Hello from New York, where Taylor Swift's voice radiating through Liverpool's football stadium is still echoing in my mind! In this edition of Reliable: The New York Post continues to mislead audiences about President Biden supposedly wandering, staffers at The Daily Beast take buyouts as new management seeks to remake the outlet, Alex Jones acknowledges he no longer owns Infowars, the surgeon general calls for social media warning labels, "Inside Out 2" brings the summer box office alive, Scooter Braun exits music management, and so much more. But first, the A1. |
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| CNN Photo Illustration/Alberto Rodriguez/Getty Images |
Jeff Bezos has a decision to make — and it is one that will determine the future course of one of the nation's most prestigious news organizations.
The Washington Post owner and Amazon billionaire can continue to stand by Will Lewis, the controversy plagued Fleet Street veteran he tapped as publisher and chief executive of the iconic national broadsheet. Or he can side with his Pulitzer Prize-winning newsroom, which is repudiating their new leader in clear and unmistakable terms.
But based on my conversations Monday with nearly a dozen staffers and others familiar with the internal dynamics of The Post, it appears increasingly unlikely that Bezos can have it both ways. Lewis, who continues to face heavy scrutiny over a series of troubling decisions both past and present, has unquestionably lost the room, alienating staffers and creating an untenable position in which it is difficult to see him effectively leading the respected army of reporters under his command.
There may have been a moment in which the former Rupert Murdoch lieutenant could have turned the tide and quelled the uproar within The Post. That fury first saw life shortly after his decision to oust top editor Sally Buzbee. In the wake of her sudden exit, it was revealed that he tried to suppress stories at The Post and NPR about his role cleaning up the U.K. phone hacking scandal for Murdoch (which he denies wrongdoing in).
Instead of deescalating the situation early on, Lewis lashed out, going so far as to criticize his own media reporters and launch an on-the-record attack aimed at the well-respected NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik. And while Lewis later sent the newsroom an apologetic memo following the episodes, it did little to quell concerns, setting into motion a series of stories that have raised serious questions about his judgment and journalistic values, as well as those of his hand-picked future top editor, Robert Winnett. The New York Times reported over the weekend that, in his Fleet Street days, Lewis assigned an article that was based on stolen phone records. And The Post reported Sunday that a "thief" who used deceptive tactics to obtain private material had ties with Winnett.
The stories landed like a one-two punch in The Post newsroom, raising even more alarm and upping the panic level at the newspaper to new heights. Incensed, anxious, and demoralized staffers stressed to me Monday that they just want Bezos to bring this "shit show," as one staffer put it, to an end.
When Bezos first appointed Lewis, staffers at The Post understood that he needed to appoint a publisher and chief executive who would shake things up in the newsroom. They acknowledged to me that, under previous boss Fred Ryan, The Post had fallen behind outlets like The Times in the post-Donald Trump years, both from audience and financial standpoints. And so, when Lewis took the reins in January, the newsroom was more or less, cautiously optimistic about how he would transform the institution. They were willing to give him a chance.
But they're not willing to let him shred the newspaper's reputation in the process. While the journalists continue to worry about the financial state of their newsroom and want a boss who can seriously address its business woes, they fiercely guard its editorial independence and integrity. And, with respect to that, they strongly believe Lewis and Winnett pose a significant danger.
"We are losing audience and money and the top of the company is a clown show," a staffer explained to me, adding, "All we have is our credibility and we've just taken a gun to that."
The newspaper's credibility, of course, is inextricably linked to whether it can be a thriving business. Good luck getting people to subscribe to a newspaper that they believe has been ethically compromised. (I would love to see that sales pitch!) And, as one staffer at The Post noted to me, behaving in an ethical manner matters greatly when trying to convince a newsroom to reinvent itself. As the person said, "It doesn't matter how good your ideas are if you have a no-confidence vote from your entire staff."
