| The weekend has arrived! Oliver Darcy here at 9:35pm ET on Friday, Sept. 24...
MAGA Media in denial  For months, certain right-wing media personalities and outlets hyped the sham Arizona "audit." These outlets and personalities, egged on by former President Donald Trump, sold their audiences a bill of goods. They suggested that the so-called "Cyber Ninjas" would uncover mass fraud in Arizona and that it would somehow lead to the entire 2020 election being overturned. Even in the hours leading up to the disclosure of the report on Friday, Trump and his propaganda outlets teased a dramatic outcome that would work in his favor.
And then the results actually came in. As CNN reported Friday, the Cyber Ninjas report showed "that the results of reviewers' hand recount are nearly identical to the county's tally." In fact, Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan said that the recount found President Joe Biden gaining 99 votes in Maricopa County. Meanwhile, Trump lost 261 votes.
It was a stunning end — and rebuke — to the months-long effort. And it was covered as so in the reality based, pro-democracy press. "Arizona ballot review commissioned by Republicans reaffirms Biden's victory," read WaPo's headline. The conservative, but Trump-critical, Drudge Report blared this headline across the page: "REPUBLICANS: BIDEN WON AZ BY MORE."
Unfortunately, but to no one's surprise, the fantastical, anti-democratic media did not run with the report's key finding...
I tuned into One America News — the tiny far-right channel that has hyped the Big Lie the most — in the late-afternoon to see how the report was being covered. For a while, the channel's hosts and correspondents were actually off-air, choosing instead to broadcast the presentation delivered by the Cyber Ninjas to the GOP-led Arizona Senate. While the report confirmed Biden won, it also contained a lot of misinfo about how the election was conducted.
As NYT reported, "In the hourslong presentation before the State Senate the review officials did not focus on the numbers showing Mr. Biden's victory but instead presented a blizzard of hypotheticals, none verified, most hinting darkly at a tainted election." Ken Matta, information security officer for Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, said that "probably 90% of the inflammatory information presented" was "inaccurate."
OAN carried it all.
Afterward, OAN host Shane Althaus said (with a straight face) that there was "no clear indication that the election results in Maricopa County will be overturned." But he told the audience that "several issues" with the election were found. That was the most reality-based reporting on OAN that I saw. From there, he brought in host Christina Bobb, who has worked with the Trump team to overturn the election. Bobb said the report showed "there is a lot of discrepancies." She suggested there were "indications of fraud" and added that "there is a lot of explaining to do."
Elsewhere in MAGA Media
Elsewhere in right-wing media, things were not much better. Newsmax host Carl Higbe said on-air, "The numbers aren't adding up to what they originally certified. That is a problem to me." And fringe sites like The Gateway Pundit hyped all the nonsense the Cyber Ninjas circulated during their misinfo-soaked presentation. Bottom line: The Big Lie is still popular in many corners of right-wing media, and they are portraying this report as damning evidence in support of their case...
Over on Fox...
One right-wing media outlet did report the results of the Arizona report. Fox News anchor Bret Baier said on his show that the review of votes confirmed Biden's win. But Baier only spent a weak 30 seconds of his program on the news. And I could not find any other mention of it on Fox throughout the day. In fact, I couldn't even find a story on the outlet's website... FOR THE RECORD, PART ONE -- "Were we living in a more rational time, this confirmation that Arizona's official results were on the up and up would help put to rest the toxic lie that the 2020 election was stolen from former president Donald Trump," Karen Tumulty writes. But she notes that will not be the case, as nothing will "stop the lying..." (WaPo)
-- "Friday's flawed report from the Republicans investigating Arizona's 2020 election isn't changing minds or dampening enthusiasm among election conspiracy theorists," Zach Montellaro and Meredith McGraw point out. "Instead, the movement keeps gaining traction in the Republican Party..." (Politico)
-- "Critics said the true purpose of the audit may have already succeeded. It spread complex allegations about ballot irregularities and software issues, fueling doubts about elections..." (AP)
