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It was another big week of the ESPN Networks as Monday Night Football featured a Texas-sized matchup between the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys. Despite the Cowboys’ struggles, they still manage to draw eyeballs. In fact, 17 million viewers tuned in, on average, to the game making it MNF’s second most-watched Week 11 game in the 19-year ESPN era.
The Cowboys came into the game with a 3-6 record and in desperate need of a win. The game was fairly close in the first half, with the Texans holding a 17-10 lead. The second half saw Houston pull away, holding the Cowboys scoreless, as they won by the final score of 34-10. Houston saw its record improve to 7-4 on the season.
The game peaked at 19.5 million viewers late in the first half. It also joins last season’s Super Bowl rematch game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs as MNF’s most-watched Week 11 games.
Viewership numbers for the Week 11 Monday Night Football game include ESPN, ABC, The ManningCast on ESPN2, along with ESPN Deportes and those streaming through NFL+.
The Monday Night Football team of Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters will close out the month of November with a good matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the Los Angeles Chargers. Then, each game until the last week of the season features at least one team with an under .500 record. Those teams that will be featured on MNF coming up include the 2-8 Cleveland Browns, the 4-7 Bengals playing the 3-7 Cowboys, the 4-6 Chicago Bears and the 2-8 Las Vegas Raiders.
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Cumulus Media layoffs continue, with Aaron “Goose” Seller leaving after 16 months as Program Director and morning co-host at Country W4 WWWW Ann Arbor, MI.
Seller joined W4 in July 2023, shortly after his morning co-host position at Cumulus Country WDRQ in Detroit was eliminated following the station’s sale to EMF.
Prior to his appointment at WDRQ in April 2022, Seller served as the Operations Manager of Adams Radio’s five-station group in Salisbury-Ocean City, MD, and as the Program Director for Rhythmic WOCQ, which later transitioned to Country.
Seller started his radio career in 1999 at the renowned Fisher Building in Detroit, home to Cumulus Detroit. Other stops include positions at WKPK in Traverse City, MI; WLYD in Green Bay, WI; WNHT in Fort Wayne, IN; KKPK and KKMG in Colorado Springs, CO; and KYGO in Denver.
His fellow morning co-hosts, Madison Rally and Brian Welch, will remain in their positions.
Comcast has announced plans to create a separate company to encompass its cable channels — including MSNBC and CNBC — with hopes of selling the assets.
The company will place CNBC, E!, Golf Channel, MSNBC, Oxygen, and USA Network into an independent company. Called SpinCo, it will include digital assets like Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes, too. It will focus on unloading the channels and outlets. The new entity will not include the company’s Bravo cable channel.
“When you look at our assets, talented management team and balance sheet strength, we are able to set these businesses up for future growth,” said Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian L. Roberts, Chairman. “With significant financial resources from day one, SpinCo will be ideally positioned for success and highly attractive to investors, content creators, distributors and potential partners.”
Those channels and digital outlets generated $7 billion in revenue for the fiscal year, records show. However, many of the channels are expected to lose subscribers and advertising revenue, according to S&P Global Intelligence data.
NBCUniversal leaders Mark Lazarus and Anand Kini have been tabbed to oversee the new venture.
“As a standalone company with these outstanding assets, we will be better positioned to serve our audiences and drive shareholder returns in this incredibly dynamic media environment across news, sports and entertainment,” said Lazarus. “We see a real opportunity to invest and build additional scale and I’m excited about the growth opportunities this transition will unlock. Our financial strength will also provide capacity for an attractive capital return policy while allowing for investment in the growth of these businesses.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Cumulus Media has been in the midst of layoffs in recent weeks. WLS-AM 890 news anchor Bret Gogoel has revealed he was included in the cuts.
During his tenure with the Cumulus Media Chicago news/talk station, Gogoel worked as the producer of The John Howell Show in morning drive, and also later hosted Closing Bell Live, a one-hour show focusing on the financial sector during afternoon drive. He also hosted PM Chicago, which focused on local stories around the region. The station ultimately scrapped the shows in favor of national programs hosted by The Daily Wire talents and distributed by Westwood One.