That said, what Bezos will decide to do as he assesses the situation at The Post remains a mystery. Questions to his spokesperson went unanswered on Monday. And an email we sent directly to Bezos went unreturned. But certainly the tech baron is aware of the rapidly deteriorating situation over on K Street. And, presumably, Bezos does not want his stewardship of The Post to be stained by an ugly chapter in which he allowed grave problems to fester and eat away at the institution as he sat idly by. Dismissing Lewis would bring with it some pain for Bezos, sure. It would require him to concede that he got it wrong with Lewis and restart the time-consuming process of finding another publisher. And it might cost him a nice chunk of change — though an irrelevant one for someone of Bezos' wealth — to pay out Lewis' contract. But keeping Lewis in the position could deliver an even greater level of pain and, with it, unflattering headlines over time. More stories about Lewis are sure to drop in the days and weeks ahead. Top talent may soon head for the exits (indeed, I'm told some staffers are already looking for work elsewhere). And at some point it becomes hard to see how Bezos justifies having a boss oversee a newspaper that is publishing A1 stories spotlighting his ethically-challenged decisions. The best advice in crisis public relations is to reach to the end result as quickly as possible, to avoid an unrelenting drip-drip of bad news. Bezos can surely do the math on this one, given it is not too complicated. And perhaps that is why his camp is not voicing public support for Lewis.
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, the renowned professor and senior associate dean for leadership studies at the Yale School of Management, told me Monday that Bezos has a simple decision to make. Sonnenfeld, who has advised U.S. presidents and scores of corporate leaders, said that if he were advising Bezos, he would tell him Lewis has "lost legitimacy to lead" and it's time to "clean the house."
"This is a tragic meltdown of the conscience of American journalism bringing shame to the Katharine Graham, Ben Bradlee, Marty Baron legacy of collaboration, courage, and integrity," Sonnenfeld said. "Bezos must recruit an accomplished, experienced editor whom journalists admire and trust." |
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- Where is Jeff Bezos amid the crisis at The WaPo? On a Mykonos yacht vacation, Ian Mohr reports. (Page Six)
- Former senior managing editor Cameron Barr, who has been doing contract work for The WaPo since exiting, is overseeing coverage of Will Lewis, David Folkenflik reports. (NPR)
- Full statement From The WaPo: "We cover The Washington Post independently, rigorously and fairly. Given perceived and potential conflicts, we have asked former senior managing editor Cameron Barr, who stepped down from that position in 2023 and now has a contractual relationship as a senior associate editor, to oversee this coverage. The executive editor and relevant masthead editors review and provide input, with Cameron's concurrence, to ensure that our work meets our highest standards. The publisher has no involvement in or influence on our reporting."
- Acting Executive Editor Matt Murray praised The WaPo's coverage on Monday, Benjamin Mullin and Katie Robertson reported. The duo also reported a dinner at Cannes Lions that Lewis was organizing had been called off. (NYT)
- Donald Trump used the drama to – unsurprisingly — attack The WaPo on Truth Social. (POLITICO)
- Meanwhile: The WaPo "is in talks to bring aboard the legendary admaker David Droga to commission a new marketing campaign to redefine its image as it seeks to broaden its audience and find a space beyond presidential politics," Ben Smith reports. (Semafor)
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CNN Photo Illustration/Fox News |
Frozen Fabrications: The New York Post and other right-wing media outlets are at it again, taking a video of President Joe Biden and claiming it is evidence that he is a mentally incapacitated candidate for president. The video being circulated this time shows former President Barack Obama walk off stage with Biden at a fundraiser. It was, however, misrepresented by outlets like the Post and Fox News as evidence of the president "freezing" in public. The whole affair, of course, comes just days after the Post presented a deceptively edited video clip to declare on its front page that Biden is the "MEANDER IN CHIEF." A spokesperson for the Post did not comment when I reached out Monday about the outlet's misleading coverage. But White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates blasted the Post in a statement, saying the Rupert Murdoch-controlled tabloid is "disrespecting its readers." Bates added, "Their ethical standards could deal with a little unfreezing." |
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- The Daily Beast "is gutting its senior editorial team after implementing voluntary buyouts last month, with nearly 70% of unionized staffers leaving the outlet," Natalie Korach reports. Per Korach, departing names include Justin Baragona, Jose Pagliery, and Pilar Melendez. (The Wrap)
- "The union that represents journalists at The Wall Street Journal, Barron's and MarketWatch and parent company Dow Jones & Co. announced Monday a tentative agreement on a new four-year collective bargaining agreement covering 1,400 employees," Chris Roush reports. (TBN)
- A Reuters Institute report found that audiences are increasingly worried about how A.I. is being used to produce the news. (Reuters)
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- Shares in Paramount Global closed Monday at $9.83, a new low, as Wall Street expresses worries about the fate of the company's future after Shari Redstone blew up a deal with David Ellison's Skydance. (The Wrap)
- Shares in Warner Bros. Discovery also continue to hover at near record lows, with the stock closing at $7.16 a share on Monday.
