Former Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel has only appeared once on NBC News programming in her new capacity as a political news contributor, and already, senior executives are gathering to conduct a review.
Top executives from NBC News were expected to meet Tuesday to hash out the growing controversy around her recent hire, according to two people familiar with the matter, in a bid to stop a growing insurrection by the NBCUniversal unit’s editorial staff. In recent days, prominent anchors ranging from Chuck Todd to Rachel Maddow have spoken out against the hire on NBC News’ “Meet The Press” as well as on MSNBC, charging NBC News executives with giving a platform to McDaniel despite her efforts to help former President Donald Trump dismiss the integrity of the 2020 presidential election.
There are some people who think NBC News may have to renege on its contributor deal with McDaniel,...
Top executives from NBC News were expected to meet Tuesday to hash out the growing controversy around her recent hire, according to two people familiar with the matter, in a bid to stop a growing insurrection by the NBCUniversal unit’s editorial staff. In recent days, prominent anchors ranging from Chuck Todd to Rachel Maddow have spoken out against the hire on NBC News’ “Meet The Press” as well as on MSNBC, charging NBC News executives with giving a platform to McDaniel despite her efforts to help former President Donald Trump dismiss the integrity of the 2020 presidential election.
There are some people who think NBC News may have to renege on its contributor deal with McDaniel,...
- 3/26/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Ronna McDaniel was supposed to be the new star contributor at NBC News. Now her position there is looking increasingly untenable.
NBC News hired the former Republican National Committee chief last week, betting that her recent access to the Trump campaign and Republican politicians would make her a valuable analyst as the 2024 election cycle intensified. But in recent days, her ability to do just that seems unclear. On Monday, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski suggested on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that NBC News reconsider its hire. A day earlier, Chuck Todd took to “Meet The Press” to chastise NBC News bosses for making moderator Kristen Welker conduct a news interview she had previously booked with McDaniel now that she was a paid operative of NBC and potentially less able to respond truthfully to hard questions.
It seems very likely that her position at NBC will remain in the news for the immediate future.
NBC News hired the former Republican National Committee chief last week, betting that her recent access to the Trump campaign and Republican politicians would make her a valuable analyst as the 2024 election cycle intensified. But in recent days, her ability to do just that seems unclear. On Monday, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski suggested on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that NBC News reconsider its hire. A day earlier, Chuck Todd took to “Meet The Press” to chastise NBC News bosses for making moderator Kristen Welker conduct a news interview she had previously booked with McDaniel now that she was a paid operative of NBC and potentially less able to respond truthfully to hard questions.
It seems very likely that her position at NBC will remain in the news for the immediate future.
- 3/25/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Ronna McDaniel is no doubt going to create a lot of sound and fury over at NBC News. Shakespeare could tell you what it’s all going to signify.
NBC News surprised the nation’s legions of news critics Friday when it unveiled a new pact with McDaniel, most recently the chair of the Republican National Committee, and, during that time, a denier of the validity of the 2020 presidential election and a frequent fault-finder when it comes to U.S. media. One of the outlets McDaniel has frequently held up for opprobrium is left-leaning MSNBC, part of NBCUniversal’s news operations.
“It couldn’t be a more important moment to have a voice like Ronna’s on the team,” said Carrie Budoff Brown, the NBC News executive with direct oversight of political coverage and “Meet The Press,” said in a memo Friday, noting that McDaniel would offer “an insider’s...
NBC News surprised the nation’s legions of news critics Friday when it unveiled a new pact with McDaniel, most recently the chair of the Republican National Committee, and, during that time, a denier of the validity of the 2020 presidential election and a frequent fault-finder when it comes to U.S. media. One of the outlets McDaniel has frequently held up for opprobrium is left-leaning MSNBC, part of NBCUniversal’s news operations.
“It couldn’t be a more important moment to have a voice like Ronna’s on the team,” said Carrie Budoff Brown, the NBC News executive with direct oversight of political coverage and “Meet The Press,” said in a memo Friday, noting that McDaniel would offer “an insider’s...
- 3/24/2024
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
It was a scatter-shot Real Time from Bill Maher on Friday night. During the course of his conversations, the blame game fell on just about everyone, from politicians to tech titans to those staging St. Patrick’s Day parades.
