What viewers value most
What do viewers want from TV news organizations in the age of the infinite scroll?
Magid, the veteran media consultancy, has some answers from its focus groups and psychographic studies. Successful news brands “are aligning around these sort of attributes of insightful, thoughtful, reassuring, timely, calming, innovative,’” Magid COO Jaime Spencer told Variety’s Brian Steinberg.
Spencer also listed the attributes that don’t have as much relevance to viewers: Balanced, explanatory, trustworthy, essential, substantive, reliable, confident, accurate, clear.
Those are, of course, “some real tenets of journalism,” Spencer said. “It’s not that they’re not important as fundamentals.” They’re more like table stakes, baseline requirements, but not enough to break through.
“We’ve fully arrived in the ‘context’ era, and we are completely out of the ‘breaking news’ era,” Spencer said. “It doesn’t mean that breaking news isn’t important. It’s an expectation. It’s just become a completely functional attribute that doesn’t drive brand loyalty or consumption.”
The Magid story was a sidebar to Steinberg’s deep dive about TV networks striking deals with digitally savvy creators. Bari Weiss, who has declined most interview requests since taking the helm at CBS News, talked with Steinberg about who and what she’s looking for:
”The kind of talent that we are looking for are people who are amphibious. They are capable of, yes, reading off a teleprompter when necessary, but also doing man-on-the-street interviews, speaking fluently in a casual podcast, writing in a clear and crisp way. Candidly, what we are asking for of talent in 2026 is a lot. It’s special. And it’s not what has historically been typical. But there are people capable of doing it. We are just always going to be hungry for these people wherever they exist, whether they are inside CBS or if they are on the outside.”
There’s more from Weiss, NBC’s Rebecca Blumenstein, and other execs here…
“People don’t watch the news. People watch people,” MS NOW’s Ari Melber said at a panel discussion at the NAB Show in Vegas yesterday. “And that’s timeless,” Melber said, “in the sense that as long as people have been preparing the news in any video format, that’s what they’re tapping into, those people.” Right now, there’s a lot of online energy around talk-show live streams, partly due to OpenAI’s acquisition of TBPN, and video podcast licensing deals, partly due to Netflix’s big push into podcasting. These formats generate clips that are shared all over the social web. “ ‘Clipping’ is taking over social feeds — and that’s changing our perception of what’s actually popular,” Katie Notopoulos wrote for Business Insider yesterday. But at risk of sounding like an old fogey, much of what these new hosts and producers are learning is recycled wisdom from past generations of TV. It’s worth applying some skepticism about The New New Thing, which this week is called MTS, short for Monitoring The Situation. MTS is a “notably TBPN-like, techno-optimist talk show” that the VC firm Andreessen Horowitz launched yesterday, livestreamed straight to X. The show “wants to be like cramming every X post into your brain at once,” Gizmodo’s Mike Pearl writes. Sounds painful. Anyway, I think the keyword from Magid above is “context.” Legacy newsrooms and new-age livestreamers alike will win by delivering the context that people crave… |
Trump’s cringeworthy CNBC call |
“I know my people said 20 minutes, but you can have some extra time. You can even put Andrew on the phone,” President Trump said when he called into CNBC’s “Squawk Box” to chat with Joe Kernen this morning. Trump repeatedly claimed that his pal Kernen told him co-host Andrew Ross Sorkin “would not be there” — apparently to get Trump to say yes to the appearance. In a rather cringeworthy exchange, Kernen said he told Trump that Sorkin was “not in last week… but then you canceled because you were on the West Coast.” Trump kept it up, telling Sorkin directly, “Joe said you wouldn’t be there.” “But I don’t mind,” the president went on, claiming that he likes and respects the DealBook founder, “he’s just wrong on a lot of issues.” Sorkin then asked a probing question about Anthropic. Kernen claimed at the end of the call that Trump is a “kidder,” and “kidders like to kid.” Uh-huh. Well, for what it’s worth, the White House promoted the interview as a call with Kernen… |
No new Iran news, just more uncertainty |
After the CNBC call, David Faber and Jim Cramer concluded that there was nothing new in Trump’s talk about a looming deal with Iran. CNN’s lead story right now is about how the president’s ongoing public comments have added to the uncertainty around US-Iran negotiations. Some Trump officials privately acknowledged that the commentary “has been detrimental” to the talks. >> “Even Trump’s most basic claims about the Iran war can’t be trusted,” Daniel Dale wrote in this must-read fact-check… |
