| | | | Eric Bolling will be missing from his center seat on the "Fox News Specialists" on Monday. He might be missing for a long time. On Saturday afternoon Fox suspended Bolling, less than 24 hours after HuffPost published a story saying more than a dozen sources confirmed that Bolling had sent female colleagues some lewd messages, including an "unsolicited" photo of male genitalia. The inappropriate texting allegedly happened several years ago.
Fox said he's suspended "pending the results of an investigation," leaving the door open for his return. Some industry observers think Fox will do everything it can to bring Bolling back, given that he's a rising star and one of the staunchest pro-Trump voices on the network. Other observers think he'll never be back, given the Murdoch family's handling of the Roger Ailes and Bill O'Reilly matters... | | The reporter for HuffPost, Yashar Ali, was working on this for three months. Other reporters had heard the same rumors, but Ali tracked down "14 sources in and out of Fox News and Fox Business."
Ali contacted Fox on Friday afternoon. Bolling had already taped his Saturday morning show "Cashin' In." After Ali published on Friday evening, Fox decided to yank the taped show from its schedule. A newscast aired in its place. "Cashin' In" will continue on with substitute hosts... | | | Whatever you think of Bolling, the "Specialists" at 5pm weekdays is a creative new addition to the cable news landscape. Oliver Darcy emails: Fox has scrubbed Bolling from the "Specialists" social media pages. The description of the show now simply says it's hosted by Kat Timpf and Eboni Williams. The header image which featured Bolling with the other two hosts was also removed... | | | Lisa Boothe will sit in Bolling's seat on Monday... a number of other Fox News personalities will also rotate through... since this suspension is likely to last weeks. Some other possibilities: Jesse Watters, Geraldo Rivera, Dana Perino... | | Five things to keep in mind | | -- On Friday Bolling's attorney said he "recalls no such inappropriate communications, does not believe he sent any such communications, and will vigorously pursue his legal remedies for any false and defamatory accusations that are made..."
-- On Saturday Bolling's attorney said "the anonymous, uncorroborated claims are untrue and terribly unfair. We intend to fully cooperate with the investigation so that it can be concluded and Eric can return to work as quickly as possible..."
-- Darcy noted on Sunday's "Reliable Sources" that "Fox News did take some swift, decisive action in suspending Bolling immediately after they got word of this report..."
-- On the other hand, rank and file Fox Newsers had traded gossip about Bolling for a long time. This behavior allegedly happened while Ailes was still in charge... so we're continuing to feel the aftershocks...
-- Fox's experiences with O'Reilly, Megyn Kelly, Greta Van Susteren, etc. suggest that individual departures don't have a huge effect on the ratings... | | The NYT's story reminded me of something I'd forgotten: Fox just signed Bolling to a new long-term contract in June. This is almost an ink-is-still-dry situation.
At the time, president of programming Suzanne Scott was quoted saying "Eric has cultivated a strong fan base and has become a staple to the Fox News brand... We are pleased to have him at the network for many more years to come..." | | Meanwhile, Charles Payne remains on the bench | | In this story about Bolling, CNNMoney's Jackie Wattles and I noted that he's not the only Fox Newser who's suspended right now.
Fox Business Network 6pm host Charles Payne was suspended a month ago amid a harassment investigation. He has not yet returned to work, since the investigation is ongoing. Payne denied the allegations and called them an "ugly lie." All of these cases have provoked uncomfortable questions about Fox's corporate culture and about whether management tolerated improper behavior for many years... | | One other investigation... | | Oliver adds: Fox's investigations into Payne and Bolling are not the only active probes roiling the network. In May, Fox announced an internal investigation to determine how a story that aimed to tie slain DNC staffer Seth Rich to Wikileaks -- which was ultimately retracted -- ended up being published. More than two months later, there have been no announced suspensions or disciplinary action...
-- Brian adds to Oliver's addition: Now that Rod Wheeler has sued Fox over the story, personnel action by Fox is unlikely. Oliver and I discussed the Wheeler suit on Sunday's "Reliable," here's the video of the segment... | | Pence doth protest too much? | | Quote of the day from "Reliable?" Jeff Greenfield reacting to Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns' Page One NYT story about VP Mike Pence and other 2020 maneuverings:
"Please, can we not cover the 2020 campaign in 2017? I mean, it's like kids yelling 'Are we there yet?' when you haven't pulled out of the driveway."
I respectfully disagree. If politicians are making moves in preparation for 2020, then it has to be covered. Martin and Burns' story prompted a four-paragraph rebuttal from Pence on Sunday morning, calling the paper "disgraceful" and "offensive" for trying to "divide this administration." But Pence didn't challenge any specific facts. And the NYT responded by supporting the reporting.