The night started with tech reporter Kara Swisher, host of the podcast On with Kara Swisher, co-host of the podcast Pivot, and author of the memoir Burn Book: A Tech Love Story.
Swisher’s dogged reporting has tech titans cringing, she claimed. “I think they’re scared a little bit,” and judging from her less-than-favorable comments on the likes of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, they may have good reason.
She characterized that a lot of moguls are “hugely narcissistic,” and said the yes-men that surround them pump them to the point that, “You start t think of yourself as a god.”
Swisher was not willing to balance their good works with that attitude.
The night started with tech reporter Kara Swisher, host of the podcast On with Kara Swisher, co-host of the podcast Pivot, and author of the memoir Burn Book: A Tech Love Story.
Swisher’s dogged reporting has tech titans cringing, she claimed. “I think they’re scared a little bit,” and judging from her less-than-favorable comments on the likes of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, they may have good reason.
She characterized that a lot of moguls are “hugely narcissistic,” and said the yes-men that surround them pump them to the point that, “You start t think of yourself as a god.”
Swisher was not willing to balance their good works with that attitude.
- 3/23/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
A small contingent of journalists gathered near the Canadian border earlier this morning to watch as Dixville Notch, Nh, continued its tradition of casting the first ballots on an election day.
Nikki Haley cleaned Donald Trump’s clock in this hamlet — 6 votes to none.
As the day goes on, network correspondents are fanning out across the state at precincts to talk to actual voters, after months in which the first-in-the-nation primary was judged and assessed by polls. Commentary and analysis is focusing on whether
Haley and her top surrogate, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, blitzed the airwaves on Monday, while Trump held a final rally in Laconia, Nh, where he predicted that Haley would be out of the race after tonight. He was interrupted by climate protesters, who have been a frequent presence at events in recent days.
There is a Democratic race, too. Joe Biden is not on the ballot,...
Nikki Haley cleaned Donald Trump’s clock in this hamlet — 6 votes to none.
As the day goes on, network correspondents are fanning out across the state at precincts to talk to actual voters, after months in which the first-in-the-nation primary was judged and assessed by polls. Commentary and analysis is focusing on whether
Haley and her top surrogate, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, blitzed the airwaves on Monday, while Trump held a final rally in Laconia, Nh, where he predicted that Haley would be out of the race after tonight. He was interrupted by climate protesters, who have been a frequent presence at events in recent days.
There is a Democratic race, too. Joe Biden is not on the ballot,...
- 1/23/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Have you heard it’s cold in Des Moines? The subzero temperatures are making Monday’s caucuses in Iowa the coldest on record, a running theme of coverage throughout the day and into this evening. It’s not trivial, as the frigid weather may very well impact turnout.
As Iowa’s first votes of the 2024 presidential race come in, expect a lot of analysis, punditry and prediction, even if the results represent just a sliver of the primary electorate. The Hawkeye state’s primacy as the first-in-the-nation often obscures the peculiarities of the caucus system, unless there is some kind of glitch, which is what happened four years ago with the Democrats.
That said, networks see the caucuses as the kickoff of what is hoped a spike in viewer interest in the presidential contest, as was seen in 2020 and 2016. All of the broadcast networks are planning for ongoing coverage of...
As Iowa’s first votes of the 2024 presidential race come in, expect a lot of analysis, punditry and prediction, even if the results represent just a sliver of the primary electorate. The Hawkeye state’s primacy as the first-in-the-nation often obscures the peculiarities of the caucus system, unless there is some kind of glitch, which is what happened four years ago with the Democrats.
That said, networks see the caucuses as the kickoff of what is hoped a spike in viewer interest in the presidential contest, as was seen in 2020 and 2016. All of the broadcast networks are planning for ongoing coverage of...
- 1/15/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Bill Maher was off television for five months, thanks to the WGA strike. So naturally, he had a lot to catch up on in Friday’s edition of Real Time on HBO.
Maher kept the focus squarely on politics in his opening monologue and in his panel discussion, with particular emphasis on covering the immigration border crisis. The panel was composed of Matt Welch, editor-at-large of Reason Magazine, and Sarah Isgur, senior editor for the online magaine The Dispatch.
The migrants issue has mushroomed into “a national crisis,” Maher noted. Panelists Welch and Isgur talked about the fentanyl plague that’s part and parcel of the loose border enforcement. Welch indicated that the crackdown on opioids is part of the reason that fentanyl has risen in popularity, turning “into a hockey stick” of overdose charting. He later referred to it as “bathtub heroin.”
