Oliver Darcy
Media/business reporter; analyzes leadership, ownership, and strategy inside major news and tech companies.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr Invited to White House Correspondents' Dinner
Scoop: FCC Chair Brendan Carr—who has used his post to chill the speech of Trump's critics—has been invited by a media organization to attend the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
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Support reporters under legal threat with our First Amendment Tee. status.news has partnered with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press on these limited-run shirts, with half of the proceeds going to the non-profit's legal defense fund. Get yours here: https://shop.status.news/en-usd/products/the-first-amendment-tee
Hollywood Fears Retaliation After Anti‑Paramount Letter
"The worry is that this letter, and people who signed it, end up becoming Larry Ellison’s blacklist." Brian Lowry's latest column for @get_status is about Hollywood's growing concerns with Paramount WBD deal—and how major figures are speaking out, even though they...
Mediaite Accused of Fabricating Stories and Misattributing Sources
We found more than a half-dozen instances in which Dan Abrams' Mediaite appeared to invent stories out of thin air, fabricate quotes, or misattribute reporting to the wrong person or outlet.
Mediaite Suspends Founding Editor over Fabricated Stories
Scoop: Mediaite has suspended its founding editor Colby Hall after a series of instances we raised about significant errors and outright fabrications in his work. Full story in @get_status tonight.
Industry Fears News Consolidation Turning CNN Into Fox
"They're also very concerned about the consolidation of the news. They look at what has happened at CBS—and many of them have said, is CNN going to turn into Fox News?" https://www.status.news/p/hollywood-actors-directors-david-ellison-paramount-warner-bros-merger
Athletic Leadership's Aggressive Defense Raises Serious Internal Review Questions
"The timeline has raised uncomfortable questions for leadership at The Athletic, starting with a basic one: if the matter was serious enough to warrant an immediate internal review...why did Ginsberg rush out such an aggressive public defense?" More from @nataliekorach in...
Insiders Weigh Dunesday’s Clash With Avengers Impact
Is "Dunesday" good for the movie industry? Or will it be a disaster? And what are insiders saying behind the scenes about the looming showdown between "Dune: Part Three" and "Avengers: Doomsday"? @get_status' Brian Lowry has the story: https://www.status.news/p/dunesday-dune-avengers-release-date-december-18
CNN Chief Reveals Clear Succession Plan Amid Low Coverage
Scoop: CNN chief Mark Thompson made his succession plan rather clear this week, in a little-noticed—but very significant—move. Details in @get_status: https://www.status.news/p/cnn-alex-maccallum-mark-thompson-succession-plan
CBS Invites Pete Hegseth, Sparks Journalist Backlash
CBS News inviting Pete Hegseth to its White House Correspondents' Dinner table is—as would expect—sparking backlash. “What a slap in the face to the journalists at CBS News,” an exec from a rival network told @nataliekorach. Much more in @get_status: https://www.status.news/p/whcd-dinner-trump-officials-invites-parties
60 Minutes Staff Fear Producer’s Ouster;
Inside "60 Minutes," the staff is anxious about the possibility the show's top producer might be thrown overboard. Meanwhile, Bari Weiss has raised The Free Press during discussions about the program.
Former Sister Networks NBC News, MS NOW Now Talent Rivals
NBC News and MS NOW were once sister networks. Now they are competitors fighting over talent, giving way to significant tension behind the scenes, @nataliekorach reports.
Bari Weiss Plans to Overhaul “60 Minutes” After CBS Pushback
Status Scoop: Bari Weiss wanted to make changes to "60 Minutes" earlier this year, but was talked down by CBS News President Tom Cibrowski and other senior leaders. But with the show's current season ending in May, she plans to...
CNN CEO Brings Digital Creators Into Executive Strategy Sessions
"In recent months, CNN chief executive Mark Thompson convened a series of internal workshops in which the network invited digital creators to hold court before a room of senior executives," @nataliekorach reports. https://www.status.news/p/cnn-podcast-style-shows-nyt-video
Biden's Pentagon Ban Sparks Fox's Outrage over Press Freedom
Imagine for a moment how Fox News would respond if Joe Biden kicked out critical reporters from the Pentagon—and then did not follow a judge's ruling to let them back in.