| | | | | Debate night in America is in less than 24 hours. This letter will help you prep... | | | To fact-check or not to fact-check? | | Lining up in favor of moderator fact-checking: Many journalists. Clinton campaign aides. Many Clinton supporters. Some former moderators.
Raising concerns about it: Commission on Presidential Debates officials. Trump campaign aides. And many Trump supporters.
Yes, fact-checking has been politicized -- weaponized -- in the run-up to this debate. Our CNNMoney story sums up the debate here. On "Reliable Sources," the commission's executive director Janet Brown said, "I don't think it's a good idea to get the moderator into essentially serving as the Encyclopedia Britannica." To illustrate the challenge, she said, "Does your source about the unemployment rate agree with my source?" WashPost fact-checker Glenn Kessler responded via Twitter: "There is one accepted source for the unemployment rates. Ever heard of the BLS?" | | | "Lester is not going to be a potted plant" | | | Brown was clear: Holt gets to decide how to handle this. Everyone else is just opining. While he has not commented, one NBC staffer close to Holt told me, "Lester is not going to be a potted plant." Another staffer seconded that sentiment... | | | If you see a worthwhile reason, fact-check/challenge Hillary Clinton first. (She's giving the first answer of the night.) Twitter's servers might overheat... | | | Most overused phrase of the next 24 hours: "working the refs" | | ...But I'm going to go ahead and use it. Clinton aides are working all the media refs, not just Holt, by saying that if moderators "close their ears to Donald Trump's lies, it will extend an unfair bias to Donald Trump." That's how Brian Fallon framed it on "Reliable." Go ahead and fact-check Clinton too, he said. "Hold both candidates accountable." (You can watch the segment here.)
The Clinton camp wants the debate fact-checking to extend to post-debate TV broadcasts. Jennifer Palmieri tweeted Sunday afternoon: "Special measures are required this year."
The other POV is represented by people like Newt Gingrich, who tweeted, "How weak is Clinton that her campaign wants moderators to fact check Trump? Isn't that her job? Are they that afraid of Trump?" | | "If I was moderating the first debate, I think I'd be under the bed hoping they couldn't find me."
--Bob Schieffer on "Face the Nation" Sunday morning... | | | Heading to Hofstra? Here's a guide | | -- Credential checkpoints are being enforced. Plan accordingly. Expect to take shuttles to/from campus. Via WPIX, here's road closure info...
-- Monday forecast for Hempstead: It will be COLD in the morning. 55. But sunny. Mid-60s by mid-morning, topping out at 70. Warm in the sun, chilly in the shade. Watch out for potential rain POST-debate.
-- Meal options: You should bring snacks. There are typical campus dining options in the student union, a five minute walk from the hall, near the cable news sets. There's also a food truck and a cafe on the back side of the debate hall/spin room. And a Budweiser beer hall in a big white tent nearby. There's a Dunkin Donuts within walking distance, right across the turnpike...
-- Fun fact for morning show chats: Hofstra students have the day off Monday. The rest of us should have off work on Tuesday, after the "show..." | | | My viewership prediction: 85 million. Almost every TV exec I've asked is guessing somewhere between 80 and 100 million. Here's my story all about the sky-high ratings expectations. And Richard Deitsch has more predictions over at SI. Send your best guess to reliablesources@cnn.com... | | | Margaret Sullivan puts it into perspective | | | Here's her latest column: "On Monday at 9 p.m., the nation will gather together — about as much as we ever gather together — perhaps 100 million strong. And we'll do it for something that matters even more, if you can believe it, than the Super Bowl..." | | From my story: Holt's counselors include Andy Lack, Deborah Turness, Janelle Rodriguez, and Sam Singal. Also helping with Q's: Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Carrie Dann. But this is not an NBC debate -- it is all being organized by the commission. When it comes time for the debate, only one NBC staffer will be with Holt...
-- More: Here's Dylan Byers' full profile of Holt, featuring Tom Brokaw... | | | Dylan Byers emails: It's hard to understate the significance of what's going to take place tomorrow night, and it's likely to have huge implications for the campaign. That said, it's also entirely possible that Monday night's debate will NOT be a game-changing event. If each candidate brings their A-game, it may not move the needle at all... | | | Four newsrooms focus on Trump's "whoppers" | | Did you notice what happened on Saturday? The NYT, WashPost, LATimes and Politico all published stories with a similar and sweeping conclusion: That Trump lies more often than Clinton. Even if you're thinking "we know that already," it's remarkable to see these major newsrooms all say it so explicitly. Have you ever seen this before?
LAT: "Never in modern presidential politics has a major candidate made false statements as routinely as Trump has."
Politico: "Trump's mishandling of facts and propensity for exaggeration so greatly exceed Clinton's as to make the comparison almost ludicrous."
Several of the editors who were involved said the timing was a total coincidence -- they were aiming for Sunday's front pages and definitely wanted to publish before Monday's debate. Here's my full story, feat. Susan Glasser, Marty Baron and Carolyn Ryan...
