Post your nominations for this week’s What’s Hot/What’s Not. I’ll post the finalists on Sunday…
Archive for February, 2009
Twitter-mania…and other obsessions…
Posted in Miscellaneous Subjects on February 27, 2009 by icn2The New York Times’ Allessandra Stanley writes about cable news new Twitter obsession, along with it’s Facebook and MySpace obsessions…
Those who say Twitter is a harmless pastime, which skeptics are free to ignore, are ignoring the corrosive secondary effects. We already live in an era of me-first journalism, autobiographical blogs and first-person reportage. Even daytime cable news is clotted with Lou Dobbsian anchors who ooze self-regard and intemperate opinion.
On-air meltdowns are the new scoops. The CNBC correspondent Rick Santelli, a former trader, delivered a rant last week on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange about the Obama administration’s mortgage bailout proposal. Nobody at his network seemed concerned that Mr. Santelli had exceeded the bounds of news reporting. Instead, he was propped up by constant replays on CNBC and rival networks as a populist hero. It’s all too likely that he will be rewarded with his own show someday.
Mr. Santelli, it should be noted, has not lost all restraint: he does not yet have his own Twitter account. Fans created one for him, in case he changes his mind. “Just to let everyone know,” one follower explained. “This is NOT Rick’s account, but it is a place holder for him as soon as WE can convince him to join Twitter.
”
And that space has, as of 4:20 on Friday afternoon, 158 followers. Twitterers who maintain that their messages must have meaning since they have an audience should keep Mr. Santelli’s void in mind. There are always some people who, given the chance, will respond to anything, even nothing.
Low Blow…
Posted in MSNBC on February 27, 2009 by icn2Howard Kurtz takes a tweet dump on MSNBC…
Wait, MSNBC has some breaking news. WH unveils (sleeveless) portrait of Michelle and starts accepting intern applications. So much for Iraq
Everyone here knows how rough I can be but this is totally unfair. I reviewed the footage Kurtz was referring to and there is no “Breaking News” emphasis to either of those stories Tamron Hall relayed. And they lasted less than 30 seconds. There are things to beat MSNBC up over (and I have). This isn’t one of them. Not only is it insignificant, Kurtz incorrectly relays the details and makes the story into something it is not.
O’Reilly Inc.
Posted in FNC on February 27, 2009 by icn2I got this email from J$ regarding a part of last night’s O’Reilly Factor…
During a Dick Morris/O’Reilly exchange last night, Morris is using Bill as an example and talks about him getting a paycheck from Fox. O’Reilly sez something like no, Fox doesn’t pay me. I’m incorporated.
So Fox doesn’t employ O’Reilly? It employs O’Reilly Inc.??
I didn’t see it so I can’t say. Anybody else want to fill in the blanks?
Update: I reviewed the video from the website. This is exactly what was said…
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Press Releases: 02/27/09
Posted in Press Releases on February 27, 2009 by icn2CNN (1)
CNN Digital Network No. 1 on Day of President’s Address to Congress; Draws Nearly Seven Million Visitors
On Tuesday, Feb. 24, CNN Digital Network’s special coverage of President Obama’s speech to Congress and the analysis leading up to it made the site the No. 1 news and information site for the entire day with nearly 7 million unique users, while MSNBC had 6.2 million unique users (10% behind CNN). CNN Digital was also No. 1 in total usage minutes, with 47 million minutes while MSNBC registered 37 million (29% behind CNN). Finally CNN Digital was No. 1 in time spent per person, averaging 6.88 minutes.
Throughout the day, Internet users turned to CNN.com for in-depth information and analysis of the economy. Through expert commentaries, multimedia reporting, first-person accounts, live online-exclusive video programming and social networking, the site provided users with perspective and context to America’s financial crisis. On Feb. 24, CNN.com Live, the Internet’s only multi-stream live video news service, provided continuous, live coverage featuring numerous CNN anchors and analysts including John King, Christiane Amanpour, Ali Velshi and Christine Romans. Additionally, after setting the record for the largest live video event in Internet history on the day of Pres. Obama’s inauguration, CNN.com and Facebook again partnered on Feb. 24 enabling users to connect and engage with each other while watching CNN.com Live.
Embrace Social Media?
Posted in CNN on February 27, 2009 by icn2The Miami Herald’s Glenn Garvin writes about TV News needing to embrace social media and interviews CNN’s David Bohrman…
The fact sends chills down television reporters’ spines even as they compulsively repeat it: Last year, earthquakes in Japan, China, Los Angeles and San Francisco were first reported not on TV but on the Internet’s Twitter social-networking site.
