Hey, Oliver Darcy here! Brian Stelter says hi from paternity leave. While he's away, you can drop a note in my inbox, or find me on Twitter...
Backlash to Mark Halperin's book deal | | Mark Halperin, who has tried to make a comeback since he was exiled from the news industry in 2017 over allegations of sexual harassment and assault, has inked a book deal with Regan Arts, Politico reported on Sunday. Halperin's book is called "How to Beat Trump: America's Top Political Strategists on What It Will Take," Politico reported, and will come out in November.
Playbook says Halperin spoke to more than 75 top Democrats for the book. They reportedly include: Jill Alper, David Axelrod, Bob Bauer, Donna Brazile, James Carville, Tad Devine, Anita Dunn, Karen Dunn, Adrienne Elrod, Jennifer Granholm, Ben LaBolt, Jeff Link, Jim Margolis, Mike McCurry, Mark Mellman, Amanda Renteria, John Sasso, Kathleen Sebelius, Bob Shrum, Ginny Terzano, and David Wilhelm.
It's unclear how much the deal is worth, or how widely the book will even be distributed. Halperin did not respond to my calls or texts on Sunday, and neither did Regan Arts or its head Judith Regan...
Flashback: This is what Halperin was accused of
It has been nearly two years, so it's worth recalling what conduct Halperin was accused of in 2017. Back then, I spoke to multiple women who said that Halperin sexually harassed or assaulted them. The stories of harassment ranged in nature, from him propositioning employees for sex to kissing and grabbing one's breasts against her will.
Three women who spoke to me described Halperin as, without consent, pressing an erection against their bodies while he was clothed. One woman told me Halperin masturbated in front of her in his office, while another told me that he violently threw her against a restaurant window before attempting to kiss her, and that when she rebuffed him he called her and told her she would never work in politics or media.
Halperin apologized in 2017 for some of his behavior, but he denied grabbing a woman's breasts, pressing his genitals against women, masturbating in front of anyone, and threatening the career of a woman...
Judith Regan's history
Controversy, of course, is no stranger to Judith Regan. In 2006, she drew widespread scrutiny when she attempted to release a book by OJ Simpson titled "If I Did It." The book -- a purported hypothetical account of the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman -- was set to be released under her imprint at HarperCollins, and she had even planned to do a TV special with Simpson that would have appeared on Fox. But after the criticism, News Corp. canceled that project and she was later fired.
Now Regan is bracing for controversy again. Her statement to Politico: "I do not in any way, shape, or form condone any harm done by one human being to another. I have also lived long enough to believe in the power of forgiveness, second chances, and offering a human being a path to redemption. HOW TO BEAT TRUMP is an important, thoughtful book, and I hope everyone has a chance to read it."
Press Forward's reaction
Shortly after news of Halperin's book was made public, Press Forward, the organization that is made up of several women who have accused Halperin of sexual misconduct, released a statement. In the statement, Press Forward argued that "Americans will continue to lose trust in the news media if a journalist who covers scandals can commit the same crimes he reports on and face no serious consequences, then continue to be a narrator of the national conversation."
"Press Forward is disappointed in Regan Arts' decision to publish and promote a book by Mark Halperin, who has been credibly accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct, harassment and assault," the organization said. "We hope those involved will reconsider their support in enabling people who have shown no accountability or atonement for their actions."
What I'm hearing from his accusers
Throughout the day on Sunday, I spoke to several of the women who have accused Halperin of sexual harassment or assault. Eleanor McManus, who was one of the first women to accuse Halperin on the record, criticized political professionals who spoke to Halperin for the book: "I can't believe these people spoke to him. The fact that so many people spoke to him sets the whole #MeToo movement back. And it shows they are enabling him and re-traumatizing the victims."
I asked McManus if Halperin had ever reached out to her to apologize for his actions. "He has not reached out to me," she replied. "He has not. And I'm pretty easy to reach." McManus added, "It's been almost two years and he has not apologized."
I also spoke to Emily Miller, who has accused Halperin of assault. Miller told me she was at a baseball game when she received a text with the news. "I had to leave the seats and sit in the hall to breathe," Miller said. "I get this reaction when I am scared he will be a danger again. And he is a danger when he has power and fame, which he will have again now."