The power of ‘60,’ by the #s |
CBS says this underscores the “continued influence and strength” of “60 Minutes”: After a report by Scott Pelley aired on April 6, “Remote Area Medical, a charity that delivers aid to Americans cut off from healthcare by location and cost, has seen a $4.5 million surge in donations.” >> “In the two weeks following air, the nonprofit additionally saw more than 3,000 volunteer signups, along with requests for 103 new clinics in 33 states, and Greenland,” per CBS… |
Will Kash Patel’s lawsuit reach the discovery phase? |
Kash Patel’s defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic has been assigned to Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, who has a tough and mercurial reputation. Politico’s Josh Gerstein noted on X that “Sullivan won few fans in the MAGA camp with his handling of the case against former DNI Michael Flynn.” The Atlantic says “we stand by our reporting” and will defend “against this meritless lawsuit.” And as you know, defamation suits against media outlets are frequently tossed out early on. But if Patel’s suit survives early hurdles, the discovery phase of this suit could be fascinating. Patel or others could be required to answer questions under oath about his alleged alcohol abuse and other behavior. Here’s my full story… |
‘A very expensive press release’ |
Patel claimed the other day that meeting the actual malice standard “is now what some would call a legal lay up.” It’s not a lay-up, and “the allegations in this complaint don’t even hit the backboard,” FIRE’s Adam Steinbaugh wrote on X yesterday. “It will, however, accomplish the primary goal: making media outlets weighing a story think about the cost for attorneys to get a meritless lawsuit tossed.” >> Criminal defense lawyer Andrew Fleischman called Patel’s suit “a very expensive press release, designed to punish true but hurtful stories about officials in this increasingly opaque administration.” |
‘When We See You Again’ — a mother’s story |
If you missed Sunday’s “60 Minutes,” it’s worth watching Anderson Cooper’s report about Rachel Goldberg-Polin today. “This is one mother’s story,” he said, describing how Goldberg-Polin tried to save her son Hersh, who was taken hostage by Hamas on October 7 and executed nearly a year later. Goldberg-Polin decided to write a memoir, “When We See You Again,” which is out today. The NYT book critic Alexandra Jacobs says it is “precise and devastating,” bringing “the miracle of the everyday into sharp relief.” |
More of today’s new nonfiction |
Friend-of-the-newsletter Jodi Kantor is out with “How to Start,” a book full of wisdom for young people. Also on sale today: “How to Be a Dissident” by Gal Beckerman; “Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed” by Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff; “The Rough Side of the Mountain: A Memoir” by Keisha Lance Bottoms; and “Duty, Honor, Country & Life: A Tribute to the American Spirit” by Adm. William H. McRaven… |
Tucker says sorry for helping get Trump reelected |
Andrew Kirell writes: On his podcast yesterday, Tucker Carlson said he regrets the role he played in getting Donald Trump reelected, claiming he will be “tormented by it for a long time.” “I want to say I’m sorry for misleading people,” he said. “It was not intentional. That’s all I’ll say.” Trump has long displayed “signs of low character,” Carlson admitted. We’ve seen this movie before. The Dominion case revealed how, in 2021, Tucker privately said of Trump, “I hate him passionately,” and that he “can’t wait” for the chaos to end. But by 2024, he was fully back in Trump’s corner, campaigning on his behalf. Maybe the difference this time is that Tucker is publicly going off on Trump — something that might be harder to walk back one day. |
The Onion’s new deal for Infowars |
Hadas Gold writes: The Onion has reached a new deal to take over conspiracy theorist Alex Jones‘ InfoWars company — a move that could help repay the more than $1 billion he owes the Sandy Hook families. Read my full story here. The deal still needs court approval, but it would put to rest an 18-month legal saga that’s had many stops and starts. “We’ve wanted this the whole time. We have not backed down at any moment,” The Onion’s CEO Ben Collins told me. Under the deal, with the support of the Sandy Hook families, The Onion would initially pay a monthly licensing fee to the court-appointed receiver overseeing InfoWars before buying the whole thing once the judicial stay ends. The proceeds would help pay off Jones’ debts to the families. >> The Onion enlisted comedian Tim Heidecker as “creative director” of the new Infowars. He announced the gig in an IG video showing off his Jones impression… |