”It tells you something about the far-reaching tentacles of Twitter and Facebook and the other social-networking sites,” muses David Bohrman, CNN’s Washington bureau chief and senior vice president. “And it tells you something about some of the challenges facing TV news.”
Amid the daily obituaries for the newspaper business, where bankruptcies and layoffs have become a grim daily routine, there’s been comparatively little notice that television news confronts many of the same problems: declining audiences, aging demographics, fierce competition from new digital media and a broken business model.
”Everything needs to be deconstructed,” Bohrman says. “Everything is going to be changing.”
Sanjay Gupta Rethinking Surgeon General Position?
Posted in CNN on February 27, 2009 by icn2The Washington Post’s Al Kamen writes that CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta may be rethinking taking the Surgeon General position…
It’s been seven weeks since we noted that neurosurgeon and CNN medical reporter Sanjay Gupta, one of People Magazine’s Sexiest Men for 2003, was in line to be nominated as surgeon general. But then time passed and former Senate majority leader Thomas A. Daschle’s nomination to run the Department of Health and Human Services blew up, much to Gupta’s dismay. Buzz is that he’s now rethinking whether the job is as attractive as it had appeared. The answer may be linked to the future of the proposed White House Office of Health Reform, which Daschle was also to head, and what part Gupta will play on the new team.
Phil Alongi Profile…
Posted in MSNBC on February 27, 2009 by icn2The New York Observer’s Felix Gillette profiles NBC’s Phil Alongi as he prepares to leave the network to start a consulting firm…
“It’s been a great run,” Mr. Alongi told The Observer on Thursday afternoon.
Over the past several years, Mr. Alongi has organized, coordinated, and produced hundreds of large events for NBC News, ranging from political debates to the Olympics to the national political conventions to the memorial services for his colleague Tim Russert.
Mr. Alongi said he will use his expertise in logistical planning, television production, and business management to lure in clients interested in organizing and carrying out large public spectacles.
“What I really love to do is to pull together major events,” said Mr. Alongi. “I love coming up with a theme, figuring out how to organize it, how will it play out, how to present a cohesive message, and how do you keep the interest of the audience either in person or via television. That’s the kind of stuff that I’m really hoping to get my hands into.”
Critiquing MSNBC’s Obama Address Coverage…
Posted in MSNBC on February 27, 2009 by icn2Marketwatch’s Jon Friedman looks at MSNBC’s Obama address coverage…
Yet for MSNBC as a whole, it might help the channel’s prospects if its reporters and anchors showed more devotion to explaining the news — not taking gratuitous shots at people.
It should have embarrassed MSNBC to the core when Matthews admittedly groaned, “Oh God,” as Jindal was about to speak.
It was sophomoric of MSNBC’s analysts to take a shot at CNN anchor Lou Dobbs during the post-speech analysis as well. Dobbs is an easy target these days because he has traded any semblance of objectivity to cater to his beliefs.
The MSNBC folks were joking about how “steamed” Dobbs gets. Dobbs represents low-hanging fruit if MSNBC, or anyone else, wants to mock him.
I wish MSNBC’s journalists would make a stronger attempt to offer keen analysis, not mindless commentary. The network has pretty much tied its fortunes to the political left. And why not? Fox has effectively put a stranglehold on the conservative audience on TV for the past decade or so by tapping a market that the TV world has largely overlooked.
MSNBC has to do more than stand for left plitics if it hopes to capture a bigger share of the ratings pie. If its stars continue to get their jollies by mocking foes, all I can do is groan and say, “Oh God!”
Anchor Wars: 02/27/09
Posted in Anchor Wars 2009 on February 26, 2009 by icn2Today…
CNN’s Betty Nguyen and MSNBC’s Monica Novotny
Final Tally: Novotny…
Embargo Busting?
Posted in CNN on February 26, 2009 by icn2Politico’s Carol E. Lee blogs that CNN apparently blew a White House Embargo today…
At 10:03 a.m. CNN broke the 11 a.m. embargo on the President’s budget proposal, putting budgets documents up on the screen …
Politico’s Michael Calderone has more including has CNN reaction… (via J$)
A CNN spokesperson said the network viewed the Associated Press as first “breaking the budget story” earlier this morning.
However, CNN was the only network to begin reading from the budget documents on air before 11 am, beginning at 10:03.
“We didn’t intentionally break the embargo,” said a spokesperson. “It was an honest mistake.”