-- "Maricopa County officials devoted their Twitter feed to debunking allegations as they were made on the floor," Jack Healy, Michael Wines and Nick Corasaniti note in their story... (NYT)
-- More than 24 hours after it was published, Robert Kagan's bracing warning -- about the US "heading into its greatest political and constitutional crisis since the Civil War" -- is STILL the most-read article on the Washington Post's web site... (WaPo) Giuliani says he's banned from Fox
"Rudy Giuliani has been banned from Fox News for almost three months," Politico's Tara Palmeri scooped in Friday's Playbook. Palmeri reported that Giuliani learned of the ban on the eve of 9/11 when "Fox & Friends Weekend" co-host Pete Hegseth called to tell him he had been cut from the program. Palmeri added that the ban also covers Giuliani's son, Andrew. "Bookers have told both Giulianis the ban comes from the top," Palmeri wrote. She cited a source close to Giuliani who said that the former NYC mayor was "really hurt" by it because "he did a big favor" for Rupert Murdoch when he helped get Fox on Time Warner when it was a fledging network. On Friday evening, Giuliani appeared on Newsmax with Greg Kelly. Giuliani said Fox hadn't "given him a reason" for cutting him, simply saying, "They just said I'm banned." Fox, however, is pushing back against some of these claims. A spox denied to me that Giuliani was scheduled to appear on "Fox & Friends" on 9/11. The spox also denied that there is a ban on Andrew Giuliani. But the spox declined to comment on whether Giuliani is prohibited from appearing on Fox... "The View" Covid scare
Brian Stelter writes: "This may have been the mother of all false alarms. 'The View' was flipped on its head Friday morning when Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarro's Covid tests turned up positive mere seconds before VP Kamala Harris was supposed to walk on stage for her first in-person visit to the show. The show's hosts are tested twice a week, I'm told, and there was an extra test on Friday due to the VP interview. Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin tap-danced for nearly half an hour and then the VP finally joined the show via remote from somewhere else in the building. An unforgettable 'View' moment, to be sure, but maybe a misfire? Oliver Darcy and I reported later in the day that two subsequent tests came back negative for both women. Navarro said on 'AC360' that she is waiting for yet another test result. Both women are fully vaccinated, of course, along with every other person in the building. So I rolled my eyes at the blind quotes on the Daily Mail website calling this a 'monumental failure' by the producers and a 'national security risk' given the VP's presence. Give me a break. Even if the co-hosts actually had Covid, the danger for fully vaccinated adults is so low that cooler heads should prevail. If this incident proves anything, it's that we need more and more rapid testing. David Leonhardt called out America's testing shortcomings earlier this week..." WEEKEND PLANNER The season finale of "America's Top Dog" airs on A&E Saturday at 12pm ET...
Global Citizen Live takes place Saturday... And ABC will show the highlights Sunday at 7pm...
The 74th annual Tony Awards ceremony airs on Paramount+ Sunday at 7pm. Then a performance-based show with a few awards airs on CBS at 9pm...
CNN Films will present the TV premiere of "The Lost Sons" Sunday at 9pm ET... The Britney Spears race
Multiple major media outlets have been racing to release new documentaries about Britney Spears and the state of her conservatorship. CNN, Netflix and the NYT are all releasing new projects in the next five days. CNN's special, "Toxic: Britney Spears' Battle For Freedom," airs Sunday at 8pm ET, and features friends and people who worked with Spears who have never spoken before. Chloe Melas and Alisyn Camerota are the reporters. Netflix's docu by Erin Lee Carr, "Britney Vs Spears," streams on Tuesday. Carr spoke with the LAT about the project. The NYT swooped in Friday morning and announced a followup to "Framing Britney Spears," called "Controlling Britney Spears," that is premiering at 10pm ET Friday on FX and Hulu. All of this coverage comes ahead of Spears' big day in court next Wednesday -- when her conservatorship could be terminated for good after 13 years... This Sunday on "Reliable"
Brian Stelter writes: "I'll be joined by 'On Tyranny' author Timothy Snyder, along with Nikole Hannah-Jones, Catherine Rampell, Oliver Darcy, Josh Marshall, Chloe Melas, and Chris Best. Email me your ideas and questions anytime. See you Sunday at 11am ET..." Recommended reads, part one
-- The R. Kelly trial "is at the center of a swirling social media world centered in Black communities," Troy Closson writes... (NYT)