Axelrod: I "regret" participating
David Axelrod, who I should note is a CNN political analyst, was one of the Democrats who participated in Halperin's book. On Sunday evening he tweeted out a short statement. "To those who have asked, I have known Mark Halperin as a reporter for 25 years. He emailed me three questions about the 2020 race for a book he was writing and I replied in a few sentences, without giving enough thought to how my participation would be used or interpreted," Axelrod explained. "By answering Halperin's questions, I did not in any way mean to excuse his past, egregious behavior and, in retrospect, I regret responding at all."
Other Democrats respond
I also reached out to several others who Politico reported had participated in Halperin's book. One of them was James Carville. I asked Carville what he would tell Halperin's accusers who have expressed disappointment and outrage that so many top Democrats were willing to talk with someone accused of such serious allegations.
In a phone call, Carville answered, "I know he's been accused by a lot of people and lost his job. The guy called me and asked me to speak to him on a topic that I obviously care about. And I spoke to him."
When I emailed Donna Brazile, I received a reply back from her which said, "I'm not the author. Ask Mark why he chose us."
Anita Dunn's firm does work for Time's Up
When I read the list of Democrats who had participated in Halperin's book, one name stood out: Anita Dunn. Dunn is managing director at SKDKnickerbocker, a high-powered public relations firm that does work with Time's Up. The group formed last year and is working to stop harassment in the workplace.
I reached out to Dunn multiple times on Sunday. She did not respond to texts or phone calls. Finally, a spokesperson for SKDKnickebocker told me, "Anita cares about beating Donald Trump, that is the only reason she participated."
>> Yashar Ali sarcastically tweeted: "Ahhh yes. She gave an interview to someone for a book which will surely guarantee that President Trump will be defeated."
Will he be on any network?
I checked in with the networks to see if Halperin would be invited on air to promote his book. A spokesperson for ABC News, where Halperin was accused of the sexual misconduct during his time as political director, told me he would not be welcomed on air.
A spokesperson for NBC and MSNBC, where Halperin was a political analyst and regular "Morning Joe" panelist, told me he wouldn't be on air to promote his book. And spokespeople for CNN and CBS also said Halperin won't be on their networks.
I checked in with Fox News multiple times on Sunday, but didn't hear back...
FOR THE RECORD, PART ONE
-- New Orleans is mourning the death of WVUE anchor Nancy Parker, who died Friday while shooting a story in a stunt plane that crashed in a field. Parker was a 30-year veteran of television journalism. The WVUE website is full of tributes and remembrances... (WVUE)
-- The pilot of the plane, Franklin Augustus, also died. He "radioed the tower that he was having unspecified problems with the aircraft shortly after takeoff." Here's the latest... (CNN)
-- Lester Holt will anchor a special edition of the "NBC Nightly News" on Monday from Tehran. He has an interview with Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif... (Twitter)
-- The Hill profiled Chris Wallace: I've been called an equal opportunity inquisitor, and I take that very seriously," Wallace told the outlet... (The Hill)
-- Meanwhile... Mediaite's Tommy Christopher has written an "open letter" to Chris Wallace and Shepard Smith, urging them to "quit Tucker Carlson's Fox News now..." (Mediaite)
-- "A Tabloid Legend on Jeffrey Epstein's Death..." (WSJ)
Trump lashes out at Fox over latest poll
Trump took another swipe at Fox News on Sunday after receiving a question about the network's new poll that has him losing in head-to-head matchups to several Democrats. "Fox has changed, and my worst polls have always been from Fox," Trump said. "There's something going on at Fox. I'll tell you right now. And I'm not happy with it." Trump then praised his favorite opinion hosts on the network.
I checked in with Fox to see if the network had any comment on Trump's jab. I didn't hear back. But CNN's Harry Enten, who knows all things polls, told Ana Cabrera that he personally knows the Fox pollsters, calling them "genuine professionals." Enten added that Fox's polling is "consistently quite accurate."
>> Of note: This is all predictable behavior from Trump. He regularly props up his allies at Fox, while zinging those on the network who critically report on him. He's been doing this for years...
...and slams NYT with untruth
Another news outlet that drew the president's ire over the weekend was NYT. On Sunday evening, he continued his assault, ludicrously claiming that the paper "will be out of business soon after" he leaves office. Peter Baker, NYT's chief White House correspondent, offered up a "fact check" of Trump's tweet: "Revenues up, subscriptions at a record high, profits at $37.9 million in the second quarter...."
NYT Mag explains how the 1619 Project came to be
There is a lot of excitement around NYT Magazine's 1619 Project -- and deservedly so. The project examines the history of slavery, how it shaped the United States, and how it continues to touch society today. (There's also backlash, but most of the critiques are coming from folks who don't seem to have read any of it.)
