| | | | Sunday marked the ten year anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre. The killer in that case mailed a manifesto to NBC News... it arrived two days later. These days, murderers can just get on Facebook Live and attempt to rationalize their actions to their Facebook friends in real time. That's what happened on Sunday afternoon. The shooting of an elderly man in Cleveland -- by a suspect who held his phone in one hand and a gun in the other hand -- caused a manhunt that is continuing at the time I'm sending out this email.
For hours, news outlets reported that the murder was live-streamed on Facebook. But at around 11pm ET, the company clarified that the shooting video was uploaded shortly after it was recorded. It was not live-streamed, according to the company. However, the suspect did log onto Facebook Live afterward and described the attack.
Via Facebook videos and posts, the suspect also claimed that he killed 15 other people, but police have not found evidence of any additional victims. His Facebook page was removed -- but not for "several hours" after the attack, according to The Verge. Copies of the shooting video are now circulating on FB, Twitter and other sites. Most news outlets are airing restraint, showing little if any of the murder video, partly to stave off copycats... | | | The age of social media shootings | | On CNN Sunday night, Ana Cabrera and I talked about the shock value of the Cleveland shooting video... and the publicity-seeking nature of the act... I said it's reminiscent in some ways of the ex-employee who attacked a WDBJ news crew in 2015, then posted video of the killing on social media a few hours later... | | Here's what the company told CNN Sunday evening: "This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook. We work hard to keep a safe environment on Facebook, and are in touch with law enforcement in emergencies when there are direct threats to physical safety."
Next time, Facebook shouldn't use the word "content" in a statement about a murder... | | | Trump "apparently thinks transparency is overrated" | | Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday" connected the dots between the White House's refusal to disclose even partial visitor logs and Trump's dismissive reaction to the Tax Day protests calling for the release of his tax returns: "This president apparently thinks transparency is overrated." | | "It was like a visit to the land of Alternative Truth Yet to Come." That's Jim Rutenberg, in a must-read column in Monday's NYT, describing his trip to Russia. He spent time at Novaya Gazeta, an independent paper, and spoke with its foreign editor Dmitri Muratov.
"Information from the Kremlin or from the White House, it's not for us verified information," Muratov told Rutenberg. "We don't place our trust just on their word." I was struck by his reference to the White House... | | | Rather: "Be skeptical. Not cynical, but skeptical" | | This came up during my conversation with Dan Rather on Sunday's "Reliable Sources." Journalists are reporting what U.S. government sources are saying about military action, but "much of what you first hear turns out to be wrong or somewhat wrong," Rather said.
He emphasized the need for journalistic skepticism -- "not cynical, but skeptical" -- and acknowledged his own shortcomings, saying that he did not ask "enough of the right questions" before the Bush administration invaded Iraq in 2003. "I think we need to remind ourselves of that today," he said. CNNMoney's Jackie Wattles has a recap of the segment here... | | Big entertainment news this weekend... | | | 'Fate of the Furious' races to biggest global box office opening ever | | Frank Pallotta reports: "The Fate of the Furious" crossed the finish line on Sunday as the biggest global opening in movie history. The estimated #: $532.5 million worldwide.
Context: The record was previously held by Disney's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which made $529 million worldwide its opening weekend in 2015. There's one caveat: "Force Awakens" didn't have the benefit of opening in the world's second largest movie market, China, until a month after it was initially released. "Fate," meanwhile, opened in North America and 63 international markets, including China, the U.K. and Mexico... More stats, some via Universal Pictures:
-- Biggest international opening in movie history...
-- Highest-grossing opening for an African American director ever (it was directed by F. Gary Gray)...
-- China's biggest three-day opening of all time... | | "This is an astonishing feat for a decade and a half old franchise that launched as a marginalized car culture movie with no stars and no imaginings of a long-term franchise future," comScore's Paul Dergarabedian told Frank...
-- Planning ahead: Universal has already announced ninth and tenth installments for 2019 and 2021...
-- Remember what "Fast" producer Neal Mortiz told Frank? "We never got any respect. Honestly, we always have something to prove, and I think that's good..." | | | Keep scrolling for more of the weekend's entertainment news... | | Recall how Bill O'Reilly repeatedly criticized Megyn Kelly for speaking out about Roger Ailes? At one point he subtweeted her on air by saying "if you don't like what's happening in the workplace, go to human resources or leave."
Over the weekend, the NYT's Emily Steel and Michael Schmidt reported that Kelly "sent an email to Fox News executives complaining about his behavior and the chilling effect it could have on women at the company and beyond..." Furthermore, O'Reilly was "a factor in Ms. Kelly's decision to leave Fox News for a new role at NBC News..." | | | "Reliable Sources" highlights | | Some noteworthy quotes from Sunday's show:
-- NPR's Michael Oreskes saying newsrooms put "an enormous amount of attention on POTUS" and not enough attention on "very important places like the Pentagon and the Justice Department..."
-- HuffPost's Lydia Polgreen talking about Trump's recent interviews and the limited value of accessibility: "If someone's speaking in gobbledygook, you know, and their words don't have any meaning, then what are you supposed to do with that?"
-- Reuters' Steve Adler saying we're "living in a world of clickbait," but the "entertainment value" of some Trump stories "is actually dangerous..."
-- Former Obama comms director Jen Psaki opining that Trump may look at his polls and say, "Well, military action may be the way to get my numbers up." Psaki added: "I hope that's not the case, but we could certainly see that happen..." | | My sit-down with banker turned writer/photographer Chris Arnade aired on Sunday's show. Arnade, who has criss-crossed the country visiting troubled areas, described what he sees as a "front row" and "back row" divide in America -- two groups speaking two different languages.