In a post to social media, Gogoel shared he was one of many reductions around the nation.
“Though I want to be mad, I’m more thankful to the station for giving me my start in the industry nearly 8 years ago,” he wrote. “They allowed me to grow from an overnight board-op, to an (executive producer), all the way to midday news anchor while hosting two drive-time shows.”
Gogoel concluded by stating “I’m excited to see what the future might hold. And to anyone out there looking for a young-ish, motivated newsman, you know where to find me.”
It is unclear if any other personnel at WLS-AM 890 were affected by the ongoing cuts.
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What makes a great storyteller?
I remember talking with a morning show host several years back, and I asked what he thought his main role was. He answered quickly, “I’m a DJ or radio on-air personality.”
While that was technically his job title, it really wasn’t his primary role. On-air talent are storytellers. The role of a storyteller is obviously not unique to those in the industry. Think about your favorite books, movies, TV shows, etc.
There are so many people who come to mind as wonderful storytellers. Some I know personally whom I admire for their innate abilities. If you ever met or worked for the late Ed Christian, founder of Saga Communications you will probably agree that his storytelling talent was riveting.
Kerby Confer is another amazing creative force who has owned more than 200 radio stations over multiple groups throughout his incredible career and I could listen to his stories forever!
On the other hand, we all know those who try their best to tell stories but fall a bit short, go off on tangents, or simply are unable to create the image or share a story that seems disjointed or uninteresting.
Telling a great story is truly an art form that is gifted to some more than others. Great storytellers have the ability to captivate, evoke emotion, and create memories. But what is it that sets the masterful apart from the others?
We certainly need the basis of a good storyline, but if you gave an identical outline to your next-door neighbor and your favorite author, I imagine the latter would create the superior story. But why? What do they do differently?
When dissecting the best stories, at the core is always the ability to connect. Great storytellers have some innate empathy, which enables them to inject emotion through the lives of the characters.
It is the connection that creates the desired shared experience, which in turn creates and evokes a powerful bond. This bond must also feel completely authentic and believable, which then builds trust and belief that more of the same is on the way.
The best storytellers are genuine and rarely fake (unless that quality is part and parcel to a character.) Instead, it feels real and sincere. Nothing about a great story or storyteller seems boring.
From stories in the Bible to the latest John Grisham novel, what is most striking are the characters. They are at the heart of every great story ever told. They all create realistic, multidimensional characters that we relate to and invest in. Characters should have distinct personalities, motivations, and flaws, and emotions that give us reason to care about them.
As a story unfolds, it is through its characters we experience conflict, drama, humor, love, hate, et al. The audience also cares about the characters because they offer some vulnerabilities that make them appealing.
Great storytellers are the best at keeping us hooked by teasing and twisting and keeping us invested like a wide-eyed child sitting on the floor waiting for the outcome.
Great stories also have rhythm and cadence and use compelling narratives with a unique and creative style that adds depth.
I remember writing a novel once that I completed more for enjoyment than anything. In fact, I never published it. I often gave it to friends to read, but I always preferred reading it to them because I felt I could read it the way I wrote it. I never felt confident that the reader would feel what I had intended.
So why bring all this up here? What is my point? On-air personalities from any format should do their best to tell great stories. Salespeople should tell great stories, too! What is extra important is that your story begins with YOU and your own character.
Who ARE you? Does your role follow these storytelling guidelines and will your listeners or prospects care about you because you not only relate to them – but you let your guard down and show them your vulnerabilities?
Think about all your favorite radio personalities, movies, and books, and you’ll quickly realize that it’s not just about what the characters do but more about who they are and how they make you feel.