FAA revises anti-drone rule that sparked lawsuit |
The FAA has rescinded a controversial temporary flight restriction “that created a no-fly zone within 3,000 feet” of Department of Homeland Security facilities and vehicles, Matthew Gault reports for 404 Media. The replacement language “abandoned the threat of civil or criminal penalties but added the Department of Justice to the list of protected agencies,” he notes. >> The change came after Minnesota journalist Rob Levine “sued the FAA over the TFR.” Levine said, “I’m looking forward to getting back up there and getting back to my journalism as soon as possible…” |
>> Drew Harwell and Jeremy B. Merrill are out with a deeply reported look at how far-right influencer Nick Fuentes makes a living through his hate-filled live streams: He “has pocketed roughly $900,000 from ‘fanatical’ donors since the start of 2025. Some superfans see him as part of their families.” (WaPo) >> Gamifying a mass murder? ”Forbes published a story about a Louisiana man that killed 8 children over the weekend containing a box that asked readers to predict whether Congress would do anything about gun control.” ForbesPredict is “a prediction market like Kalshi or Polymarket, but unlike those sites there’s no money to be won.” (404 Media) >> “CNN’s ‘Have I Got News for You’ hosts Roy Wood Jr., Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black have all been tapped to host the upcoming Sports, News and Documentary Emmy ceremonies — but individually, on different nights, next month.” (Variety) >> Fortune has hired a showrunner, a term typically associated with Hollywood, for its new daily show. Robert (Bob) Bikel, a veteran of NBC, will run it. (TBN) >> Veteran tech journalist Jacob Ward has joined CNN as a contributor. (X) |
Quick shoutout to the journalists who saw the Apple succession story coming months ago. Last November, the FT reported that John Ternus was “widely seen” as Tim Cook’s most likely successor, and that the news could come in early 2026. And Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman profiled Ternus last month, noting that he is “younger than many of the company’s other senior leaders, meaning he could be in the top job longer.” Gurman wrote that Ternus “knows he needs bolder products and a strong approach to AI…” |
YouTube expands access to AI deepfake detection tool |
New this morning: YouTube is opening up a deepfake detection tool “to all of Hollywood,” THR’s Alex Weprin reports. “Actors, athletes, creators and musicians, whether they have a YouTube channel or not, can sign up to identify and request removal of deepfakes on its platform.” Here are the details… |
‘Deezer says AI song uploads have nearly overtaken human music’ |
That’s the headline on Emma Roth’s piece for The Verge. “Deezer says it receives nearly 75,000 AI-generated song submissions to its music streaming platform each day, accounting for about 44 percent of all daily uploads.” BUT: “The consumption of AI songs makes up around 1 to 3 percent of total streams, as the platform continues to remove AI-generated music from its recommendation algorithm…” |
‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ debuts |
No, I wasn’t at last night’s premiere of “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” but half my Instagram feed seemed to be! It was a scene. And the aforementioned Alex Weprin tweeted that the movie is a “biting media parody wrapped up in high fashion.” “Every journalist who sees it will cringe from recognition,” he said. >> Salon’s Coleman Spilde has this critique of the rollout: “The massive marketing campaign for ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ is degrading the film’s earnest, chic legacy.” |
A few more entertainment headlines |
>> The first round of bids for Casey Wasserman’s agency has been submitted. Suitors include UTA and WME mogul Patrick Whitesell’s upstart firm WIN, Erik Hayden reports. (THR) >> Zayn Malik “has bowed out of his planned musical performance on this Tuesday’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, after being hospitalized for an undisclosed reason.” (LateNighter) >> And speaking of late-night bookings, John Kerry has been added to the lineup for Tuesday’s “Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” The show’s finale will air one month from today, on May 21. >> And speaking of “The Late Show,” Jake Tapper dropped by the show last night and presented Colbert with his framed painting of the outgoing host as Gollum: |
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