-- Related: Dylan Byers on "Reliable:" "Trump does not just lie. He sort of brutally assaults the truth..." | | | Highlights from Sunday's show | | Jim Lehrer said the fact-checking should happen AFTER the debate. Ann Compton disagreed somewhat, saying journalists "hate to leave absolute errors of fact on the table." As for the debate expectations game, Eleanor Clift said "I don't think you can ever have a complete equality in how you score these two people." Clift and Frank Sesno expressed hope that policy differences shine through during the debate.
-- Plus: Here's the full interview with debate boss Janet Brown. Why is there a live audience in the debate hall? Partly so that Hofstra students can attend. Partly so that the campaigns can invite family and friends. But everyone in the hall must be "silent," she said... | | | If you're reading this letter at 4am ET Monday... | | | ...Turn on the TV, I'm on CNN's "Early Start," counting down to the debate with Christine and John... | | On his final edition of "CBS Sunday Morning," Charles Osgood introduced his successor, Jane Pauley. The on-air transition was welcomed by fans of the beloved newsmagazine. E.P. Rand Morrison called her "a worthy successor—and a perfect fit."
Pauley's first edition will be on October 9. (Next Sunday, the program is pre-empted by the NFL game in London.) Here's my full story... | | A few days ago at the News Emmys, Pauley wondered aloud, "What will 'Sunday Morning' be without his 'presence?' His calm demeanor? His civility? His curiosity? His delight?" She said "he will be missed by millions..."
And that includes CNN's own Chloe Melas, who penned this loving piece about Sunday's "celebration of Charlie." Chloe writes:
"Osgood closed out the show in a fitting manner by singing his own version of the 1940 hit, 'So Long It's Been Good To Know You.' Charles Osgood, it has been good to know you. We'll be seeing you on the radio." | | | This bow tie is on the way to the Smithsonian | | Screen grab via "special correspondent" Jamie Stelter, who says the salute to Osgood was "smart, charming, funny... just like the man himself."
The episode is waiting on the DVR for me at home... You can watch it on CBSNews.com... | | | Les Moonves is on the cover of the latest issue of Barron's. The headline: "SHOULD CBS BUY VIACOM?" At the tail end of the story, Jack Hough says "Moonves declined to talk about the prospects of a deal." Hough ends the story this way: "Bet on Moonves and CBS." | | | Wenner sells 49% of Rolling Stone | | Jann Wenner is selling 49% of Wenner Media (Rolling Stone, Men's Journal, Us Weekly) "to an Asian billionaire's son," Bloomberg's Yoolim Lee reported Sunday morning. "It's the first time Wenner has admitted an outside investor, a deal that encapsulates the plight of an industry fighting to stay relevant in an online age." The new investor is "Singapore-based BandLab Technologies" founded by Kuok Meng Ru, "the third son of Singapore-based agribusiness tycoon Kuok Khoon Hong..."
-- Peter Kafka tweets this reaction: "If you are an American magazine publisher with famed-but-fading brand, getting Asian $ to buy in/buy you out seems like a good idea..." | | | New profile of Sherman, new pot-shot from Ailes | | Monday's NYT features a David Segal profile of Gabriel Sherman (with several new tidbits, including Sherman's book advance, $430,000). One of Roger Ailes' lawyers, Marc Mukasey, is using the opportunity to slam Sherman this way:
"Roger Ailes builds media companies and helps elect presidents. He couldn't give a hoot about Gabe Sherman. It's Sherman who appears to be obsessively stalking Roger and his family, and it's Sherman who seems willing to go to any length to keep his own name in the news. Roger is on to new challenges." | | | The statement about Ailes is in the present tense, not the past tense. Ailes BUILDS media companies. He HELPS elect presidents. He's on to "new challenges" now... meaning... Trump's debate prep? | | -- NYT public editor Liz Spayd calls for an end to substantial "stealth edits" of online stories... (NYT)
-- Vox's Todd VanDerWerff writes: "HBO's Vice Principals does more to explain Trump's rise than any show on TV. It's great..." (Vox)
-- Happy birthday, Barbara Walters! She turned 87 on Sunday.. | | | IMDb will have to remove actors' ages under new law | | "Trivia players, watch out: The ages of some Hollywood actors and actresses may soon vanish from IMDb,"CNNMoney's Jill Disis writes. "A new law signed by California Governor Jerry Brown will force subscription websites used by casting services and entertainment employers to remove age information in online profiles if asked." SAG-AFTRA lobbied for this change. "Opponents, however, have criticized the new law as unwarranted censorship that won't stop discriminatory hiring from happening."
Read more... | | | Media week ahead calendar | | -- Monday: Debate night in America
-- Wednesday morning: Carnegie-Knight forum on journalism and democracy in NYC
-- Wednesday evening: CNN televising town hall with President Obama and members of the military
-- Thursday: 11:30am: Center for Communication holding its annual Frank Stanton awards luncheon; John Landgraf is the honoree
-- Thursday: FCC releasing new rules on TV set top boxes | | | Catch up on "Reliable Sources" | | Tell us what you think... | | | What do you like about this newsletter? What do you dislike? Send your feedback to reliablesources@cnn.com. We appreciate every email. We'll be back tomorrow... | | | Get Reliable Sources, a comprehensive summary of the most important media news, delivered to your inbox every afternoon. | | | | | |
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