Barrett Media produces daily content on radio, television, and digital media with a specific focus on music, sports, and news. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
I’ve heard many sayings over the years that I’ve tried to apply to what has happened to the radio industry over the past few weeks. It’s no secret that the radio business has been rapidly changing. It’s been more focused on saving money over growing talent for many years now. When computers began to replace carts (remember those) and terms like mp3 and wav became normal everyday talk around the office, it was the beginning of “the old way of doing business is no longer the way business is done.” The first proverbial ‘saying’ of this piece of writing.
On November 4th, I was one of many told by iHeartMedia that my services were no longer required. My business told me that after more than thirteen years I was no longer needed. My laptop came out, my cell phone number confirmed, keycard on the window sill, and I walked out the door. A forty-minute drive to the office on a Monday morning, and five minutes later I was headed home.
I was speechless, and felt destroyed and betrayed by the people I called family. The business that I loved, the craft I had studied told me it didn’t love nor need me anymore. In any business layoffs are meant to be cold and soul-less with no correct way to execute. But on my way home I remembered a saying my father taught me many moons ago. It helped me look deep into myself with the entire situation that was ahead of me.
You never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
It’s been over two weeks since that moment, and I can say without a doubt the pain of the moment was realized. However, the opportunity it presented was to re-invest time both personally and professionally into myself. After all, time is the most valuable thing we all have, and it feels like we never have enough of it.
I have time now, and that feels powerful. My plan is to find ways to be better each day, and it’s as simple as following these four steps.
#1 – Try Something New
I’ve re-invested my time and energy over the past few weeks in trying new ways to curate content in an ever-growing digital age. How to cut a sharper reel and increase reach and engagement. What programs work best for the top content creators, and how can I get my hands on them? When I first entered radio, the excitement was in the curiosity of the creative. How do I play with this EQ to make the VO sound a little deeper? Where is the proper place to cross fade this segment into a random movie drop that fits the topic of the conversation?
What was once the electrifying feeling of putting together a highlight package with just audio when I was an intern is now reborn with a YouTube short of my IRL (in real life) phone call with AT&T customer service in video form now to share with the world. If the future belongs to those who believe in trying new things, I want to be ready for that future.
#2 – Connect
The luxury of over twenty-one years in broadcast media is that you get to meet all sorts of people on your journey. They come from many different walks of life. The payoff of that luxury is when you fall, that network of people picks you up. There are not enough words to describe the feeling of getting a text/email/call/DM from someone who saw that you were let go and just wanted to reach out to comfort, chat, or engage in some potential business.
Hundreds of people have reached out over the past two weeks to chat, offer their experience as advice, provide comfort and laughs, and help me heal. That energy fuels me to take time each day to reach out to not only people who I’ve networked with before but also to step out and attempt a connection with people who don’t directly work in the business I’m familiar with. Taking that approach has expanded my horizons of how valuable my skill set is. How much can I still learn and absorb from others? It’s taught me that there are no limits on what could be the next step for me.
WDAE members Jay Recher, Aaron Jacobson, John Mamola and Zac Blobner at the 2024 BSM Summit in New York City
#3 – Lift Up Everyone
It wasn’t just myself whose journey hit a significant speedbump over the past couple of weeks. Many friends also learned they were no longer needed. We may not have had the same position before, but we do now. The single biggest thing I could do is the same thing that I felt I excelled at as a manager of two brands, lift up from within. I’ve always felt a great manager must recognize and elevate talent and assist them when they’re in need. What was once filling in running the sound board for their show is now recommending them to people for opportunities.
Time spent previously creating digital marketing for a station promotion around a show is now spent sharing, liking, retweeting, reposting and encouraging those to do the same on social media. If life is a mountain, the goal of any manager should be to find your path and help as many good people as you can reach the top. That doesn’t stop, and will never stop.
#4 – Breathe
We are all humans who go through the emotions of life. Being told your services are no longer needed is not meant to be rainbows and sunshine. The secret of being happy is accepting where you are and making the most of it. For the first time in a long time, I’ve found time to breathe. No more weekly meetings, play by play plotting, scheduling, social media marketing, promotion planning, client calls, spreadsheets, pdfs, etc.. The plan was to be better each day, but courage to do so doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says try again tomorrow.
