Pressing questions; J&J vaccinations can resume; great weekend reads; the power of video; 'Sesame Street' documentaries; Oscars preview

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Brian Stelter here at 9:45pm ET Friday. I'm heading away on vacation for the next few days, so Oliver will be authoring this letter. But first: Here are recommended reads for your weekend, plus a dazzling photo from CNN's "the week in 40 photos" gallery...

Pressing questions

At the end of this workweek, here are a few of the lingering questions from the media beat and beyond...

-- Has the U.S. hit the "vaccine wall," with supply outstripping demand, and if so, what are the implications for public health? (WSJ)

-- Will the Facebook Oversight Board's decision about Donald Trump be announced next week? And: What will it mean for the media if Trump can access his FB page again?

-- Will there be any further fallout from Mike Pence's book deal? What about books by other former Trump admin officials?

-- Will Tribune Publishing's white knights find a way to slay Alden?

-- What types of creators will take advantage of Facebook's "big bet on creators?"

-- "In a digital era dominated by mobile and social media, why do people still get print newspapers?" This new study suggests some answers and some different Qs...

-- "The battle for podcast dominance is on," Anne Steele writes in Saturday's WSJ. Who will prevail?

-- Will there be a big market for premium podcasts purchased via Apple?

-- Are Apple's new iMacs ugly or a breath of fresh air? (I think they're divine.)

-- Netflix says it will "get back to much steadier state in the back half of the year." Will investors be impressed?

-- One week after new news presidents were appointed at ABC and CBS, "what exactly are these new leaders inheriting?"

-- How low will the ratings for this weekend's Academy Awards telecast be?

-- Will Caitlyn Jenner's star-power be enough to make her competitive in a CA gubernatorial bid?

Weekend reads, part one

-- Michael Socolow calls this "the other George Floyd story: How media freedom led to conviction in his killer's trial..." (The Conversation)

-- Perry Bacon Jr. offers "five Qs the political media is wrestling with in covering America's 'uncivil war...'" (538)

-- To better understand the hatred in Tucker Carlson's heart, check out his interview with Bobby Burack. He likens unnamed journalists to "cringing animals" and says "I really hate them..." (Outkick)

-- "The more layers of this scam you peel back, the more monstrous it looks," Greg Sargent writes about Carlson's "great replacement rhetoric." He says the worldview that links Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene is known as "conspiracism..." (WaPo)

-- This year's World Press Freedom Index shows that "the media is partly or completely restricted in 132 countries..." (TIME)

-- An eye-opening story by Brian Contreras: How Donald Trump's "zombie Facebook page became a weird internet memorial..." (LAT)

-- Don't miss NBC anchor Kristen Welker's incredible letter to her daughter, due to be born in June, with the help of a surrogate... (NBC)

-- On a much lighter note, this Calum Marsh story made me go "whoa:" Licensing issues have "gutted the soundtracks of many beloved series on streaming services, resulting in bewildering music cues and missing theme songs..." (NYT)

FOR THE RECORD, PART ONE

-- Katie Robertson is out with a brand new story about New York Post editor Keith Poole, who arrived last month. She says "the newsroom hasn't heard from him" yet. Also: "He sees The Daily Mail as The Post's main rival..." (NYT)

-- Fred Barnes filed his final column as the Examiner's senior columnist on Thursday night. He is retiring after 50+ years in journalism... (Examiner)

-- Malcolm Gladwell is releasing a new book, "The Bomber Mafia," on Tuesday. It was "conceived first as an audio project," and only later "was it offered to a major publisher." Gladwell wants to jump-start projects that "sound more like podcasts than traditional audiobooks..." (WSJ)

Coming up this weekend

Saturday is Independent Bookstore Day...

The SpaceX capsule is docking at the ISS at 5am ET Saturday...

The southern US will be on storm watch...

"Fox News Sunday" will mark its 25th anniversary with a special telecast on Sunday...

Dana Bash's interview with VP Kamala Harris will air on "SOTU" Sunday morning...

The Mars helicopter will have its third flight on Sunday...

The Oscars will dominate Sunday... Scroll down for a preview...