Isgur advocated for patients in hospitals to...
Maher kept the focus squarely on politics in his opening monologue and in his panel discussion, with particular emphasis on covering the immigration border crisis. The panel was composed of Matt Welch, editor-at-large of Reason Magazine, and Sarah Isgur, senior editor for the online magaine The Dispatch.
The migrants issue has mushroomed into “a national crisis,” Maher noted. Panelists Welch and Isgur talked about the fentanyl plague that’s part and parcel of the loose border enforcement. Welch indicated that the crackdown on opioids is part of the reason that fentanyl has risen in popularity, turning “into a hockey stick” of overdose charting. He later referred to it as “bathtub heroin.”
Isgur advocated for patients in hospitals to...
- 10/7/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Public media organization Prx today announced new public radio distribution partnerships with “Left, Right & Center” from Kcrw and “No Small Endeavor” from Tokens Media. Beginning July 1, Prx will represent each program in the public radio marketplace, providing support in areas including public radio distribution and advertising sales.
The timely political discussion show “Left, Right & Center” from Kcrw in Los Angeles currently airs on multiple public radio stations, helping to parse today’s highly consequential political era. Exploring the enduring subject of what it means to live a good life, “No Small Endeavor” airs on Wpln public radio in Nashville, Tennessee and will now be introduced to stations nationwide.
“We’re beyond excited to represent and expand the reach of these two distinctive shows,” said Sean Nesbitt, Senior Director of Industry Partnerships at Prx. “Each offers audiences a highly valuable public radio listening experience. Plus, partnering with Kcrw and Tokens Media...
The timely political discussion show “Left, Right & Center” from Kcrw in Los Angeles currently airs on multiple public radio stations, helping to parse today’s highly consequential political era. Exploring the enduring subject of what it means to live a good life, “No Small Endeavor” airs on Wpln public radio in Nashville, Tennessee and will now be introduced to stations nationwide.
“We’re beyond excited to represent and expand the reach of these two distinctive shows,” said Sean Nesbitt, Senior Director of Industry Partnerships at Prx. “Each offers audiences a highly valuable public radio listening experience. Plus, partnering with Kcrw and Tokens Media...
- 6/23/2023
- Podnews.net
Objective journalism was on trial Friday night on Bill Maher’s Real Time, with the New York Times as a focus for the discussion on whether opinion has buried news coverage.
The panel discussing this important issue included Ari Melber, host of MSNBC’s “The Beat With Ari Melber” and staff writer for The Dispatch, along with Sarah Isgur, host of “The Dispatch Podcast,” and contributor and political analyst for ABC News.
Maher started off by bringing up the revelation that broke in this week’s court filing in the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit against Fox. In the papers, it was revealed that top executives and news hosts didn’t buy into then-President Donald Trump’s allegations of 2020 election fraud, even though they give air time to those who pushed that theory.
Maher decried that as an abrogation of the rules of responsible journalism.
Isgur hit the nail on...
The panel discussing this important issue included Ari Melber, host of MSNBC’s “The Beat With Ari Melber” and staff writer for The Dispatch, along with Sarah Isgur, host of “The Dispatch Podcast,” and contributor and political analyst for ABC News.
Maher started off by bringing up the revelation that broke in this week’s court filing in the Dominion Voting Systems defamation lawsuit against Fox. In the papers, it was revealed that top executives and news hosts didn’t buy into then-President Donald Trump’s allegations of 2020 election fraud, even though they give air time to those who pushed that theory.
Maher decried that as an abrogation of the rules of responsible journalism.
Isgur hit the nail on...
- 2/18/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
CNN president Jeff Zucker delivered a keynote speech at SXSW Saturday that saw him expressing belief that there was political motivation behind the Justice Department’s lawsuit to stop At&T’s acquisition of his parent company, Time Warner, as well as discussing the Democratic National Convention’s relationship with the media.
Referring to comments Trump said in regard to filing suits against the deal, Zucker stated that he believed there was political motivation to block progress. “I believe that it came from the highest levels of the government,” he said.
Earlier this week members of Congress petitioned the Department of Justice to look into whether or not there was interference with the deal as a report surfaced alleging that Trump ordered Gary Cohn to pressure the Doj to block the merger.