-- "Could the teen magazine rise again?": Kate Dwyer explores the role of the medium in a time when teens seek out advice from other teens on TikTok.... (New Yorker)
-- Claire Hao, the EIC of a student newspaper, writes about experiencing burnout and choosing to step away from the job and social media for a week... (The Michigan Daily)
-- Chris Hayes pens a must-read about social media, pondering this question, "What happens when the experience of celebrity becomes universal?" (New Yorker)
-- Here's a great explainer on the tensions between the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and the major studios ahead of a potential strike... (LAT)
-- "I can finally officially say that I am moving from Mj Rodriguez to Michaela Jaé." Ariana Romero profiles the Afro-Latinx actress and singer... (Refinery29) FOR THE RECORD, PART TWO -- Glenn Kessler shows "how Tucker Carlson twisted a 2015 clip of Biden into a conspiracy theory..." (WaPo)
-- Ben Collins has a must-read thread breaking down "just how radicalized ivermectin and antivax Facebook groups have become in the last few weeks..." (Twitter)
-- Joe Pompeo offers some insight on NYT's new "cross functional" team that aims to showcase the paper's standards... (Vanity Fair)
-- "Alibaba plans to dispose of its minority ownership in a state-owned broadcaster, the first concrete step the Chinese internet giant is taking to dismantle its sprawling media empire following pressure from Beijing," Jing Yang reports... (WSJ) TV producer says Cuomo sexually harassed her in 2005
CNN anchor Chris Cuomo was accused Friday of sexual harassment in an incident that took place in 2005. Shelley Ross, who was Cuomo's EP while they were both at ABC News, made the allegation in an guest essay for the NYT. Ross said that she was at a work party with her husband when the incident occurred. At the time she had moved on from being Cuomo's EP and transitioned to EP of an ABC entertainment special. "When Mr. Cuomo entered the Upper West Side bar, he walked toward me and greeted me with a strong bear hug while lowering one hand to firmly grab and squeeze the cheek of my buttock," Ross wrote. Ross quoted Cuomo as having said that he could "do this now that you're no longer my boss." She said the action occurred in front of her husband and that she objected and "quickly left."
After the incident, Cuomo emailed her and said he was "ashamed." Cuomo said his "hearty greeting was a function of being glad to see you." Cuomo first apologized to Ross' husband and then to her for "even putting you in such a position." In a comment on Thursday night, Cuomo added, "As Shelley acknowledges, our interaction was not sexual in nature. It happened 16 years ago in a public setting when she was a top executive at ABC. I apologized to her then, and I meant it." FOR THE RECORD, PART THREE -- "Australia's top court has said media companies can be held liable for replies to their posts, prompting some to step back from the platform," Oscar Schwartz reports... (NYT)
-- "Facebook paid $4.9bn more than necessary to the FTC in a settlement over the Cambridge Analytica scandal in order to protect Mark Zuckerberg," Dan Milmo reports, citing a lawsuit... (Guardian)
-- Elizabeth Dwoskin, Cat Zakrzewski, and Nick Miroff write about how FB's "metaverse" talk "became a political strategy in Washington..." (WaPo)
-- Alex Kantrowitz writes about how Apple's "power move to kneecap Facebook advertising is working..." (CNBC)
-- "Alibaba is dumping its shares in one of China's largest TV broadcasters just months after it bought them, as the company comes under growing pressure from a government campaign to rein in Big Tech," Laura He reports... (CNN Business) Border photographer speaks out
Photographer Paul Ratje, who shot the viral images showing Border Patrol agents confronting migrants on horseback, spoke to KTSM-TV about the fallout they generated. And he wants to make one thing clear: He "never" saw the agents "whip anyone." Ratje told the local outlet that an agent was indeed twirling the horse reins, but that he did not witness the agent striking anyone. "He was swinging it, but it can be misconstrued when you're looking at the picture," Ratje explained. As I wrote in Tuesday's letter, distinctions like this are very important... "A certain kind of missing white women"
Critics continue to knock the news media for its wall-to-wall coverage of the Gabby Petito case. WaPo Paul Farhi waded into the water Friday. His point: "It's not just Missing White Women that gains the news media's and public's attention. It's a certain kind of missing white women—young, attractive, thin, often blonde. If Gabby Petito had been 45 years old, would her story have rated a fraction of the attention?" FOR THE RECORD, PART FOUR -- CNN's Leigh Munsil has been named EIC of nonprofit local news outlet San Antonio Report. "Local journalism shouldn't be a charity you support, it has to be a community service you can't live without," she said... (SA Report)