Alexis Glick Profile…
Posted in FBN on February 26, 2009 by icn2Our Town’s Danielle Friedman profiles Alexis Glick…
In 2007, after honing her on-air chops on CNBC and The Today Show, she was hired by Rupert Murdoch to help launch the FOX Business Network.
Reflecting on the past two years, Glick said her most challenging and rewarding interview came last summer, with then-presidential nominee Barack Obama. The stakes were high, along with the nerves.
“I knew going in that I needed to be very, very prepared,” she said.
Glick also wanted to find a way to distinguish their interview in the midst of nonstop campaign coverage. At the end of their talk, Glick took a leap: “Next time we sit down,” she told the nominee, “You know, I was a basketball player, and I want to play basketball!”
Press Releases: 02/26/09
Posted in Press Releases on February 26, 2009 by icn2MSNBC (1)
MSNBC AND MSNBC.COM UNVEIL NEW ONLINE EXPERIENCE FOR “HARDBALL WITH CHRIS MATTHEWS”
Newly designed site is home for top-rated political cable show
NEW YORK & REDMOND, Wash. – February 26, 2009 – MSNBC and msnbc.com today unveiled the new website for “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” available at www.hardball.msnbc.com. The new site gives MSNBC’s “Hardball” audience an enhanced extension of the brand online. Each weekday night, from the MSNBC studios in Washington, D.C., veteran journalist Chris Matthews – a former Washington bureau chief, presidential speechwriter, congressional staffer and also a best-selling author – hosts a nightly hour of in-depth political analysis and fiery debate. “Hardball with Chris Matthews” features interviews and debates with prominent politicians, newsmakers, and leaders from Washington, D.C. “Hardball” airs at 5 and 7 p.m. (EST) weeknights on MSNBC.
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Changes to FNC’s D.C. Bureau…
Posted in FNC on February 26, 2009 by icn2Politico’s Mike Allen blogs about changes to FNC’s D.C. Bureau…
EXCLUSIVE — FOX D.C. CHANGES: Playbook hears that Fox News Channel’s Washington Bureau is close to naming Bill Sammon vice president & managing editor and Fox veteran Bryan Boughton its Bureau Chief. Sammon, who joined Fox last year, replaces Brit Hume as Managing Editor, a title Hume held along with his anchor position until stepping down in 2008 for an analyst role with the network. DC sources say Sammon’s role will focus on editorial matters and Boughton’s will be nuts and bolts operational.
Update: It’s official now…
Blast Cramer and Matthews?
Posted in CNBC, MSNBC on February 26, 2009 by icn2The Baltimore Sun’s David Zurawik takes shots at Jim Cramer and Chris Matthews…
I don’t know why the administration sent Bair out to be a prop for Cramer, except that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is so bad on TV that they are auditioning replacements. The “town hall” crowd that looked like about 40 people from New Jersey sititng on folding chairs asked such questions as, “Should I keep my money in regional or national banks?” Bair said the FDIC does not make such recommendations. That’s the level of discourse they had.
But this wasn’t about getting information to citizens as much as it was showcasing Cramer — as the final segment showed. The producers played a clip of Cramer flipping out. It was ID’d as his widely-known “rant heard round the world” in which he said among other things that Ben Bernanke, who now leads the Federal Reserve Board, is essentially out of it.
Why was the tape played? To get Bair to endorse and praise Cramer, as she did.
“You’re a man of your convictions, and I respect it,” she said to Cramer as the audience applauded. “What you were saying was right on.”
Memo to Bair: I have often said that you have to use TV to govern, but you don’t have to endorse bad behavior in an attempt to get better coverage on the business news channels.
Memo to CNBC: The purpose of a town hall is to stimulate discussion and provide information to citizens, not showcase and try to validate your on-air talent — especially in as desperate an economic time as this.
NBC’s VJ School…
Posted in MSNBC on February 26, 2009 by icn2The New York Daily News’ Felix Gillette writes about NBC News teaching the next generation of VJ’s…
From the back of the room, a student named Mac Bishop raised his hand. For the past six years, Mr. Bishop had been reporting for print publications overseas, including the Financial Times and Foreign Policy. Recently he had matriculated into the program, hoping to escape freelancing by picking up some marketable technical skills.
“As I watch the ongoing massacre in the journalism business, I’m told that if I ever want a job in the future that I need to be able to do everything myself,” he said. “But I realize I could never do a piece like this all by myself.”