On Sunday evening J Mart told me he expected this to happen... the Pence camp signaled before publication that they'd mount a "robust pushback effort..." | | Kayleigh McEnany leaves CNN... | | | I have fond memories of my first time on TV with Kayleigh McEnany (at CNN's GOP debate in Vegas, here's the segment). She became a paid contributor in early 2016 and became one of the network's best-known pro-Trump commentators. Some viewers despised her. I always thought that was short-sighted. Anyway, on Saturday she said on Twitter that she was leaving CNN. A source told me she wasn't pushed out by CNN. To the contrary, she asked to be let out of her contract in order to take on a new role... | | | And on Sunday morning we found out that the new role is with Trump's re-election campaign/the RNC. Details TBA. She appeared in a slick web video on Trump's Facebook page. "Thank you for joining us as we provide you the news of the week from Trump Tower here in New York," she said, appearing to host a "newscast" that's really a promotional spot for POTUS. Some commenters dismissed it as propaganda. Here's the full story by Jackie Wattles and I... | | They call this "The Real News..." | | | Lara Trump hosted a similar video this time last week. Both Trump and McEnany dubbed their reports "the real news..." | | ..While Trump continues to slam "fake news" | | | Maybe the TV segments previewing the president's 200-day mark are ticking him off? On Sunday night he tweeted this: "The Fake News refuses to report the success of the first 6 months: S.C., surging economy & jobs, border & military security, ISIS & MS-13 etc..." | | | Scroll down for the rest of the weekend's Trump + media news, including an update from Bedminster... | | Media week ahead calendar | | Monday: The TCA Press Tour continues...
Tuesday after the bell: Disney reports earnings...
Wednesday: 21st Century Fox reports earnings...
Thursday after the bell: News Corp and Snap report earnings...
Thursday evening: the first summertime "SNL Weekend Update" on NBC... | | By Francesca Giuliani-Hoffman:
-- On Sunday Israel announced a decision to revoke Al Jazeera's credentials and to force the closure of the network's Jerusalem offices. The Committee to Protect Journalists was one of the groups that urged Israel to abandon the plan... (Al Jazeera)
-- From the other side of the pond: The Guardian examines the issue of declining trust in the media in the UK. A survey mentioned in the story says only 24% of Britons trust in the press... (The Guardian)
-- Save it for later: Mark Zuckerberg may not be running for president, but if he were to, Recode has already broken down where he stands on various issues... (Recode) | | Kelly's goal: "Making sure Trump gets good info" | | Francesca Giuliani-Hoffman emails: Margaret Sullivan's latest on Kelly's first 10 days. Pull quote: "How do you maintain credibility and, yes, integrity when the boss is wandering through the fields of fantasy?" She asks: "Can the general take on the hardest job of all -- hacking through the thicket of lies that the Trump White House produces?"
--> One partial answer: Politico's Josh Dawsey reports that "Kelly has told others he faces big challenges but sees biggest one as making sure Trump gets good info..." | | | On Sunday's "Reliable," Kathleen Hall Jamieson brought up that Politico report and said, "If the president has "enveloped himself in a like-minded world in which he doesn't see disconfirming evidence and a whole lot of suspect material gets to him he's inclined to believe, then by General Kelly trying to vet everything that comes to his desk and inside his range of vision, General Kelly's doing something really important..." | | Rosenstein says "we're after leakers, not journalists" | | CNN's Eli Watkins reports on Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein's appearance on "Fox News Sunday:"
Rosenstein said the DOJ will go after "anybody who breaks the law" by leaking. "We're going to devote more resources, re-evaluate our procedures and make sure we investigate every one of those leaks." But he said the intent is not to interfere with journalists' work. "We're after leakers, not journalists," he told Chris Wallace...
-- Key quote: "Generally speaking, reporters who publish information are not committing a crime. There might be a circumstance where they do. You know, I've not seen any of those to date, but I wouldn't rule it out..." | | Leaks were the theme of Sunday's "Reliable..." | | I started the program by showing how leaks to reporters exposed lies from the White House...
And pointed out how attempting to plug one leak can sometimes cause a whole lot more leaks...
Trevor Timm of the Freedom of the Press Foundation said he thought Jeff Sessions' anti-leak event "was incredibly disturbing on multiple levels..."
Matt Schlapp of the American Conservative Union said constant leaking from the West Wing is "hurting their agenda" and "demoralizing their supporters..."