On Sunday's "Reliable Sources"

John Avlon will be in the chair while I'm far away from a TV camera. (Thank you, John!) His guests will include Adrienne Broaddus, Errol Louis, David Zurawik, April Ryan, Ron Brownstein, RonNell Andersen Jones, and Anders Hammer... Plus Marty Golingan, the producer who was fired OAN after publicly criticizing the network, and Caolan Robertson, a former alt-right YouTuber. Tune in Sunday at 11am ET...

Looking ahead...

On Tuesday the Senate will hold a hearing on "algorithms and amplification" (details below). On Wednesday POTUS will deliver his prime time address and on Thursday he will mark his first 100 days with a drive-in rally in Georgia. Also Thursday, the NFL Draft begins...

FOR THE RECORD, PART TWO

-- An NYT analysis of death patterns for the past century showed that "the U.S. death rate in 2020 was the highest above normal ever recorded in the country — even surpassing the calamity of the 1918 flu pandemic..." (NYT)

-- On Friday night the CDC and the FDA lifted the pause on Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine Friday. "Vaccinations could resume as soon as Saturday..." (CNN)

-- FB VP Carolyn Everson says the company is "taking very aggressive measures" to combat vaccine misinfo... (Yahoo!)

-- "Influencers getting vaccinated are new targets for right-wing conspiracy theorists," Tanya Chen and Stephanie McNeal report... (BuzzFeed)

-- Trump told Michael Goodwin that he supported the Post's front-page push to "GET VAXXED..." (NYPost)

-- "Happy bleach-a-versary," Rachel Maddow said on MSNBC Friday night. "One year ago today," Trump took to the WH briefing room "and encouraged his top health officials to study the injection of bleach into the human body as a means of fighting Covid." It was a low point then, and it's still a low point now... (Politico)

-- "The disaster now consuming India is playing out vividly on social media, with Twitter feeds and WhatsApp groups broadcasting hospitals' pleas for oxygen and medicines, and families' desperate searches for beds" in overwhelmed wards... (NYT)

-- Drudge zoomed out for the (bleak) global picture of Covid on Friday night:

The power of video, continued

Video of George Floyd's murder was instrumental in this week's conviction of Derek Chauvin. It also seemed to be important in defusing some of the tensions in Columbus after the tragic killing of Ma'Khia Bryant. And the lack of video has raised tensions in the case of Andrew Brown Jr., who was shot and killed by deputies in North Carolina. Local officials say "body camera footage of the incident cannot be released without a court order."

Peter Nickeas and Marshall Cohen took a step back in this Friday story for CNN.com. "Official videos of fatal police encounters are coming out faster than ever," they wrote, "adding clarity to tense situations where rumors can thrive and disinformation flourishes online." Read the full story here...

"Bait-and-switch"?

Oliver Darcy writes: "Matt Gertz of the liberal group Media Matters says Fox has pulled a 'bait-and-switch' on blue chip advertisers, pointing out that the network execs 'often try to placate advertisers worried about the damage the network's unhinged propagandists might do to their brands by telling them to simply place ads on its 'news' programs rather than its 'opinion' shows. But, as Gertz noted, Fox recently swapped its conservative 7pm newscast for another right-wing talk show. So what is Fox doing for those advertisers? 'The network leaves them twisting in the wind,' Gertz writes. Read his piece here..."

Senate to hold hearing on tech algorithms

Oliver Darcy writes: "Congress is set to hold another hearing on Big Tech Tuesday. Politico's Cristiano Lima reported that Facebook's Monika Bickert, Twitter's Lauren Culbertson, and YouTube's Alexandra Veitch will all appear before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee to discuss algorithms. Also slated to testify: Joan Donovan and Tristan Harris..."

>> "YouTube in the hot seat, for once," Lima noted. The company has evaded congressional hearings for quite some time, with lawmakers often instead calling on Google CEO Sundar Picahi instead of YouTube execs...