By following the process of these four steps I’ve found myself better prepared for the next step. I am encouraged by the possibilities to return to radio while intrigued about potential opportunities elsewhere. Also, I’m excited to see what’s next for others I’ve been trying to encourage and help. For the first time in a long time I’m trying to take better care of myself. I couldn’t be prouder of the example I’m setting for my children. The feedback I’ve received from management and teammates at my former employer has given me happiness and confidence to continue every day.
Conclusion
At 43 years old, I’ve never felt more motivated that the future is bright. While the past few weeks have been dark for the business we love, I hope those who share my situation find solace in the approach I’ve taken. It shows you that your story is not over. This is just your next chapter, trust the author.
John Mamola is an experienced sports radio programmer who until recently led WDAE and WFLA in Tampa, Florida. He has spent over two decades in sports radio including starting his career in Chicago at 670 The Score. To reach him for advice or to discuss professional opportunities, email him at JohnMamola@gmail.com.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
Hope everyone is having a great, profitable week. It is time for our weekly sales meeting and this week I want to touch on what happened this past weekend on Netflix and the fight card headlined by Mike Tyson and Jake Paul.
You may be wondering how in the heck that debacle could have anything to do with what you do on a regular basis but read on and let me count the ways. First off, did you see the sponsorships? Holy moly, for everything Netflix did wrong, someone or somebodies sold the heck out of it. And visually, assuming your connection wasn’t buffering, and nobody was talking, the sponsorships looked great.
They even got innovative and had specially designed higher-end packages for sponsors. Most famously, they had a $2 million price tag on an ‘Owners Box’ next to the ring. The package was purchased by LA-based personal injury law firm TorkLaw and included that ringside suite, additional ringside seats, presence at the weigh-in, a visit to the locker rooms before the fight, photographs, signed merch and more.
I saw several people on social media who thought the law firm was crazy for paying that much. I have seen smarter people in the advertising and marketing space who thought it was a genius play and a steal at that price for the exposure they received and continue to receive.
The reason for the sponsorship sales and being able to get sponsors to pony up $2 mil for a ringside suite was because of the hype surrounding the fight, the buildup and the anticipation. Clearly the sales team at Netflix and/or MVP Promotions or whomever handled the selling, went out and pitched this with major enthusiasm and played off of that hype. After all, what is Jake Paul in the end, but a master promoter?
We have all been there. An idea comes down and holy cow is it a good idea and something your sponsors should want to be a part of. You go and sell that differently than you do when you are pitching a small company a spot schedule and a website ad. It is only natural. But the lesson from that is to find things you are super excited about within your suite of products and focus on those. The great thing is that won’t be the same product for everyone on your sales team. Master that pitch and get out and sell with enthusiasm.
It could be a certain personality that you think does a great job for clients. Get to know that person really well and their interests and things that you know you could go out and sell and they would do a great, genuine job of pitching it. Again, each seller may have a different talent they match up better with.
Now, we have all also been on the other side of things. The unfortunate situation where something happened completely out of your control, and you have to address it with the clients that were involved. I recall a time when a station I was working at had a concert around the holidays that was to be a great opportunity for clients. However, one of the main clients ended up with most of their signage either covered up by the band or put in places that didn’t get them great exposure.
Address these things immediately and whatever you do, do not make excuses. Make sure you let the client know fairly soon after discovering the problem that you are aware of the situation, are working on it and should you not be able to come up with a quick fix, it will be addressed immediately the next week.
The last thing you want to do is do what Netflix, Jake Paul, MVP Promotions and at least one of the broadcasters of the fights have done and act like it was no big deal. Or say something completely ignorant like, ‘Well that part was added value, so you really didn’t pay for it.”
