| Oliver Darcy here, hitting send at 11:05pm ET on Tuesday, September 21, with the latest on The New York Times, Facebook, Gannett, ESPN, Disney, Fortune, the Emmys, and more. But first...
Immigration at the forefront
The situation at the US-Southern border is front and center in the news media this week. And, once again, a multitude of problems are being uncovered by on-the-ground reporting and spotlighted by journalists who are aiming to hold power to account.
Thousands of Haitians and other migrants have poured into an encampment in Del Rio, Texas, with some seeking asylum. The number of people who have entered the country has overwhelmed border patrol on the front lines and the system at large.
Images captured by journalists paint a troubling picture: Desperate migrants, facing the brutal Texas heat, setting up makeshift camps under a bridge using whatever materials they can. As CNN has reported, "They sleep in the dirt, surrounded by growing piles of garbage, exposed to the elements and without much food and water, in hopes of being processed by the overwhelmed US Border Patrol." The scenes appear reminiscent of what one would expect to see in a third-world nation, not the US.
President Joe Biden vowed on Tuesday to swiftly address the situation. Biden said, "We'll get it under control." But video that aired across the networks Tuesday night showed a situation far from being in control. And there is really no telling when the admin might get an actual handle on it...
Heightened attention was placed on the situation when there were reports that Border Patrol agents were whipping migrants seeking to cross over the border. But that viral narrative turned out to be more nuanced than some initial reporting and social media commentary suggested.
As The Washington Post noted in its story, "Contrary to some reports, the agents in the images were not carrying whips but were seen swinging their horses' reins. They did not appear to strike anyone." The Post also noted that "the Border Patrol typically uses horse-mounted officers to access difficult or roadless terrain and at times as a crowd-control tool, not unlike other law enforcement organizations."
CNN described footage depicting the incident like this: "Video shows the officers at the water's edge, twirling the long reins as migrants crossed the border at the US shoreline of the Rio Grande. Then, as the law enforcement officers attempt to corral the migrants, one of the officers appears to whirl the horse reins near one of the migrants."
I noticed that some major news orgs, like The New York Times, have appeared to omit reference altogether to the allegations border patrol agents were whipping migrants. Instead, that paper described the aggressive tactics and use of horses as crowd control instruments at the scene, as well as profanity shouted by one agent to a migrant.
I've also seen some people suggest that the nuance regarding whips is irrelevant here. But it really is not. Reporters who engage in online commentary and news orgs have a responsibility to convey accurate depictions of events to audiences. It's hard to look back on some of the coverage and think that was the case. Let the readers and viewers come to conclusions based on the facts...
That said, how the agents treated the migrants entering the country is unquestionably a story. But the whip debate playing out amongst some is also to a degree distracting from other important issues at hand. What will be done with all the migrants who have come into the country? When will the federal gov't ensure that humanitarian conditions are being provided to these people while they wait to be processed? And what will be done to prevent such a situation from developing in the future? News coverage should also focus on these bigger points...
 No surprise here, but many Fox News hosts and personalities are exploiting the tragic situation to promote fear of migrants. Lara Logan, for instance, went on the right-wing channel's air and claimed that "bioweapons specialists" had told her the surge was a way to potentially launch a "virus attack" in the country. Anchor Martha MacCallum, purportedly a "straight news" anchor on that network, didn't even bother to interrupt her.
Elsewhere, the coverage is as you would expect. Tucker Carlson led his program with it, once again advancing the racist "Great Replacement" theory that a "HAITAN CARAVAN" was being intentionally allowed into the country to help change the demographics so that Democrats can firm up control. It's all reprehensible, but also oh so predictable...
Mayorkas on air
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has been making the rounds on television to respond to the situation. He appeared on "New Day" Tuesday morning, where he said he was "horrified" by the images of Border Patrol aggressively confronting migrants on horseback. And in the evening, he appeared with Joy Reid, where he reiterated that message and said that he anticipates the results of the probe by next week... FOR THE RECORD, PART ONE -- AFP photographer Paul Ratje, who has taken some of the images being shared widely on social media, talks to NPR's Steve Inskeep: "I felt the Haitians were quite scared, and I think there was probably some panic, which resulted in them trying to run around the horses..." (NPR)
-- Biden is taking heat from usually friendly places. One example: On Tuesday, "The View" sharply criticized him, with co-host Sunny Hostin saying she's "very disappointed..." (Mediaite)
-- The lede story on the El Paso Times' homepage Tuesday night: "Mexican government cracks down on Haitian migrants in Ciudad Acuña..." (El Paso Times)
-- ICYMI: WaPo's editorial board argues that "the episode is a distillation of Washington's immigration policy dysfunction, tweaked, in some ways for the worse, by the Biden administration's incongruous messaging..." (WaPo) Two other big stories...  Alongside coverage of the border, WaPo's Wednesday A1 captures the two other big stories heading into Wednesday...