Ms. Pitts, the former NBC News VP (who, like many of her veteran colleagues, recently took a buyout from the company), interjected. “I’m not going to concede your point,” said Ms. Pitts. Armed with the new tools of digital journalism, she went on to argue, a solo practitioner could achieve the same level of storytelling in the field as a traditional news crew.
I have two letters in response to that. B and S. I have yet to see anyone put out a solo project in quick turnaround that matched what a multi-person crew could do. Given enough time and patience, yes, a one man band could theoretically do as good a job. But given the quick turnaround world TV News thrives in, VJ’s won’t and don’t have that time luxury. The VJ way of life is going to do to TV News what blogging and the internet have done to Newspapers. It’s going to hasten its downfall.
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Rachel Maddow Profile…
Posted in MSNBC on February 26, 2009 by icn2The Desert News’ Scott Pierce profiles Rachel Maddow…
“The first time she ever read a teleprompter was last June when we asked her to step in for Keith,” said MSNBC president Phil Griffin. “Nobody had kept Keith’s numbers when Keith took a day off, because that show is so uniquely Keith. But Rachel did. And after we saw that, it was pretty clear that Rachel would get an audience after Keith.”
And that succeeded beyond Griffin’s wildest dreams.
“Everything changed,” he said. “For the first time in MSNBC history, we had a show that was getting big numbers at 9 o’clock (ET). We had a show that was beating, for the first time in 12-and-a-half years, ‘Larry King.’ ”
“This has been a very fun trip up a very steep learning curve,” Maddow said. “Doing TV every day is really hard work, and it is the best job I’ve ever had by a mile. I’m having the time of my life, and I hope that I get to keep doing this for a long time.”
Campbell Brown Profile…
Posted in CNN on February 26, 2009 by icn2The NY Daily News’ Richard Huff profiles CNN’s Cambell Brown…
Brown joined CNN in fall 2007 after an 11-year-run with NBC. She began anchoring the nightly “Election Center.” She went on maternity leave in December, and returned in March 2008 to anchor “Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull,” a nightly, hourlong show. Like most, it became focused on the election, and now the new administration and the economy.
Airing at 8 p.m., the show faces Fox News’ dominant “The O’Reilly Factor” and “Countdown” on MSNBC.
Brown said she’s had to show more of herself to be competitive in the cable news field.
“You have to be willing to open yourself up a little more to find an audience,” she said, “and you have to be willing to push the envelope a little bit.” And she’s done that on-air, while dealing with turmoil off-camera.
Non Sequitur…
Posted in FNC, MSNBC on February 26, 2009 by icn2Last night Greta Van Susteren interviewed John Ziegler regarding his “Media Malpractice” documentary. The transcript is here. Why do I cite this? Because Van Susteren led off the segment with the Chris Matthews “Oh, God” gaffe and then didn’t even ask Ziegler about it. What was the point Greta? Why put up the clip to lead off a segment that doesn’t even talk about the clip?
Update: GretaWire addresses this…
Here is the answer: yes, it does appear to be a non sequitur. Why did it happen? Frankly, I was dragging last night (I have had a cold or flu for 5 days and been on the road non stop) and just dropped the ball. I may have asked my guest about the “oh God” in the break before the segment started (as he was seated) and then just flubbed the segment thinking I had asked him on air or that it all tied together…or I may have just flubbed it. I don’t know…but yes, a non sequitur is how it appeared but was not intended by my producers. I made the mistake. The guest was joining us to talk about his documentary about fairness in the media and how news is reported or commented on and Chris Matthews’ uttered comment about Governor Jindal was supposed to be the starting point for the discussion….and somehow I just did not make it go right.
Olbermann vs. Calderone?
Posted in MSNBC on February 25, 2009 by icn2Politico’s Michael Calderone blogs about making the Worst Person in the World list for thinking at one point that Keith uttered the “Oh, God” comment last night – something some, myself included at one point, did. Yeah, we all guessed and guessed wrong.
On Wednesday afternoon, when I was informed that Matthews would address the “Oh God” moment on Hardball, I wrote a second item. And in that second item — posted at 1 pm on Wednesday afternoon — I mentioned having reported Wednesday morning that it was Matthews, and not Olbermann.
All of that is true and well-documented. So Olbermann is incorrect to say that I “pretended” to get it right the entire time. It’s all very transparent, laid out in a few updates, as the story progressed.
Covering this story, as any on the blog, l try to let readers know when I can confirm something and when I can’t. And I do think its safe for me to say that there was “some confusion,” especially when it took about 10 hours to confirm who said what.