Ever heard this one – ‘the customer is always right’. If they are upset about something, even if you disagree, you need to let them know you have listened, heard what said and will address it quickly. People make mistakes, things happen and sometimes those things cannot be solved quickly enough. While people might get upset, they are usually understanding if someone is honest with them and doesn’t try and make them out to be an idiot.
I have written this before, but don’t ever get yourself caught up in a lie with a client. It just isn’t worth it no matter how scared you are they are going to be mad about what went wrong.
In the end, despite the major streaming problems, it would be hard for anyone to call what happened last weekend anything but a success. It was successful for the fighters for sure, and really all of them with the purse money and the exposure. MVP Promotions had to make bank, we know the ticket sales were off the charts, heck even one of the ring girls is probably about to make millions off this (she is from St. Louis, by the way, and her father is the very talented in-game host for the St. Louis Cardinals). Yes, Netflix will feel some pain with the issues, but have you seen the stock price?
And you, too, as a media salesperson can win. You can win by taking what this night taught us and putting it into practice. Get excited, hype something up you have for sale like it’s going to be witnessed by the whole world. Excitement sells!
But also remember the lesson about being upfront when things go sideways. You never want to put yourself in a position to upset your client. You always want them to think you are a rock star, and never want to come out looking like a big ol’ Mike Tyson rear end.
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The Milwaukee Radio Alliance was born of a partnership between Shamrock Broadcasting’s Bill Lynett and NFL Hall of Famer Willie Davis’s All-Pro Broadcasting; the group operates AC, Alternative, and Oldies stations and now a new Country station in Milwaukee.
Gordan Mays is the Program Director of the new Froggy 100.3 and 107.3. He arrived in Milwaukee after seven years with the Mid-West Family in Rockford, IL., where he was Director of Programming & Content for the cluster and PD for Country “The Bull 95.3.”
Mays recently shared some time to discuss his new station.
With iHeartMedia’s Country “FM 106.1” and Magnum Media’s 92.5 Buzz Country (West Bend, WI. and 92.1 VTY Racine), the station plans to separate itself from the competition by offering a platform to up-and-coming artists as well as established stars.
“Our goal is to give a voice and a platform to Country listeners who are not necessarily being represented in Country radio,” Mays said.
“I think Country music fans are not given the credit that they deserve in terms of their taste in music. You see it, you go to any of these big festivals during the daytime, and there are artists on the stage pulling substantial crowds. It’s not because they heard them on the radio.”
“They found them, and they have passion for these artists that was built elsewhere. So, our end goal here is to provide an avenue to some of that music.”
“On-demand streams are a pretty substantial piece of data that we will rely on, especially locally. I think there’s a spot for everybody here in this market. Especially if we’re going to follow the path of giving a chance to some new artists and treating some of those artists as not so much equals but to give everybody a solid voice and not bury them overnight.”
“We have the opportunity to put some new artists on who have a current song. Tyler Childers is a great example. But we’re not just going to play a current single. There are other songs that put him on the map that make him play two nights at Alpine Valley down the road, where he booked two nights straight out the gate.”
Regarding all the new music coming out of Nashville, Mays thinks Froggy may have an opportunity where other stations may be what he called “over-researched.”
“If you want to look at Nashville as a whole, I have no issues with how it works. They’re churning out so many incredible songwriters, the best of the best of the best, all in one spot, working towards one end goal.”
“We’re only giving a fraction, a little tiny tip of the iceberg, an opportunity, and I think collectively the industry and the format have done that. I think we’ve over-researched ourselves, and the research is only as good as what you give people the opportunity to give feedback on.”
The station has launched a commercial-free and music-intensive. Talent will be introduced after the initial launch.
“It’s going to roll out in the coming weeks. The idea is to get going and get in front of people. We’ve been mindful of the presentation, too.”
“Our building is full of creative folks, and we have a big Alternative station here. So, we’re taking known voices but having them presented a little bit differently than they would on maybe some of the other stations.”
The presentation differs from the other Country stations in the market, including how Mays uses the station voices Amanda Madi and Josh Goodman.