CNN's Alexandra King summed up the segment here: People in communities who feel "left behind" often "feel distrustful of the press, who, he said, are an innately 'front row' group. There is an 'elitism in the media that's not intentional, necessarily,' he said..."
-- More: When I asked Arnade if his interviews leave him feeling "more hopeful or less," Arnade's answer was simple. "Less. Sorry. I wish I could say hopeful." But "this a division that is only growing, and unfortunately I don't see good things ahead." | | | Media week ahead calendar | | Monday: the W.H. easter egg roll...
Monday after the bell: Netflix earnings...
Tuesday: Tax day...
Tuesday: Mark Zuckerberg speaks at F8...
Tuesday after the bell: Yahoo earnings...
Wednesday: the Tribeca Film Festival gets underway...
Friday: Diane Sawyer's interview with Caitlyn Jenner airs on ABC... | | | ESPN layoffs expected by mid-May | | "ESPN management expects to finish most of its job cuts prior to the company's upfront presentation for media buyers on May 16 and possibly by May 9, the date of Disney's second quarter earnings call," SI's Richard Deitsch reports.
Details: "Jim Miller, the author of the oral history of ESPN, said he believed the number of staffers impacted would be between 40 to 50. Those with contracts coming up would be particularly vulnerable. The company is also expected to buy out some existing contracts, which is something rare for ESPN historically beyond a few NFL talents..." | | | Is Alex Jones just "playing a character?" | | This is a trial to keep an eye on: "In Travis County custody case, jury will search for real Alex Jones."
The Austin American-Statesman reports that Jones' ex-wife Kelly "is seeking to gain sole or joint custody." Jury selection will start on Monday. It's notable because Jones' behavior as the host of Trump-friendly conspiracy theory show Infowars is sure to come up.
"At a recent pretrial hearing, attorney Randall Wilhite told state District Judge Orlinda Naranjo that using his client Alex Jones' on-air Infowars persona to evaluate Alex Jones as a father would be like judging Jack Nicholson in a custody dispute based on his performance as the Joker in 'Batman.' 'He's playing a character,' Wilhite said of Jones. 'He is a performance artist...'" | | | "SNL" live all across the country | | Saturday marked the first time that "SNL" was shown live by NBC stations out west, forgoing the usual three-hour time delay. How'd it go? Well the show had its highest viewership since February, per Variety. And/but "the experience of watching the show at an earlier hour was fundamentally the same as watching it at 11:30," Robert Lloyd of the LATimes writes.
Speaking of "SNL" ... | | | Fallon intros Kushner impersonation | | Will Jimmy Fallon be an occasional visitor to "SNL," playing his newest character, Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner? Fallon's mute portrayal of Kushner got tongues wagging during Saturday's show. Here's Frank Pallotta's full story about the show...
Melissa McCarthy was also back as Sean Spicer... this time as the Easter Bunny... if you felt like the portrayal fell flat this time, that's partly because McCarthy was live from L.A., not in-studio in NYC... this was a "shoutout to 1st live show in West," Bill Carter tweeted, but the studio audience watched it on monitors, so it "lacked energy..." | | Trump aide Sebastian Gorka "has a PhD in political science from Corvinus University of Budapest," and he "prefers to be identified as 'Dr. Gorka' in news reports." But "only some media outlets acquiesce," WashPost's Callum Borchers observes. "Gorka gets his title on Fox News and in the Daily Caller, Conservative Review and Gateway Pundit. But mainstream news outlets generally refuse to attribute the 'Dr.' prefix to anyone who is not a medical doctor." I remember that stylebook rule from my days at the NYT... | | | "This is how Trump distracts you" | | That's the title of this new video explainer by Tom Kludt.
Tom emails: For this video, I take a look at Trump's penchant for "whataboutisms." When he finds himself on the receiving end of a specific criticism, the president often takes that very charge, twists it, and re-directs it at his adversaries. And whether it's a conscious strategy or a case of his own impetuousness, Trump is able to obfuscate virtually any storyline. Check it out here... | | -- Emily Nussbaum says she wants more from Stephen Colbert and the "Late Show..." something tougher... "comedy more like reporting and less like op-ed..." (The New Yorker)
-- About Netflix's newest show: "'13 Reasons Why' depicts a graphic suicide. Experts say there's a problem with that." (WashPost)
-- Paul Farhi tweets an 💡 idea: "I wonder if anyone has thought of starting a museum of fake news. Kinda like the Newseum, only with fake stuff..." (Twitter) | | | Lowry reviews the "Girls" finale | | | What's next for Lena Dunham? | | So what's next for Lena Dunham? "She wants to channel the 'zeitgeisty energy' of the show into the creation of a media empire that will 'lift up other women's voices' — and maybe even reach beyond her Brooklyn bubble to Trump's America," the FT's Shannon Pareil writes.
The Lenny Letter newsletter "has more than half a million subscribers, and Lenny is looking beyond the inbox. Its newly created Random House imprint will publish its first book in August, and a short-film series is planned with HBO..." | | | "The Leftovers" returns for one more season | | The third and final season of HBO's "The Leftovers" premiered on Sunday...
Todd VanDerWerff's take: "The Leftovers" remains "one of TV's absolute best shows." Writing for Vox, he says it's "impossible to watch this season of The Leftovers and not think about the world we live in right now. In some ways, the theme isn't 'What happens when the world ends?' but 'What happens when it doesn't?'" | | What do you like about this newsletter? What do you dislike? Send your feedback to reliablesources@cnn.com. We appreciate every email. | |  | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Check out Five Things for Your New Day, CNN's morning newsletter. Give us five minutes, and we'll brief you on all the news and buzz people will be talking about. | | | Get Reliable Sources, a comprehensive summary of the most important media news, delivered to your inbox every afternoon. | | | | | |
Post a Comment