However, I’ll apologize to Olbermann for initially pointing the finger at him without having it confirmed. Even though I updated the original item within few minutes to say it was unclear, it’s never alright in journalism to assume.
Anchor Wars: 02/26/09
Posted in Anchor Wars 2009 on February 25, 2009 by icn2Today…
CNN’s Kiran Chetry and MSNBC’s Amy Robach…
Final Tally: Robach…
Sandra Kaye Smith Profile…
Posted in FBN on February 25, 2009 by icn2The Wheaton Sun’s David Sharos profiles FBN’s Sandra Kaye Smith…(via J$)
Fox was looking to launch its new Business Network on Oct. 15, 2007, and as it turned out, Smith became one of the “faces” of the network. She said the past year of working with the network has produced incredible personal growth.
“This has been such an historic time given the state of the economy, and Fox has been working on such a diversity of topics that include health care, technology, financial fraud and more,” Smith said. “There’s a huge amount of things going on, and the stories just get better.”
Smith’s bosses — such as Ray Hennessey, director for business news and an editorial/managing editor for foxbusiness.com, have taken note of Smith’s passion for her work, her energy and her tenacious efforts to deliver a story.
“Sandra’s enthusiasm is what really grabbed folks here — I wish we could bottle it,” Hennessey said. “You could see that she threw herself into the stories she was covering and she was one of those reporters who infects colleagues with that same enthusiasm. She has a varied background. Most of her career was as a trader, not a reporter, so she had contacts in the business and came with a knowledge set that’s tough to find.”
Hennessey also noted that Smith “has become more of a dogged reporter than she was when she first walked in the door.”
Bloomberg Changes…
Posted in Bloomberg on February 25, 2009 by icn2World Business News blogs about changes on Bloomberg TV’s over the air content…
FBN’s FOIA Battle…
Posted in FBN on February 25, 2009 by icn2CJR Daily’s Clint Hendler writes about FBN and its FOIA battle with the government…
FOX, of course, is not alone in asking the courts to enforce FOIA requests for information on the various bailouts. Bloomberg filed a similar suit against the Federal Reserve on November 7.
But one thing that makes FOX’s efforts different are the degree to which they’ve become a populist point of pride. Take, for example, the ads the network bought in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal earlier this month. “FED UP WITH THE FEDS?” one asked, in the form of a typewritten red meat memo to the “American People.” (“WE ARE!” screamed the ad in response.)
“That’s all a part of putting out the word that we are trying to operate in the best interest of our audience,” Magee told CJR. “There’s an awful lot of people who aren’t CEOs but who follow the stock market, and who are interested in the US economy. If it comes down to one channel will get all the CEOs and one channel will get everyone else, I’d like to be the channel with everyone else.
“It is not a wild publicity stunt. I will say this: we are new. We are trying to differentiate ourselves from that which is out there. One of the ways that we want to differentiate ourselves is to tell our audience that we are trying to protect their interests. We think that’s a wide-open field. CNBC seems to always be the friend of the CEO and that’s fine, nothing wrong with that. It has served them well,” said Magee. “But we also believe that as journalists, we have to ask difficult questions. And I really think that this is part of that, and if it does differentiate us from our competition, that’s a good thing, and I’m not gonna worry about it.”
Martin for Brown…
Posted in CNN on February 25, 2009 by icn2The rumors were true. Roland Martin will be subbing for Campbell Brown while she’s on maternity leave…
Press Releases: 02/25/09
Posted in Press Releases on February 25, 2009 by icn2CNN (1)
CNN Announces 2009 Black in America Sequel
Anderson Cooper and Soledad O’Brien Anchor Live Special Following Replay of Original Series on Feb. 26
With an historic presidential administration already initiating a nationwide dialogue on race, CNN continues its enterprising look at the state of Black America. Building upon its acclaimed 2008documentary Black in America, CNN announced today plans to continue the probing series with a three-part television event in 2009 that will focus on successful innovators who are working to make improvements within African American communities and around the country. As production begins on the 2009 initiative, CNN will rebroadcast two nights of the extremely successful 2008 series reported by anchor and special correspondentSoledad O’Brien.
Black in America: The Black Woman & Family will air on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. Black in America: The Black Man will air on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. All times Eastern. Both documentaries have a running time of two hours. Nearly 13 million cumulative viewers saw the original series, which included a co-production with Essence magazine and Eyewitness to Murder: The King Assassination.
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