“It was a conscious decision to have them match the tone we’re going for. And I’m happy with it so far. There’s an evolution that’s coming. We’re speaking so early on something right now. A year from now, you and I are both probably going to reference this conversation about what it sounded like then and what it sounds like now. I’m hoping that we’re solidifying something that is long-lasting. But of course, evolution will continue.”
A commercial-free launch has allowed May to play a lot of music and make a statement about the station.
“We’re commercial-free right now, host-free, and playing a lot of songs. We’re playing a ton of music, and we’re encouraging sampling right now. It gives the most opportunity to show what we’re up to. Some of the things we’re talking about here are going to expand the flavor, and the avenue that will define the station is growing every day.”
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MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski caused quite the ruckus this week when they announced they met with President-elect Donald Trump. For a medium like cable news, which has been viewed as dying on the vine for years, it sure seemed to showcase its importance.
The revelation by the MSNBC morning hosts dominated the news cycle on Monday and into Tuesday.
Which I found insanely interesting, because, for much of the 2024 election cycle, the prominence of cable news hosts was non-existent, many news/talk radio hosts argued. The preeminent thought was that hosts like Scarborough, Brzezinski, Jen Psaki, Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow, Abby Phillip, Anderson Cooper, or — to be more succinct — anyone that wasn’t on Fox News or Newsmax were simply inconsequential. Their thoughts, feelings, opinions, or role in the great media ecosystem couldn’t have been more diminished, according to many news/talk radio hosts.
And yet, when they announced that they had essentially bent the knee to Donald Trump, and seemingly apologized for their past transgressions in an effort to return to his good graces, it was the lead story on shows around the nation. Why?
It doesn’t feel as if both “Audiences at CNN and MSNBC are plummeting because no one cares about what these hosts think” and “Let me spend an entire hour of my show talking about what the hosts on MSNBC and CNN” can be true.
Furthermore, we’re coming off what was dubbed the “podcast election.” Both Trump and Kamala Harris appeared on numerous podcasts in an effort to reach voters. Stories about podcast interviews — or in the Harris/Joe Rogan case, potential interviews — dominated the headlines.
But on election night, which network featured the most viewers? If you didn’t know, would you guess it was Fox News? Millions tuned into the network’s coverage. Fox News didn’t just lead cable news. It led television on election night.
So excuse me if I find it difficult to believe that cable news is a hollowed-out version of what it once was. Has it seen its audience dwindle little by little in recent years? Certainly. Is cable TV as a whole in a precarious position? Absolutely. However, if what happens on cable news still dominates headlines, how can I think anything other than things are still going well for the medium as a whole?
Put all of that on top of the fact that cable news hosts — mostly with Fox ties — are being tabbed for the Trump administration. Obviously, hosts like Pete Hegseth and Sean Duffy have qualifications well outside of the Fox News sphere, but it is clear that being featured in such prominent roles in recent years has elevated the status of the pair.
I don’t know how bright the future is for cable news. In an increasingly digital and personalized world, I don’t know what the outlook is or whether or not it’s an insanely viable business for decades to come.
I also don’t know if the medium is having a renaissance. Salaries are being slashed, jobs are being cut, profits are down, and NBCUniversal might be exploring a deal to unload all of its cable assets.
But what I do know is, despite what many might think, it’s still a strong place to reach millions of viewers, especially as big stories break. It sure as hell isn’t dead just quite yet. The most likely reality is that is vital signs are much stronger than the average person might realize. The prognosis might not be great, but cable news is still alive and kicking.
So, if you could, try to treat it with the same respect you treat news/talk radio, podcasts, digital outlets, YouTube channels, or virtually every other news medium. It only seems fair.
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As the New York Times claims Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is wrong on the amount of artificial ingredients which are in U.S. Fruit Loops, media outlets on the right are supporting Trump’s cabinet picks – without questioning a single thing. The media is playing their political games at the expense of news.