FOR THE RECORD, PART THREE

-- Per new SEC filings, "Netflix co-CEOs Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos earned, respectively, $43.2 million and $39.3 million in 2020. The pay was up for both..." (Deadline)

-- "NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell made $16.5 million in 2020. His boss, Comcast chief Brian L. Roberts, made twice that. And Roberts' $32.7 million haul was actually a pay cut from 2019..." (TheWrap)

-- "I'm gonna get thrown off the air for all of this stuff, you know, they're gonna move me over to Fox," Donny Deutsch joked on Comcast-owned MSNBC as he cautioned against hiking taxes on the top 1%... (Daily Caller)

-- The opposite POV, written by Paul Waldman: "Biden's plan for tax hikes on the rich is good. But it doesn't go far enough..." (WaPo)

Weekend reads, part two

-- Anne Applebaum says Alexei Navalny "has a lesson for the world..." (The Atlantic)

-- A Paul Begala quote to argue about: For the Republican Party, "as white power diminishes, white supremacy intensifies..." (NYT)

-- How is Substack shaking up the established news media? Will Oremus has an excellent overview. He says the company is targeting "one of news organizations' weak points..." (Slate)

-- Steven Perlberg has a new story about how the NYT "sees Substack: as a rival." Perlberg also interviewed writers about their Substack strategies... (Insider)

-- The Takeaway's Tanzina Vega spoke to Bruce Shapiro, executive director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, about the recent wave of journalists who publicly announced their job resignations, citing burnout as one of the reasons. Shapiro frames it as a press freedom issue. Listen here..." (WNYC)

-- Read Monica Hesse on Philip Roth and the "sympathetic biographer" Blake Bailey: "This is how misogyny gets cemented in our culture..." (WaPo)

-- "Climate journalism enters the solutions era," Abby Rabinowitz writes, focusing on a podcast called "Mothers of Invention..." (CJR)

-- "Researchers warn misinformation on Facebook threatens to undermine Biden's climate agenda," Cat Zakrzewski reports... (WaPo)

-- Zoë Carpenter writing for The Nation: "The problem with the far right's universe of 'alternative facts' is not that it's hermetically sealed from the universe the rest of us live in. Rather, it's that these universes cannot truly be separated. If we've learned anything in the past six months, it's that epistemological distance doesn't prevent collisions in the real world that can be lethal to individuals – and potentially ruinous for democratic systems." (The Nation)

FOR THE RECORD, PART FOUR

-- Erik Wemple's latest is about how NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo "sidelines major media players in remote press conferences..." (WaPo)

-- Savannah Jacobson also weighed in on "Cuomo's bad press..." (CJR)

-- Trump's interview tour: He has sat down with Michael Wolff, Maggie Haberman and Jeremy Peters "for their forthcoming books," but he has turned down Bob Woodward... (Politico Playbook)

-- "U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's reported $2 million book deal is drawing criticism from legal experts who say its size and timing create bad optics for a court that is already in the political crosshairs," Greg Stohr writes... (Bloomberg)

-- "Our favorite media feud has reared its nerdy head," Oli Coleman writes, "this time with the publisher of Harper's" challenging NYT's Ben Smith "to a no-holds-barred reportage battle..." (Page Six)

-- NYT "outcasts" Bari Weiss and Andy Mills are teaming up for a "new podcast venture," Max Tani and Lachlan Cartwright report... (Beast)

Weekend reads, part three

-- Kayleigh Barber says Campbell Brown "is working to close the trust gap between publishers and Facebook..." (Digiday)

-- ICYMI, Connie Bruck's profile of "Hollywood's most tenacious agent" is full of insights about Ari Emanuel and the future of Endeavor... (TNY)

-- Azi Paybarah's story about a Boston-area musician makes you think: "Imagine what you hold most dear in your day wasn't there anymore..." (NYT)

-- If you missed it yesterday, read "Scott Rudin, As Told by His Assistants..." (Vulture)

-- "Art Doesn't Need Tyrants:" Tavi Gevinson writes that "Scott Rudin's downfall is an opportunity to change Hollywood..." (Vulture)

-- Read Lindsay Crouse on Ava DuVernay: "The acclaimed director is creating a new, more inclusive film and television industry, and nurturing the next generation of Black talent..." (NYT)

-- Tatiana Siegel writes about "Kevin Spacey's strange new world," from "triple threat to legal challenges on three fronts..." (THR)

-- Joe Flint interviews Scott Stuber, Netflix's movie chief, on "why the awards matter to the streaming giant, post-pandemic movie-watching and which A-list director he's trying to coax into a film deal..." (WSJ)

ICYMI: Meet the EIC of National Parks Traveler

My guest on this week's "Reliable Sources" podcast is Keith Repanshek, the founder and EIC of National Parks Traveler. His publication is America's only media outlet dedicated to covering national parks and protected areas. We talked about his nimble operation, the significance of its nonprofit status, and the challenges of such a sprawling beat. Check out our convo via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, or your favorite app...