>> "President Biden defended the messy end to the war in Afghanistan and made a case Tuesday that the world can come together to confront global threats such as climate change and the coronavirus, as he sought to address allies' increasing qualms about American leadership," WaPo's Anne Gearan writes...
>> "The House of Representatives voted to pass legislation on Tuesday to prevent a government shutdown at the end of the month and suspend the nation's borrowing limit, setting up a showdown with Republicans who insist Democrats should act alone to stave off a looming debt crisis," CNN's Clare Foran and Annie Grayer report... WEDNESDAY PLANNER President Biden is expected to convene a virtual Covid summit at the UN General Assembly...
Microsoft holds a Surface product event at 11am ET...
The Atlantic Festival begins... And The Texas Tribune Festival continues through the end of the week... DEVELOPING:
Trump sues NYT and Mary Trump
"Former President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against The New York Times, three of its reporters, and his niece—claiming they hatched an 'insidious plot' to obtain his private records for a story about his tax history," The Daily Beast's Maxwell Tani and Harry Siegel reported Tuesday night. "The lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday in Dutchess County, New York, alleges that the newspaper convinced Mary Trump to 'smuggle records out of her attorney's office and turn them over to The Times' despite her having signed a confidentiality agreement in 2001."
A NYT spox said in response, "The Times's coverage of Donald Trump's taxes helped inform citizens through meticulous reporting on a subject of overriding public interest. This lawsuit is an attempt to silence independent news organizations and we plan to vigorously defend against it." And Mary Trump said in a statement, "I think he is a loser, and he is going to throw anything against the wall he can. It's desperation. The walls are closing in and he is throwing anything against the wall that he thinks will stick. As is always the case with Donald, he'll try and change the subject..."
>> Speaking of Trump: This damning NYT story dominated coverage Tuesday: "Trump campaign knew lawyers' voting machine claims were baseless, memo shows..." Press raises objection after being ignored at pool spray
>> Per WHCA President Steven Portnoy, Psaki said she was not aware of the incident. When he requested a press conference, Psaki responded that Biden takes questions several times throughout the week... FOR THE RECORD, PART TWO -- Jon Allsop profiles MSNBC and Peacock's Mehdi Hasan, writing that his approach "can be seen as an explicit rebuke to outdated journalistic norms." Note the quotes at the end referencing a Rachel Maddow-like future for him... (CJR)
-- "Why sane Republicans are purging themselves:" Charlie Sykes argues that pols like Anthony Gonzalez are leaving because "winning" means "two more years trapped in a hellscape of crazified school board meetings, Trump rallies, My Pillow Guy insanity, Newsmax and Fox News hits, and a caucus run by Kevin McCarthy..." (Politico)
-- "The Washington Post on Tuesday launched an ad network as part of its Zeus advertising technology business," Sara Fischer reports... (Axios) Facebook boosting positive stories about itself?
NYT's Ryan Mac and Sheera Frankel are out with a must-read story that takes you inside Facebook's comms strategy as it aims to defend itself amid a barrage of critical media coverage. Among that strategy? Apparently showing more positive stories about itself to users on the platform.
"Mark Zuckerberg ... signed off last month on a new initiative code-named Project Amplify," the duo reported. "The effort, which was hatched at an internal meeting in January, had a specific purpose: to use Facebook's News Feed, the site's most important digital real estate, to show people positive stories about the social network. The idea was that pushing pro-Facebook news items — some of them written by the company — would improve its image in the eyes of its users..."