- Shares in AMC Networks collapsed Monday, ending down 35% on news it is planning to sell $125 million in convertible senior notes to raise cash. (Deadline)
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- 🚨 Warner Bros. Discovery has tapped former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs as its new comms chief, Kim Masters and Lachlan Cartwright reported Monday night. (THR)
- TEGNA tapped Mike Steib as its new chief executive. (THR)
The Austin American-Statesman named Courtney Sebesta executive editor. ( Statesman) - The NYT named Matina Stevis-Gridneff Canada bureau chief; named Sharon Chan deputy for strategic culture initiatives; and named Annie Correal a general assignment reporter. (NYT/NYT/NYT)
- Fox News promoted Jacqui Heinrich and Peter Doocy to senior White House correspondents. (The Wrap)
- Refinery29 appointed Akhil Bhansali to chief financial officer and promoted Ashley Meade to chief revenue officer. (Adweek)
- The WSJ hired Connor Hart as a reporter. (TBN)
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CNN Photo Illustration/Mike Segar/Reuters |
The War Over Infowars: Alex Jones is still broadcasting and Infowars is still online following Friday's hearing in a Texas bankruptcy court. At the hearing, the judge overseeing the case approved the liquidation of Jones' personal assets to pay Sandy Hook families, but declined to compel the liquidation of Free Speech Systems, the parent company of Infowars. In short, the moves mean that Jones can continue with his conspiracy-filled programming, though he no longer owns the company he founded in the late 1990s. "I do not now own Infowars," Jones acknowledged over the weekend. The decision leaves the fate of Infowars up in the air, with the open possibility it will now be sold off. CNN's Hadas Gold has more here. |
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| - Amid the bankruptcy proceedings, Alex Jones has promoted supplements from Dr. Jones Naturals, a website owned by his father, seemingly diverting Infowars assets to a family business. (WIRED)
- "As Newsmax hurtles towards two major defamation trials over its coverage of the last presidential election, the conservative cable news network is pinning its hopes of survival on an audacious plan to go public," Aidan McLaughlin and Diana Falzone report. (Mediaite)
- "Sinclair Broadcast Group has flooded a vast network of local news websites with misleading articles suggesting that President Biden is mentally unfit for office. The articles are based on specious social media posts by the Republican National Committee, which are then repackaged to resemble news reports," Judd Legum reports. (Popular Information)
- The fringe continues to become mainstream: Candace Owens' podcast is No. 3 on Spotify, behind Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson. (Newsweek)
- Jesse Watters "celebrated Trump's calls for revenge. Now, Watters says that the idea that Trump is out for revenge is a hoax," Helena Hind reports. (MMFA)
- Joe Mason profiled Tyrus, the former professional wrestler-turned-Outkick host and Fox News personality, who claims he does more journalism "than we see on the so-called 'news.'" Uh huh! (APP)
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CNN Photo Illustration/Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images |
The Surgeon's Social Warning: Alcohol. Tobacco. And now social media? Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Monday called for warning labels to be added to social media platforms, warning that the use of the tech platforms can cause mental health harm, particularly to younger users. In an op-ed for The New York Times, Murthy wrote that such a label "would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe." And in an interview with CNN's Meg Tirrell, Murthy called on Congress — which would need to pass legislation for a label to be legally required — to take action. CNN's David Goldman has more. 