-- On a similar topic: NYC news start-up The City said it is looking for an editor in chief... (The City)
-- Phillip Jackson is joining HuffPost as a social justice reporter. He previously covered criminal justice for The Baltimore Sun... (Twitter)
-- Congratulations to NBC's Monica Alba and CNN's Dan Merica who announced that they will be welcoming their first child in early 2022... (Today) Recommended reads, part two
By Brian Stelter:
-- Cincinnati Public Radio's John Kiesewetter wrote about Ted Koppel's "visit to Mayberry," a/k/a the NC tourist attraction that recreates the setting for "The Andy Griffith Show," and what it revealed about the visitors "who are living in a make-believe world." Koppel's piece for "CBS Sunday Morning" is well worth watching in full... (WVXU)
-- This is Jonathan Franzen's first major interview with a U.S. outlet in "roughly three years." And it includes his complaints about the last interview... (WSJ)
-- "Americans don't know who Latinos are," Rep. Joaquin Castro says, calling attention to a new report on "Latino underrepresentation in Hollywood and the news industry..." (New Yorker)
-- John Waters "starts writing at 8 a.m." on weekdays. "Not 7:59 a.m., not 8:01 a.m.—at 8 a.m," he says. "And every day I think, Oh I can't do it, and at 8:01 a.m. I'm doing it..." (Town & Country)
-- "How well does live-stream shopping really work?" Jacob Gallagher wrote about Ntwrk and other challengers to QVC... (WSJ)
-- This isn't a media story, it's just fascinating, and it happens to be the most-read article on the WSJ website right now: "Ancient footprints yield surprising new clues about the first Americans..." (WSJ) FOR THE RECORD, PART FIVE -- RIP: "Jim Sheeler, Pulitzer-winning journalist who honored fallen troops, dies at 53..." (WaPo)
-- NYT journalist Michael Powell "discusses his job writing about free speech, intellectual life and campus politics..." (NYT)
Marvel goes to battle in court
"Disney's Marvel unit is suing to hold on to full control of Avengers characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Falcon, Thor and others," THR's Eriq Gardner reported Friday. "The complaints ... come against the heirs of some late comic book geniuses including Stan Lee, Steve Ditko and Gene Colan. The suits seek declaratory relief that these blockbuster characters are ineligible for copyright termination as works made for hire. If Marvel loses, Disney would have to share ownership of characters worth billions..."  A shaky "Foundation" and long-winded "Midnight Mass"  Brian Lowry writes: "Two more new streaming series arrive this weekend, both flawed: 'Midnight Mass,' the better of the two, comes from 'The Haunting of Hill House's' Mike Flanagan, focusing on a mysterious priest on a remote island. It starts well (despite being a bit talky) and does explore big ideas that wed religion and horror. But it doesn't pay off on its promise. Apple TV+, meanwhile, appears to have spent a fortune on 'Foundation,' an adaptation of Isaac Asimov's sci-fi novels that can't wrestle the centuries-spanning source material into a satisfying series, having given genre veteran David S. Goyer – a veteran of the Batman films, among others – the assignment..." FOR THE RECORD, PART SIX -- WaPo's Steven Zeitchik says "Dear Evan Hansen" is a "fascinating box-office test case," explaining that he thinks "it will tell us about the broad commercial power of modern Broadway fans..." (Twitter)
-- "HBO Max has decided to give 'The Other Two' some continued shots at the spotlight with a third season," Anne Victoria Clark writes... (Vulture)
-- "A movie revival of the 'Teen Wolf' MTV series is in the works at Paramount Plus," Joe Otterson reports... (Variety)
-- "Pilou Asbæk, best known for playing the vile Euron Greyjoy in 'Game of Thrones,' has nabbed a pivotal role in 'Salem's Lot,' New Line's adaptation of Stephen King's best-selling novel," Borys Kit writes... (THR) In this week's "TV OT" column... LAST BUT NOT LEAST...
Pet of the day!
CBS' Matt Silverstein emails about Santiaga (Santi), The Siberian: "Santi is just over three months old and loving her new SoCal life. She loves sitting on the bed with me each night as I read the newsletter and is always trying to take the phone away so she can reply with her thoughts..."   Thank you for reading. Email us your feedback anytime. We'll both see you on the 📺 Sunday @ 11am! Share this newsletter:
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