Oversight Board demands answers
The Oversight Board overseeing Facebook "said it is reviewing the company's practice of holding high-profile users to separate sets of rules, citing apparent inconsistencies in the way the social-media giant makes decisions," Meghan Bobrowsky and Ryan Tracy reported Tuesday. The duo noted that the inquiry comes after a WSJ investigation found that "millions of VIPs" were effectively being "shielded" from the company's rules through an internal program. The Oversight Board said that it had reached out to Facebook about the matter and expects to "receive a briefing" from the company "in the coming days..." FOR THE RECORD, PART THREE -- "Facebook conditioned its $5 billion payment to the FTC to resolve the Cambridge Analytica data leak probe on the agency dropping plans to sue" Mark Zuckerberg individually, "shareholders allege in a lawsuit," Leah Nylen reports... (Politico)
-- Back to office at least some of the time: "Google is dramatically expanding its office presence in NYC with a $2.1 billion purchase on Manhattan's West Side," Jordan Valinsky reports... (CNN)
-- Teddy Schleifer writes about Karla Jurvertson, a powerhouse in Silicon Valley who he says is "taking over" Washington. He says one of the Qs before Jurvetson in the coming years "will be how much she wants to try to tear down and reform the tech industry that made her rich..." (Puck)
-- Lili Loofbourow writes about "the unbelievable grimness of HermanCainAward, the Subreddit that catalogs anti-vaxxer COVID deaths." She writes, "This is not a forum that attempts to change minds. It's much darker..." (Slate)
-- Nilay Patel looks at the company "F**k You Pay Me" and how it is "empowering creators..." (The Verge) NewsGuild to investigate Gannett's "culture of exploitation"
Kerry Flynn writes: "NewsGuild CEO Jon Schleuss sent a letter to Gannett CEO Mike Reed last Friday informing him of the labor union's decision to investigate the company's culture, starting with unpaid overtime work. He asked the exec to do the same. The letter came in response to public and private conversations earlier this month after an editor at The Arizona Republic endorsed unpaid overtime work. He later apologized, and Gannett denied it does so. More in my story..." Fortune's first female EIC
Kerry Flynn writes: "Fortune has named its first female EIC in its 92-year history. Alyson Shontell, the co-EIC of Insider's business section, starts in her role on Oct. 6. Shontell joined BI in 2008 as a founding member and climbed the ranks from the business side to reporter to editor. One reason she accepted the role is to grow Fortune's digital subscription business, per WSJ's Ben Mullin who wrote the brand has more than 500,000 total paid subscribers but only 40,000 digital subscribers..." FOR THE RECORD, PART FOUR By Kerry Flynn:
-- NewsGuild released a report on the culture of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's union that revealed multiple incidents of harassment, Angela Fu writes (Poynter)
-- "Are we experiencing a 'pivot to audio' that ends like the disastrous 'pivot to video?' Is this all a bubble?" Those are some of the questions The Verge's Ashley Carman asks in her newsletter debut... (Hot Pod)
-- Lena Waithe and Gillian Flynn are joining Zando, "an independent publishing company founded last year that plans to work with authors and sell books in unconventional ways," Alexandra Alter writes... (NYT)
-- 6AM City has raised about $5 million in a new funding round and plans to have launched its local newsletters in 24 cities by Thanksgiving, per Sara Fischer... (Axios) Chapek: Talent deals undergoing "a bit of a reset"
Disney CEO Bob Chapek made some news at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference on Tuesday. Asked about talent compensation, Chapek said the company is "trying to do right by talent" and is in a "bit of a reset" with deals. Chapek did not directly name Scarlett Johansson's suit, but said that deals with talent were "made three or four years ago" and that right now "we're in a moment of time where films were envisioned under one understanding about what the world would be." He added, "So we're sort of putting a square peg in a round hole right now where we've got a deal conceived under a certain set of conditions, that actually results in a movie that is being released in a completely different set of conditions..."
>> Related: Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel praised Chapek less than an hour after his remarks, saying Disney is "doing the right thing," Alex Weprin notes... FOR THE RECORD, PART FIVE -- Chapek also said that the pandemic has resulted in less streaming content being available in Q4 and argued subscriber growth is "not a straight line..." (Deadline)
-- In another session at the conference, Discovery CEO David Zaslav promoted the WarnerMedia merger and previewed the "go-to-market strategy for what sounds like a new combined streaming service of HBO Max and Discovery+ that also draws on live sports and news." WarnerMedia is, of course, the parent company of CNN... (Deadline)
-- Nicole Sperling looks at Bruna Papandrea, a Hollywood producer who she calls the "master of adaption" who now has "her own company providing shows and movies to a number of streaming services..." (NYT) ESPN to debut its first all-women baseball broadcast  Frank Pallotta scoops: "Melanie Newman and Jessica Mendoza aren't done making history. The two sports announcers will be ESPN's first all-woman broadcast team for a nationally televised Major League Baseball game on September 29. The game will mark the first time ESPN has had an all-woman broadcast team for an MLB, NBA, NFL regular season or playoff game. Newman and Mendoza have put their names in the history books before. Newman was a part of MLB's first-ever all-female broadcast in July while Mendoza became the first female analyst to call a nationally televised MLB playoff game in 2015..." Back to focusing on the "Jeopardy!" contestant, not host
Brian Stelter emails: "As The Ringer's Claire McNear writes, 'Alex Trebek was fond of saying that the show's contestants, not its host, were the program's stars.' But the 'Jeopardy!' drama sucked up oxygen for months. Now it's settled through the end of the year and the spotlight is back on one contestant in particular: Matt Amodio, who is on a wild winning streak, with the 'lights-out buzzer timing and the sort of trivia knowledge that makes his fellow contestants shake their heads in amazement,' McNear writes. In 'Jeopardy!' world, guys like Amodio are known as 'buzz saws.' On Tuesday he won his 25th straight game. I have started to tune in every night to watch his streak. Read McNear's full story about him..."