🔎 Zooming in: What such a label would look like, and which platforms it would apply to, remains hazy. And Murthy himself acknowledged Monday that it would not be a silver bullet solution. But he said that it is time for policymakers and the public to more aggressively tackle the issue. "Why is it that we have failed to respond to the harms of social media when they are no less urgent or widespread than those posed by unsafe cars, planes or food?" Murthy asked in his op-ed for The NYT. "These harms are not a failure of willpower and parenting; they are the consequence of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency or accountability." |
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- Coming soon: A U.S. appeals court will hear the first oral arguments in TikTok's challenge to the divest-or-ban law on September 16. (Axios)
- Testimony Elon Musk provided the SEC suggest he and an advisor "brushed off compliance with a rule about disclosing his purchases of Twitter stock," Dave Michaels and Alexa Corse report. (WSJ)
- YouTube is trialing a crowdsourced feature, Notes, that allows users to contextualize videos. (TechCrunch)
- A disturbing story: Emanuel Maiberg reported that Google search results "are turning up AI-generated images of celebrities and leading users to sites that host AI-generated nudes celebrities made to look like children." (404 Media)
- TikTok may soon add A.I.-generated avatars of creators. (The Verge)
- Apple's stock continued its post-WWDC surge, closing up about 2% Monday.
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CNN Photo Illustration/Pixar |
Pixar's Box Office Punch: And just like that, the summer box office has roared to life! Pixar's "Inside Out 2" blew past expectations over the weekend, debuting at a stunning $155 million at the domestic box office and $295 million globally. That surpassed even the most bullish expectations, delivering a much-needed win for the Disney-owned studio. In fact, it was the second-best opening for Pixar in its nearly three-decade long history. And with excellent word of mouth (the film enjoys a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes), the family-friendly PG film is likely to continue posting big numbers in the weeks ahead, which is great news for theaters which experienced a worrisome slow start to the summer movie season. The LAT's Lindsey Bahr has more. ► Meanwhile, the "Bad Boys" continue to also pull their weight. Grossing $33 million at the domestic box office in its second weekend, the R-rated franchise has now grossed more than $1 billion worldwide. |
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- Scooter Braun announced he is officially exiting management. As Justin Curto wrote, "Artists can't fire Scooter Braun as their manager anymore — he's quitting." (Vulture)
- Taylor Swift's "Tortured Poets" maintained the No. 1 spot atop the Billboard 200 for the eighth week in a row. (Billboard)
- Sean "Diddy" Combs returned his key to New York City. (CNN)
- Katy Perry announced she will drop a new single on July 11. (Deadline)
- Coldplay announced they will release a new album, "Moon Music," on Oct. 4. (Pitchfork)
- Tony Awards viewership declined 14% from 2023. (The Wrap)
- Marketing stunt of the year? The HBO team deployed a dragon atop the Empire State Building to mark the premiere of "House of the Dragon." (Gothamist)
- Kevin Costner again said he "would love to go back" to "Yellowstone" "under the right circumstance." (Deadline)
- Zhang Yimou will direct a Chinese-language film version of Liu Cixin's "Three-Body Problem." (THR)
- Lionsgate will distribute Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis," which will hit theaters in September. (IndieWire)
- Jordan Peele's untitled upcoming film will hit theaters in 2026. (THR)
- NBCU renewed "Access Hollywood" through 2026. (Deadline)
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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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