In Sunday's Times Insider, NYT Labs associate editor Lovia Gyarkye explained how the project came to be. Gyarkye wrote that the idea was pitched by Nikole Hannah-Jones during a January meeting. Gyarkye said the magazine was "immediately on board" and that those involved "knew it was a big task." Hannah-Jones invited 18 scholars to meet with NYT editors for brainstorming sessions, which "cemented key components of the issue." Read more here...
Newt slammed for referring to project as "propaganda"
Newt Gingrich drew slew of criticism over the weekend when he referred to the 1619 Project as "propaganda" and claimed it was a "repudiation of the original NY Times motto." Michael Barbaro challenged Gingrich to engage "with the actual content." Meanwhile, Nick Confessore observed, "So many of the reactions I'm seeing to the #1619Project show exactly why it was needed."
Verizon is shutting down Fios1 News
"Verizon Fios will shutter its hyper-local Fios1 News channel this fall, ending its 10-year contract with Rye Brook's RNN and resulting in pink slips for nearly 150 employees across the Hudson Valley, Long Island and New Jersey," Peter D. Kramer of the Rockland/Westchester Journal News reported Sunday. "The move will cut in half the options for hyper-local cable news in the metro NYC area, leaving only Altice's News12, come Nov. 16." Verizon confirmed the cut but didn't comment on the reason. It seems like a pure cost-savings move, and yet another cut to local news coverage...
Media week ahead calendar
Monday: Tucker Carlson is scheduled to be back on his show...
Thursday: Taylor Swift performs live on "GMA" in Central Park...
Friday: Swift's new album "Lover" comes out... Here's the tracklist...
Friday: The D23 Expo begins in Anaheim...
Saturday: College football season begins...
Sunday evening: CNN holds town halls with Steve Bullock and Bill de Blasio...
Here comes the first film released by the Obamas' production company
"American Factory" is about a shuttered GM plant that was brought back to life by a Chinese firm. It won the US documentary directing award at Sundance in January "and drew the attention of a pair of newcomers to the film world: Barack and Michelle Obama," the LAT's Josh Rottenberg writes. "Along with Netflix, with whom they announced a partnership in 2018 to produce films and series, and Participant Media, the Obamas decided to throw their weight behind the movie." It will start streaming on Netflix on Wednesday... Rottenberg spoke with the directors here, and The Guardian's Cath Clarke has a feature here... | |
A preview of the Global Disinformation Index | | On Sunday's "Reliable Sources," John Avlon had an exclusive preview of the Global Disinformation Index's newest study.
"At least $235 million in revenue is generated annually from ads running on extremist and disinformation websites," the study found, Claire Duffy wrote for CNN Business. "That means the people behind websites propagating hate or false information don't just have an ideological influence -- they can also make big money from advertisers who often are unhappy or unaware that their brand name is being displayed alongside content they do not endorse."
>> Good point from Donie O'Sullivan: "We've spent a lot of the last 3 years taking about nation-state backed disinformation efforts. But there's a lot of non political actors in this space too. Doing it purely for profit. While motivations are different, impact on discourse the same."
Notes and quotes from Sunday's "Reliable..."
-- Jim Rutenberg says the "Trump era forces us to be a little more aggressive" about the telling the truth because journalists are met with "so much disinformation"...
-- Adam Serwer thinks that the argument over whether the media should be the resistance is a "straw man distraction" and what's important is that the media is "describing things accurately."
-- Bari Weiss talks about a different and "more subtle" threat facing the media, saying: "where once it was advertisers we feared angering, now it's readers."
-- Clarissa Ward on being targeted by Russian propaganda outfit: "While this [smear campaign] may have been just about intimidation, it certainly also gave us real pause for thought and concern about our safety as well. And it hasn't stopped."
-- Matt Rivitz, the once-anonymous founder of the internet-based activist community Sleeping Giants, on ads appearing on hate/disinfo sites: "Some of it lies within ad tech and some of it lies within the customers that are buying the ads..."
How to catch up on the show...
Watch the video clips via CNN.com... Listen to the podcast version via Apple Podcasts or your favorite app...
Dueling profiles of Stephen Miller
Brian Stelter emails: The NYT's Sunday piece about Stephen Miller, by Jason DeParle, is a how-we-got-here profile, deeply rooted in history. WaPo's piece, by Nick Miroff and Josh Dawsey, is about how Miller operates in the administration. They're great on their own and excellent when read together.