“There was absolutely no basis for the government doing what they were doing,” he said. “Clearly there was a political agenda at work,...
Referring to comments Trump said in regard to filing suits against the deal, Zucker stated that he believed there was political motivation to block progress. “I believe that it came from the highest levels of the government,” he said.
Earlier this week members of Congress petitioned the Department of Justice to look into whether or not there was interference with the deal as a report surfaced alleging that Trump ordered Gary Cohn to pressure the Doj to block the merger.
“There was absolutely no basis for the government doing what they were doing,” he said. “Clearly there was a political agenda at work,...
- 3/9/2019
- by Danielle Houtkooper
- Variety Film + TV
The former press aide to ex-Attorney General Jeff Sessions will revise her planned role at CNN after details of the hire sparked controversy.
Sarah Isgur Flores, a Republican press strategist, had planned to join CNN to help manage coverage of politics. But news of the move generated two common maladies associated with the current media age: social-media backlash and internal hand-wringing among staffers eager to communicate that status to observers outside the company. Flores said via Twitter Friday that she plans to take on a political analyst role at CNN instead.
“Will start next month on air and on line,” she said in a post. “See y’all soon!” Isgur Flores had been meeting with CNN’s Washington executives in recent days and expressed a desire to change the duties she would be assigned, according to a person familiar with the matter. She is expected to provide political analysis on...
Sarah Isgur Flores, a Republican press strategist, had planned to join CNN to help manage coverage of politics. But news of the move generated two common maladies associated with the current media age: social-media backlash and internal hand-wringing among staffers eager to communicate that status to observers outside the company. Flores said via Twitter Friday that she plans to take on a political analyst role at CNN instead.
“Will start next month on air and on line,” she said in a post. “See y’all soon!” Isgur Flores had been meeting with CNN’s Washington executives in recent days and expressed a desire to change the duties she would be assigned, according to a person familiar with the matter. She is expected to provide political analysis on...
- 3/8/2019
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Nearly two weeks after CNN took heavy flak for hiring Sarah Isgur Flores as political editor, the former top Doj spokesperson under Attorney General Jeff Sessions tweeted that she is back from vacation and will start at CNN next month – as a political analyst.
It’s been a great vacation but I am back on twitter! And news: I will go to CNN as a Political Analyst instead. Will start next month on air and on line. See y’all soon!
— Sarah Isgur (@whignewtons) March 8, 2019
CNN hired Flores as a political editor to coordinate political coverage for the 2020 election, Politico reported first.
Hue and cry arose inside and outside the company, given her connections to the Donald Trump administration, not to mention her lack of any journalism experience — other than, most recently, massaging Doj message at them.
CNN also said she would not have editorial control over 2020 coverage, including debates broadcasts.
It’s been a great vacation but I am back on twitter! And news: I will go to CNN as a Political Analyst instead. Will start next month on air and on line. See y’all soon!
— Sarah Isgur (@whignewtons) March 8, 2019
CNN hired Flores as a political editor to coordinate political coverage for the 2020 election, Politico reported first.
Hue and cry arose inside and outside the company, given her connections to the Donald Trump administration, not to mention her lack of any journalism experience — other than, most recently, massaging Doj message at them.
CNN also said she would not have editorial control over 2020 coverage, including debates broadcasts.
- 3/8/2019
- by Lisa de Moraes
- Deadline Film + TV
In a time when news viewers are splintering around partisan leanings, CNN is proving to be a uniter, not a divider: people from both sides of the political aisle are eager to criticize its business decisions and news coverage.
The one-time plain vanilla network can’t win for losing as it tries to achieve an elusive balance. CNN raised eyebrows Tuesday after details leaked about its hire of Sarah Isgur Flores, a longtime Republican press aide who most recently worked for former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The former Department of Justice spokeswoman is expected to become a political editor at CNN, one of several who reports to David Chalian, a VP and political director at CNN, and helps coordinate placement and coverage of emerging stories related to politics.
News of the hire, confirmed by a person familiar with the matter after a Politico report, was greeted skeptically by...
The one-time plain vanilla network can’t win for losing as it tries to achieve an elusive balance. CNN raised eyebrows Tuesday after details leaked about its hire of Sarah Isgur Flores, a longtime Republican press aide who most recently worked for former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The former Department of Justice spokeswoman is expected to become a political editor at CNN, one of several who reports to David Chalian, a VP and political director at CNN, and helps coordinate placement and coverage of emerging stories related to politics.