Combined with the rise of jack-tavist (political activists who are disguised as independent journalists), selective news reporting is on the rise. A Pew Institute Research study found 21% of U.S. adults receive their news from social media influencers. The percentage jumps to 37% when only looking at age 18-29 (Gen Z).
Most of these influencers (85%) can be found on X (formerly Twitter). Likely because it is the outlet where they can make the most money – thanks to Elon Musk. YouTube and Instagram fall further behind with 50% and 44% respectively.
Only 48% of these jack-tavist identify with a side of politics. 27% claim to be on the right and 21% identify as left, Pew claims half of the jack-tavists “do not express any clear political orientation.” A hard statistic to believe when you are scrolling through your ‘news feed.’
77% of these jack-tavists have no former news organization relationship or background. The question no one seems to be asking is where or how do they vet information? Are they getting information from other activists? Journalism sites? Are they filling out FOIA’s? Finding original source material? How can we be assured what they are telling us are actual facts? The same questions we should be asking of our journalists need to be asked of a jack-tavists.
The internet is full of lies and deception, which is why it was nice to have good news organizations who would give you all the information you need. Now instead of reading news, most Americans need to decipher selective information, weed out the opinions, to find the facts (and hopefully truth). This is something many outlets and jack-tavists often conflate. While CNN and Fox News selectively pick their facts, you can (almost always) clearly identify fact from opinion.
MSNBC and Newsmax often select (or remove) certain facts and opinion. Take these unrelated examples:
MSNBC Headline: “What to know about Trump’s pick for FCC chair, Brendan Carr”
MSNBC Subheadline: “Trump’s choice to lead the Federal Communications Commission is a MAGA loyalist seemingly hellbent on helping Elon Musk.”
Here is what they didn’t tell you: Carr has been a member of the FCC since 2017. He was re-appointed to the FCC as a commissioner by President Biden when he took office. The outlet can conflate he is a republican ally, but the Biden administration appointed him to the position of commissioner before Trump more recently appointed him to chair. If Democrats didn’t want him involved in the FCC, they would not have appointed him in the first place.
Newsmax Headline: Trump: Investigate Pollster Ann Selzer for Fraud
(they don’t use sub headlines on their website… but if they did it could enhance their SEO on Google)
The polls in 2016 were even more off than Ann Selzer’s. Why is the President-elect picking on one pollster for fraud when the entire polling system is a scam? A Berkley poll found only 60% of the time political polls are correct (even though they claim to have a 95% confidence). This is why the left was fearful of President Trump, not just because he is picking another fight with the media.
This vindictive nature is unhealthy for the future of the country and could escalate similar to the prosecution of Jan. 6 protesters. America should not be holding political prisoners on either side. If Newsmax is so hellbent on getting the Jan. 6 prisoners free they should not be amplifying a voice to hold a political prisoner from the left (when at the end of the day, it’s just a bad poll— there’s a LOT of them).
All of these headlines have one thing in common, selective fact picking to continue their narrative. Despite this, these outlets are held in high regard by thousands across the country. We do have a small bit of hope the left is looking for more fact-based reporting. MSNBC hosts Joe and Mika attempted to hand President-Elect Trump an olive branch by meeting in Mar-a-Lago, much to the chagrin of politicos in Washington.
Everyone seems to forget, the three (Joe, Mika, and Trump) were all friends before he ran for political office. As a businessman, Trump has worked with both the left and the right (and donated to both left and right campaigns) in order to get things done.
While the left is trying to get back in touch with America, the right is unreasonably going scorched earth on the media landscape. You the American public lose in both instances because your news no longer attempts to be neutral.
Publishing at the end of this week, my book ‘Politically Media’ can help you identify when outlets are providing you only half the news you need to know or conflating opinion with facts. Unfortunately, bias news continues to grow. Hopefully, at least one news outlet will be able to provide neutral news. Until then, I hope ‘Politically Media’ helps those looking for real unbiased news in all the haze.