The Post had an on-the-record interview with Miller while The Times did not. WaPo also has this key insight: "Obsessed with terminology, Miller tells others in the West Wing that how issues are talked about — and what terms the media and legislators use — is often as important or more important than anything else." What the NYT adds is a detailed understanding of Miller's "symbiotic relationship with conservative media," especially Breitbart. Read both!
WHCA tepidly backs Brian Karem
We reported Friday on the White House's decision to suspend columnist Brian Karem's press pass for one month. There are mixed feelings about Karem within the White House press corps -- his critics say his aggressive conduct hurts his cause and the press corps as a whole. Saturday's statement from the White House Correspondents' Association reflects this tension, seeming to delineate between a "member" like Karem and "working journalists." Here it is:
"The WHCA is deeply concerned about a decision by the White House press secretary to suspend a member's hard pass for 30 days. Such a move could have a chilling effect on working journalists. As we have said before, we believe everyone should conduct themselves professionally at the White House."
FOR THE RECORD, PART TWO
-- "The Guardian columnist and activist Owen Jones has been physically assaulted in London while celebrating his 35th birthday with friends," the paper reported over the weekend. "We deplore the outrageous attack on Owen Jones," EIC Katharine Viner said. "Violent assaults on journalists or activists have no place in a democratic society." (Guardian)
-- Blunt talk from CNN's Ana Cabrera about guns in America: "We are an anomaly. What's happening is not normal." She presented facts about gun violence and support for new laws... (Video via Twitter)
RIP Jack Whitaker
"Jack Whitaker, the iconic sports broadcaster, died Sunday morning at his home in Devon, Pennsylvania, of natural causes at age 95," Clare Duffy reports. "Whitaker's career spanned nearly four decades after starting at CBS Sports in the late 1950s... There, he covered a range of sports and a number of momentous events, including the first-ever Super Bowl in 1967 and Secretariat's famed victory at the 1973 Triple Crown horse race..."
>> His specialty was "elegant, graceful commentaries, first for CBS and later for ABC," Richard Goldstein wrote in the NYT's obit... | |
"Disney's Latest Endeavor: Getting the Fox Studio on Track"
That's the headline on Erich Schwartzel's latest for the WSJ. He tells a story about the media M&A blame game. When Bob Iger "told Wall Street analysts this month that Fox films had dragged down a record year for his studio, some Fox executives pointed the finger back at Disney." While Iger mostly blamed the 17-month acquisition process, Fox executives "privately say it had more to do with uncertainty and indecisiveness stemming from Disney's lack of communication during that time." But there were legal limits on how much Disney could say before it owned the studio. "The clashing views highlight an issue common in large acquisitions." All true, and/but the Fox slate still had a bunch of stinkers. Read on...
| | "Good Boys" wins the weekend
"In a surprise victory and much-needed boost for the comedy genre, Universal's raunchy tween pic 'Good Boys' laughed its way to the top of the U.S. box office chart with $21 million from 3,204 theaters," THR's Pamela McClintock writes. "The film, produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, marks the first time that an R-rated comedy has placed No. 1 since 'The Boss' in spring 2016. It's also the biggest opening for an original comedy in 2019 thus far and the second-biggest of any comedy this year behind 'Madea's Family Funeral' ($27.1 million)..."
The power of "Blinded By The Light"
S. Mitra Kalita writes: "Blinded By The Light" opened over the weekend. It's a movie about a Pakistani boy in suburban London who loves Bruce Springsteen. My take: It's really an ode to America and "offers what feels so unattainable right now -- a representation where a laid-off Trump supporter and a left-leaning union guy and a teenage child of immigrants all might see themselves. They might find common ground in that most Springsteen of ideas -- being 'born to run' -- and settle on the idea of a country that has room for all of them." Read on...
Box office notes
Brian Lowry emails: Some box office odds and ends, coming out of a quiet summer weekend:
-- "The Lion King" should hit $500 million at the domestic boxoffice this week, becoming the 14th movie to hit that plateau -- and Disney owns 11 of them...
-- Smaller movies continue to struggle, with weak openings for "Blinded by the Light" and "Where'd You Go, Bernadette." A distribution exec told Variety the obvious — that audiences are paying to see "spectacle films" while niche movies, with so much available content, are struggling...
-- "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood" successfully expanded overseas, buttressing its status as an outlier -- a big earner that's also a likely award contender...
| | | Thank you for reading. I always enjoy your feedback, so send me a note via email or find me on Twitter. See you tomorrow! | | | |
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