News of the hire, confirmed by a person familiar with the matter after a Politico report, was greeted skeptically by...
- 2/20/2019
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
George Stephanopoulos has signed a new contract at ABC News, extending his tenure at the network for at least another four years, a person with knowledge of the matter told TheWrap. The deal will net Stephanopoulos more than $65 million, working out to roughly $15 million to $18 million per year.
The new contract also ensures he will remain a central player in ABC News’ coverage of the 2020 presidential campaign. He will also remain as host of the network’s Sunday morning show “This Week.”
Stephanopoulos had been wooed by rivals including CNN and CBS, according to New York Post’s Page Six. A rep for CBS said that was “not true.” CNN did not immediately respond to request for comment from TheWrap.
Also Read: CNN Hires Ex-Jeff Sessions Spokeswoman as Political Editor
The anchor has been on a roll at the network in 2018, scoring major interviews with President Trump, former FBI...
The new contract also ensures he will remain a central player in ABC News’ coverage of the 2020 presidential campaign. He will also remain as host of the network’s Sunday morning show “This Week.”
Stephanopoulos had been wooed by rivals including CNN and CBS, according to New York Post’s Page Six. A rep for CBS said that was “not true.” CNN did not immediately respond to request for comment from TheWrap.
Also Read: CNN Hires Ex-Jeff Sessions Spokeswoman as Political Editor
The anchor has been on a roll at the network in 2018, scoring major interviews with President Trump, former FBI...
- 2/20/2019
- by Jon Levine
- The Wrap
Sarah Isgur Flores, a press aide to former Us Attorney General Jeff Sessions, has been hired to help coordinate political coverage for CNN, a move that generated some pushback on social media Tuesday.
Politico previously reported the CNN hire. Flores in the past has criticized CNN coverage, even going so far as to refer to the cable-news outlet as the Clinton News Network – a disparaging reference commonly associated with its conservative critics.
She will be just the latest political operative to join a TV-news operation. Tim Russert arrived at NBC News after working as an aide to Senator Patrick Moynihan and Governor Mario Cuomo of New York, for example. In current times, both MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace and Fox News Channel’s Dana Perino gained their roles after working for Republican Presidents in the White House.
Isgur’s duties have little to do with overseeing or running CNN’s political coverage,...
Politico previously reported the CNN hire. Flores in the past has criticized CNN coverage, even going so far as to refer to the cable-news outlet as the Clinton News Network – a disparaging reference commonly associated with its conservative critics.
She will be just the latest political operative to join a TV-news operation. Tim Russert arrived at NBC News after working as an aide to Senator Patrick Moynihan and Governor Mario Cuomo of New York, for example. In current times, both MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace and Fox News Channel’s Dana Perino gained their roles after working for Republican Presidents in the White House.
Isgur’s duties have little to do with overseeing or running CNN’s political coverage,...
- 2/19/2019
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
A man was arrested in Plantation, Florida, Friday morning in connection with a string of pipe bomb packages mailed to prominent Democratic figures. Department of Justice spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores confirmed on Twitter that a suspect was in custody and the Doj will hold a press conference at 2:30 p.m. Et with developments on the case.
Shortly after the announcement, CNN broadcasted a live feed of the parking lot where Cesar Sayoc — a 56-year-old registered Republican who lives in Aventura, Florida — was taken into custody. Authorities there were towing...
Shortly after the announcement, CNN broadcasted a live feed of the parking lot where Cesar Sayoc — a 56-year-old registered Republican who lives in Aventura, Florida — was taken into custody. Authorities there were towing...
- 10/26/2018
- by Tessa Stuart
- Rollingstone.com
In July 2017, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-sc) said that if President Trump were to fire Attorney General Jeff Sessions there “will be holy hell to pay.” Sessions is “a rock solid conservative,” Graham said, and Trump’s efforts to “marginalize and humiliate” him are “not going over well in the Senate.” A lot can change in a year. On Thursday, Graham told reporters that the president is “entitled to an attorney general he has faith in,” and that he expects Trump to fire Sessions “sooner rather than later.” He didn’t...
- 8/23/2018
- by Ryan Bort
- Rollingstone.com
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