And what about the 12 sources who told Bloomberg's Jennifer Jacobs and Margaret Talev about how Kelly urged the staff not to leak? Talev said those are "not really leaks, they're just people talking on background about politics..." | | Talev's first time on "Reliable" | | | She's the incoming president of the White House Correspondents Association, and I was thrilled to have her on the program for the first time. She was live near -- but not at -- Trump's golf resort in Bedminster, NJ. We talked about how Bedminster golfers and wedding guests posting Instagrams are giving us a peek at Trump's vacation/not a vacation whereabouts... Here's the video... | | Stephen Miller in line for a promotion? | | What's the significance of Saturday's report that Stephen Miller is in contention for a W.H. comms job? Was his battle with Jim Acosta an audition tape? Jonathan Swan says Trump loved it, and Miller was cheered in the West Wing afterward. (But not in the briefing room. April Ryan on CNN Sunday night: "He took that press room to a very new low.")
Miller is a favorite of Steve Bannon, Breitbart and the far right. But new chief of staff John Kelly has talked about bringing his longtime colleague Dave Lapan, currently the DHS spokesman, over to the W.H. with him. "If Stephen Miller becomes communications director these Kelly-takes-command stories will have [to] be re-thought," NYU's Jay Rosen tweeted.
Miller may end up in some other comms-related role. Or not. Those two words fit at the end of many Trump personnel stories: "Or not." | | Why 'cosmopolitan' is a loaded word | | | At the end of Sunday's "Reliable," Greenfield discussed Miller's accusation that Acosta displayed a "cosmopolitan bias." The term has troubling connotations, Greenfield said, dating back "to Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini." Cosmopolitan meant "you're not loyal to the traditions of this country or the religion." Here's our discussion... | | | Four ways to catch up on the show... | | -- "One of the symptoms of the time of Trump is that there's no other news," Nicolle Wallace tells Ana Marie Cox... (NYT Mag)
-- New from Politico: "How Trump's FCC aided Sinclair's expansion" (Politico)
-- Katherine Goldstein is urging newsroom leaders to pay more attention to paid leave policies and other ways to support working parents in the industry. Goldstein and I talked about it on this week's "Reliable" podcast... Francesca Giuliani-Hoffman has a recap here... (CNNMoney) | | Taylor Swift to testify DJ groped her | | | This trial starts on Monday in Denver. Lisa Respers France reports: Taylor Swift has been pretty quiet lately, but she will soon speak out about an alleged sexual assault. The superstar singer is expected to testify in a civil case filed by a Denver disc jokey who claims he lost his job after Swift accused him of groping her backstage at one of her concerts in 2013. Read more here... | | ABC prez: "Bachelor in Paradise" incident was a "wake-up call" | | | "Bachelor in Paradise" returns to ABC one week from now... and there are still many unanswered questions about the incident that temporarily shut down production of the reality series. ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey didn't answer much at the TCA press tour on Sunday, Sandra Gonzalez reports. But she did say that changes have been made on set to ensure contestant safety. Read Sandra's full story here... | | Marvel tests its TV power | | | Brian Lowry emails: Marvel has obviously been a powerhouse in movies, but doesn't have much to show for its synergistic relationship with ABC, with both owned by Disney. The next test of the studio's TV might will be what looks like its first unabashed superhero show for the network, "Marvel's Inhumans." The eight-episode series will get a theatrical Imax preview in advance of its TV debut. The show received a pretty tepid reception Sunday at TCA, albeit based on what producers stressed was an unfinished preview of the first hour... Read more here... | | "The Dark Tower" #1 for the weekend despite terrible reviews | | "Kathryn Bigelow's well-reviewed 'Detroit' arrived to about $7.3 million in North American ticket sales over the weekend, a limp result for a wide-release movie that cost at least $55 million to make and market," NYT's Brooks Barnes reports. He reminds readers that the film represented Annapurna Pictures' "first attempt to go it alone."
-- More: "The Dark Tower" made $19.5 million over the weekend, "a soft total that was nonetheless enough for No. 1..." | | Here's how "An Inconvenient Sequel" fared | | Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power" didn't have a huge open this weekend. "That documentary expanded to 180 locations in its second weekend and took in about $900,000," Barnes reports. "To compare, 'An Inconvenient Truth' managed $1.4 million in its second weekend in 2006 -- in only 77 theaters."
Paramount worldwide marketing and distribution prez Megan Colligan said the 2006 versus 2017 is unfair, and she called this weekend's results "very solid" and "a top number for any documentary in recent years..." | | From climate change fact to climate change FICTION... | | | ICYMI, here's Lowry's review of "Sharknado 5: Global Swarming," which premiered Sunday night... | | | Email us at reliablesources@cnn.com... we appreciate every message. The feedback helps us craft the next day's newsletter! | | | Get Reliable Sources, a comprehensive summary of the most important media news, delivered to your inbox every afternoon. | | | | | |
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