcast it or pick up on it. MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell cut into a commercial at 11:58 with the news while the control room scurried to keep up. It's odd that the NBC umbrella didn't include its news channels when Williams landed a big scoop. CNN's Wolf Blitzer matched the reporting immediately and CNN began live coverage at 12pm. Fox started talking about Breyer at 12:06 but only cited other news outlets' 'reports,' not original reporting. ABC aired a special report at 12:21, and CBS at 12:33. At least one CBS local station reported the news during a noon newscast before the network confirmed it -- another example of a strange lack of synergy..."
FIRST IN RELIABLE:
NY Post alums privately voice support for Gotthelf
Former New York Post staffers are voicing support for Michelle Gotthelf, the tabloid's former digital editor-in-chief who filed a harassment lawsuit against the company last week. In a private Facebook group, multiple people shared messages of solidarity with Gotthelf after the lawsuit was made public, according to screen grabs that I obtained.
"Good for Michelle Gotthelf for standing up against the abusive environment that has been allowed and encouraged for years at the NY Post," one ex-staffer wrote. "I left the NY Post mentally traumatized." Another former reporter wrote, "Shocked by how many people are shocked by this. I support you 100 Michelle Gotthelf." Several other messages from alums cheered her on. A spox for The Post didn't respond to a request for comment. But after initially announcing her departure and other management changes, a spox for the tabloid said, "Any suggestion of wrongdoing related to the management changes announced today is meritless..."
FOR THE RECORD, PART TWO
-- On Tuesday night Tucker Carlson aired "his most dishonest and dangerous pandemic segment yet," Philip Bump writes... (WaPo)
-- In an interview on SiriusXM with Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox's longest-tenured medical contributor, Dr. Anthony Fauci pushed back on "purely political" attacks on him and public health officials... (NYDN)
-- "Find someone who loves you the way Fox News prime-time hosts love treatments that don't actually work against COVID-19." That was Matt Gertz's lede for a column about how Fox hosts are rallying behind Ron DeSantis' demand for monoclonal antibodies that are ineffective against Omicron... (MMFA)
Spotify scrubs Young's music after Rogan ultimatum
The WSJ's most-read story right now: "Spotify takes down Neil Young’s music after his Joe Rogan ultimatum." The paper's reporter, Anne Steele, was first to break news that the streaming company would remove Young's music after he said he would not share a platform with Rogan over the anti-vaccine rhetoric coming from the podcast host's show. Spotify, in a statement to news orgs, said it has removed some vaccine misinfo from its platform over the last two years. The company said it wants "all the world's music and audio content to be available" to its users. And it concluded by leaving the door open for Young to return: "We regret Neil's decision to remove his music from Spotify, but hope to welcome him back soon."
>> Looking forward: Will any other major artists follow in Young's steps? There are already calls for such action. "Big Bang Theory" co-creator Bill Prady, for instance, tagged multiple major singers in a tweet Wednesday afternoon...
Substack explains "hands-off" approach to content moderation
In a post published Wednesday, Substack co-founders Hamish McKenzie, Chris Best, and Jairaj wrote that as the platform faces "growing pressure to censor content published on Substack that to some seems dubious or objectionable," the company's approach will remain the same: "We make decisions based on principles not PR, we will defend free expression, and we will stick to our hands-off approach to content moderation. While we have content guidelines that allow us to protect the platform at the extremes, we will always view censorship as a last resort, because we believe open discourse is better for writers and better for society." The trio acknowledged the stance does result in "some uncomfortable consequences," but they said they believe it's the correct position because "the alternatives are so much worse..."
YouTube bans Bongino
Right-wing rage performer Dan Bongino has been permanently banned on YouTube. The social media company said Wednesday that Bongino attempted to evade a suspension and, thus, has been booted. The move comes just two days after Bongino vowed to quit YouTube, telling his audience he would stop posting on the site and instead upload his videos to Rumble, the video platform favored by conservatives which he is an investor in. The Hill's Chris Mills Rodrigo has more here...
FOR THE RECORD, PART THREE
-- Charlie Warzel writes about "the online dynamics of Wordle and what happens when things get very popular," specifically "familiar cycle of information overload and fandom" that is "not only exhausting, but alienating..." (The Atlantic)
-- Amazon "has abandoned its much-maligned campaign of paying employees to share positive messages on social media," Gordon Smith, William Langley, and Emily Goldberg report... (FT)
-- Snapchat is "adding features to its augmented reality advertising, working to help retailers actually get a sale from using their camera-overlay tools," Naomi Nix reports... (Bloomberg)
-- Reddit is testing "allowing users to set any NFT as their profile picture, similar to Twitter," Sarah Perez reports... (TechCrunch)
-- "A 19-year-old built a flight-tracking Twitter bot. Elon Musk tried to pay him to stop," Veronica Irwin reports... (Protocol)
AT&T expects WarnerMedia spinoff in Q2
Brian Stelter writes: "Shares in AT&T erased their 2022 gains after the company reported Q4 earnings on Wednesday. The likely reason for the selloff: As the WSJ's headline put it, 'AT&T Cautions Wireless Industry’s Gains Will Slow.' The company also said that it expects its spinoff of WarnerMedia, including CNN, to take effect in the second quarter of this year. 'During an analyst call, AT&T CEO John Stankey touted growth prospects at HBO Max,' THR reported..."