>> Speaking of the game show: Mayim Bialik broke her silence about this crazy period in an interview with Glamour's Jessica Radloff, and it's well worth a read. Bialik is refreshingly honest about her desire to host the show full-time: "There's no other job I would rather have," she says...  Willie Garson dead at 57  Sandra Gonzalez writes: "Actor Willie Garson, known for his role on the 'Sex and the City' series and films, has died, according to his son, Nathen Garson. He was 57. 'I love you so much papa. Rest In Peace and I'm so glad you got to share all your adventures with me and were able to accomplish so much,' his son wrote on Instagram. 'I'm so proud of you.' An HBO/HBO Max spokesperson also confirmed Garson's passing, and the network honored his contributions to one of its most iconic shows in a statement. 'Willie Garson was in life, as on screen, a devoted friend and a bright light for everyone in his universe,' the statement read. 'He created one of the most beloved characters from the HBO pantheon and was a member of our family for nearly twenty-five years. We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing and extend our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones...' "Britney Vs. Spears"
"A Netflix documentary about Britney Spears is one step closer to reaching the screen, as a trailer teaser for the film 'Britney Vs. Spears' confirms. In the 18-second clip, Spears is heard leaving a message for an attorney in 2009. A trailer is expected to drop on Wednesday, Sept. 22 and the doc itself on Sept. 28, ahead of Spears' next court date on Sept. 29," Variety's Elizabeth Wagmeister and Ellise Shafer reported Tuesday. "The documentary is being directed by Erin Lee Carr and has been underway for more than a year..." FOR THE RECORD, PART SIX -- Disney Branded Television president Gary Marsh "is stepping down after 33 years with the company. He will launch his own production company, which has a deal with Disney..." (TheWrap)
-- Apple TV+ is teasing Jon Stewart's forthcoming show, dropping the trailer on Tuesday... (THR)
-- "John Boyega has joined Viola Davis and Thuso Mbedu in 'The Woman King,' a historical epic from TriStar Pictures," Borys Kit reports... (THR)
-- The comeback continues: "'The Late Late Show' is set to be filmed in front of a live studio audience for the first time since the start of the pandemic later this month," Peter White scoops... (Deadline)
-- "'The Real' co-host Jeannie Mai and rapper husband Jeezy are expecting their first child," Lisa Respers France reports... (CNN)
-- One more from Lisa: "Tobias Menzies wasn't at the Emmy's ceremony, but he dedicated his win to the late Michael K. Williams who was nominated in the category..." (CNN) Lowry reviews "Many Saints"
Brian Lowry writes: "'The Sopranos' creator David Chase has been open about saying he's 'angry' that 'The Many Saints of Newark,' his prequel to the Emmy-winning HBO series, will premiere simultaneously on HBO Max. But the irony is that the movie, while enjoyable, feels rushed in places and doesn't give some of the situations room to breathe. Essentially, Chase has made a pretty good movie that might have been a much better limited series." Read the rest here... Bringing George Lucas' galaxy full circle
Brian Lowry writes: "George Lucas has often said that Akira Kurosawa's 1958 samurai movie 'The Hidden Fortress' was an inspiration for 'Star Wars,' so Disney+ brings the franchise full circle with 'Star Wars: Visions,' a series of Japanese anime shorts. Visually striking, it's a fascinating mesh of styles and cultures that might be better for cinephiles than kids. Check it out..." Emmys exit interview
Brian Lowry writes: "Variety's Michael Schneider conducted an exit interview with the producers of this year's Emmys, who are quite frank (pardon the expression) about their irritation with 'The Queen's Gambit' producer/director Scott Frank for his windy acceptance speech, and Seth Rogen for misrepresenting their Covid-19 protocols. Of Frank, Ian Stewart said bluntly, 'If you think that you have to speak for four or five minutes, that means somebody else can't. It's just incredibly disrespectful to your fellow nominees..'" LAST BUT NOT LEAST...
Pet of the day!
Comms pro Abby Long emails: "Ren Bernadette (nine-month-old Great Pyrenees) seriously loves two things: Long walks and helping her mom read Reliable Sources every night..."   Thank you for reading! Email your feedback anytime. Brian is back here tomorrow.... Share this newsletter:
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