FOR THE RECORD, PART FIVE

-- "As newsletter advertising grows, advertisers opt for quality over quantity," Mark Stenberg reports... (AdWeek)

-- Bob Costas "will host his third interview show for HBO beginning later this spring." It'll air four times a year... (THR)

-- Some Friday afternoon news via Richard Deitsch: "The team of Steve Levy, Brian Griese, and Louis Riddick will return to Monday Night Football this fall for ESPN. They will be the broadcast booth again for the 2021 NFL season." (Twitter)

"D" is for documentary

Brian Lowry writes: "'Sesame Street' receives a pair of documentaries devoted to its half-century legacy, with 'Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street' hitting theaters (in advance of on demand) and 'Sesame Street: 50 Years of Sunny Days' premiering Monday on ABC. The former is better and more interesting, but for those with enough of an appetite for it, the two complement each other like Bert & Ernie." Read on...

Oscars weekend

Chloe Melas has "what to expect at this weekend's Oscars" here. She spoke with Billy Crystal about why he hopes people tune in. And she asked Lisa Respers France, People mag's Nigel Smith and Us Weekly editor Emily Longeretta to size up the race for best picture. No surprise here, they are expecting "Nomadland" to win...

>> A record-breaking 76 nominations went to women this year – and two of those are in the best director category, Melas noted on "Early Start..."

The feeling in Hollywood

Brian Lowry writes: "The awards themselves can make history on a variety of fronts (the nominations already have), but coming at the end of a 14-month awards calendar and amid grim ratings forecasts, it's hard not to feel that the 'awards season' marathon is limping across the finish line. And incidentally, because there's some uncertainty about who will win -- given how the wealth has been spread in the awards leading up to the Oscars -- we should really see fewer 'snubs and surprises' stories on Monday. But we won't..."

>> Variety's Marc Malkin has ideas for "how to throw a COVID-safe Oscar viewing party..."

Disney Parks are for everybody

Frank Pallotta writes: "The Big Thing on entertainment Twitter on Friday was an Orlando Sentinel op-ed by a Disney fan who wrote about how the parks are being ruined by "wokeness" — whatever that means. I would link to it, but it's not worth your time. Yes, Disney parks are planning changes to classic attractions and announced that employees, known as cast members, can express themselves more with their appearance. These are good things that add to the parks and make them more inclusive. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, so here's mine as a Disney park goer myself: Disney Parks, at their best, work on a belief in communal joy. If allowing people to express themselves or changing up Splash Mountain bothers you so much that you can't enjoy the parks anymore then you're missing the point of them and excluding others from partaking in that joy."

FOR THE RECORD, PART SIX

-- "Russell Crowe has joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the Greek god Zeus," Toyin Owoseje writes... (CNN)

-- Fans and fellow artists are mourning the death of rapper Shock G, also known as Humpty Hump of the hip-hop group Digital Underground. He was 57. (CNN)

-- "Shadow and Bone" is Netflix's latest fantasy adaptation seeking to fill the "Game of Thrones" void. "While moderately bingeable, in terms of grander aspirations, it's mostly smoke and mirrors," Brian Lowry writes... (CNN)

What would a Marvel-themed NBA game look like?

Brian Lowry writes: "In what can only be described as synergy run amok, ESPN and Marvel announced a 'Marvel-inspired alternate presentation' for the Warriors-Pelicans game on ESPN2 on May 3. Quoting from the press release: 'The telecast will integrate elements from an original Marvel story and iconic characters including Iron Man, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Captain America, Black Widow, and Doctor Strange throughout the live game, including 3D virtual characters, custom graphics and animation packages.' Details here..."

A slightly scattered but ambitious finale

Brian Lowry writes: "'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' finale wasn't quite equal to the buildup to it, with the assorted side plots failing to match the central storyline. Still, the entire exercise again spoke to Marvel's ambition thus far for Disney+, and its ability to explore stories and characters in a different way." Needless to say, spoilers abound... With that in mind, read Lowry's full column here...

LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

Pet of the day!

NBC News Digital director of business ops Dan Callan emails: "Scout always keeps her ears open for the latest scoops in the media world." Dan also "discloses" that Scout is the grand-pup of CNN legal contributor Paul Callan 😊