>> The WarnerMedia-Discovery deal "could go through as soon as May," Insider's Claire Atkinson reported in a new look at Discovery's plans...
FOR THE RECORD, PART FOUR
-- Valerie Bertinelli's "Enough Already" debuted at #1 on the NYT's nonfiction list on Wednesday. Rosemary Sullivan's "The Betrayal of Anne Frank," Chris Herring's "Blood in the Garden" and Laura Coates' "Just Pursuit" also made the list... (NYT)
-- WaPo named Matea Gold as national editor and Philip Rucker as deputy national editor. They talked with Deadline's Ted Johnson about their plans... (WaPo)
-- NYT announced Jyoti Thottam as editorials editor and Alex Kingsbury as editor-at-large for the editorial board and opinion. Lauren Kelley has also joined the op-ed team and Greg Bensinger has joined the newsletter editing team... (NYT)
-- Chad Matthews has been promoted to president of ABC Owned Television Stations... (Variety)
-- NBC News SVP Ali Zelenko is adding a role as head of strategic partnerships at NBC News Studios... (Twitter)
In Russian media, Ukraine "is the source of many evils"
"Just like in the West, in Russia the media is closely following the chance of further conflict in Ukraine. However, Kremlin-controlled outlets have their own version of who is likely to start it," the BBC's Vitaliy Shevchenko reported Wednesday. "They portray Ukraine as the aggressor preparing to mount an unprovoked attack on areas controlled by Moscow-backed separatists." Shevchenko distilled it like this: "For the Kremlin's media machine, Ukraine is the source of many evils..."
>> Speaking of Russian propaganda: "Kremlin TV worries Tucker Carlson's pro-Putin bias has gone too far," The Daily Beast's Julia Davis reports...
>> And another related story: WaPo's Aaron Blake breaks down how Carlson’s "rationalization of Putin could play into views of the Ukraine standoff..."
FOR THE RECORD, PART FIVE
-- Lionsgate is "in discussions to acquire some or all of STX Entertainment, the seven-year-old company founded by veteran producer Robert Simonds," Matt Donnelly reports... (Variety)
-- Georg Szalai wonders: "Will Hollywood's streaming ambition lead to big gaming buys?" (THR)
-- Audible "is aggressively investing in original and exclusive content," Todd Spangler reports... (Variety)
-- Speaking of audio: "LAist Studios, the podcast division of Southern California Public Radio, is launching a slew of new audio series," per Peter White... (Deadline)
All in the family
Brian Lowry writes: "In a pretty impressive flex in this age of peak TV, 'Succession' received all five bids for best directing of a drama series in the Directors Guild Awards nominations announced Wednesday. The DGA film nominations – considered a key bellwether traditionally for the Oscars – will be unveiled Thursday along with Writers Guild and Producers Guild noms, prompting THR awards maven Scott Feinberg to call it 'the 'Super Tuesday' of this year's awards season...'"
FOR THE RECORD, PART SIX
-- Fox has announced its spring lineup. Most notably, "The Masked Singer" will return on March 9 with the premiere of its seventh season... (Variety)
-- Netflix has ordered "The Diplomat," Debora Cahn's political drama... (Deadline)
-- Miley Cyrus will perform at Steven Tyler's Grammy Awards viewing party on April 3... (THR)
-- The first trailer for Netflix's "A Madea Homecoming" is here... (YouTube)
Lucasfilm mirroring Marvel?
Brian Lowry writes: "Spoiler alerts apply for this recap of the latest episode of 'The Book of Boba Fett,' but one broad observation: In terms of treating its live-action Disney+ series like a big interconnected entity, Lucasfilm appears to be taking a page out of corporate sibling Marvel’s playbook..."
SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST...
Pet of the day!
Reader John Hellebush emails: "Brooke and Laney are 18 week old sisters. Brooke is deaf, so Laney is helpful while trying to train them, but so far it is a challenge. The house is taking major abuse but it is worth it..."
Thank you for reading! Email your feedback anytime. We'll be back here tomorrow...
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