Articles Feature

CNN Hiring of Ex-Trump Aide Raises Ethical Concerns

by richard01861

Gained: ‘Theatrics’ of Defending The Donald. And?

U.K.’s ‘Leave’ Campaign Gave Racists Confidence

Brandon Benavides Unopposed for NAHJ Prez

Decoding Immigration, Affirmative Action Rulings

‘O.J., Made in America’ Reaches 35 Million Viewers

Lawmakers Seek Apology for Chinese Exclusion Act

25 Media Firms Sue Orlando for 911 Transcripts

How About ‘Diversity Credits’ for Buying Stations?

Station Director Calls LeBron Profanity ‘Low Class’

Short Takes

Corey Lewandowski had multiple meetings with prospective television network employers hours after being fired by Donald Trump.
Corey Lewandowski reportedly had multiple meetings with prospective television network employers hours after being fired by Donald Trump.

Gained: ‘Theatrics’ of Defending The Donald. And?

“CNN drew a fair share of criticism — and some shrugs — when it announced Thursday the hiring of recently fired Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski as a political commentator,” Kelly McBride and Benjamin Mullin wrote Friday for the Poynter Institute.

“The pushback from journalists was twofold. First, Lewandowski was recorded on video manhandling Breitbart journalist Michelle Fields (he was arrested for battery; the charges were ultimately dropped), one of several examples of his stormy relationship with the press. And secondly, he was hired despite having signed a nondisclosure agreement that might prevent him from saying anything too critical about the campaign.

“So, given those caveats, should CNN have brought Lewandowski aboard? Below is a question-and-answer session between Managing Editor Benjamin Mullin and Kelly McBride, Poynter’s vice president of academic programs and its media ethicist, about his hire.

“Given everything we’ve already mentioned, should CNN have hired Lewandowski?

“That’s a really big question to answer. They’re not asking him to be a journalist. They’re asking him to be an apologist for Trump. And he’s certainly cut out to do that. The biggest question I’d ask is, what value does he bring? He’s basically going to be a commercial for Trump. He’s not going to be able to provide any insight, because he signed a non-disclosure agreement. So he’s not going to be able to reveal anything that’s going to be truly insightful or new. I just wonder what value he brings other than the theatrics of defending Trump.

“I would think that there would be a better Republican to do that. A Republican who’s maybe also raised some questions about Trump but has thrown his support behind Trump who might be able to parse the political implications of his candidacy.

“Isn’t there a conflict of interest in bringing aboard a top-level campaign staffer?

“There’s a definite conflict of interest there. And with many conflicts of interest, you have to manage them. . . .”

Brian Stelter wrote Thursday for CNN Money, “Lewandowski was Trump’s campaign manager up until Monday, when he was fired after an intervention by Trump’s family members.

“Hours after he was escorted out of Trump Tower, Lewandowski sat for multiple TV interviews, including a 29-minute interview with CNN’s Dana Bash.

“That same day, he had multiple meetings with prospective television network employers.

“Two sources at one of CNN’s main rivals, MSNBC, confirmed that Lewandowski had a meeting with executives there. One of the sources said that MSNBC subsequently told him that it would not be making an offer, mainly due to ethical concerns. . . .”

More than 17.4 million Britons voted to sever ties with the European Union, compared with 16.1 million who voted to remain.
More than 17.4 million Britons voted to sever ties with the European Union, compared with about 16.1 million who voted to remain.

U.K.’s ‘Leave’ Campaign Gave Racists Confidence

“In the end those who placed their faith in the ‘experts’ were always going to be disappointed,” Gary Younge wrote for Britain’s Guardian Friday, commenting on the United Kingdom’s stunning vote to leave the European Union.

“The pollsters were wrong; the currency traders were wrong; the pundits were confounded. People who did not feel they had been heard have not just spoken. Given a one-off chance to tell the world what they think of how they are governed they have screamed a piercing cry of alienation and desperation. . . .”

Young also wrote, “It is a banal axiom to insist that ‘it’s not racist to talk about immigration’. It’s not racist to talk about black people, Jews or Muslims either. The issue is not whether you talk about them but how you talk about them and whether they ever get a chance to talk for themselves. When you dehumanise immigrants, using vile imagery and language, scapegoating them for a nation’s ills and targeting them as job-stealing interlopers, you stoke prejudice and foment hatred.

“The chutzpah with which the Tory right — the very people who had pioneered austerity, damaging jobs, services and communities — blamed immigrants for the lack of resources was breathtaking. The mendacity with which a section of the press fanned those flames was nauseating. The pusillanimity of the remain campaign’s failure to counter these claims was indefensible.

“Not everyone, or even most, of the people who voted leave were driven by racism. But the leave campaign imbued racists with a confidence they have not enjoyed for many decades and poured arsenic into the water supply of our national conversation. . . .”

Benavides, center, rear, at the 2015 job fair co-sponsored by the D.C. chapters of national journalism organizations.
Brandon Benavides, center rear, at the 2015 job fair co-sponsored by the D.C. chapters of national journalism organizations.

Brandon Benavides Unopposed for NAHJ Prez

Brandon Benavides, an executive producer at KSAT-TV in San Antonio who has been active in the National Association of Hispanic Journalists from his days as a student at American University, is the sole candidate for NAHJ president, the association announced on Thursday.

“After collecting signatures and vetting candidates we have finalized the list of candidates who will be running for positions on the national board in the 2016 elections,” Ken Molestina, NAHJ elections chair, wrote to members.

Other candidates are: vice president online (uncontested) — Joe Ruiz; vice president broadcast — Rolando Arrieta and Willie Lora; vice president print — vacant; financial officer — Michelle Rindels and Elizabeth Aguilera.

Campaigning begins July 1.
Campaigning begins next Friday.

Also, secretary (uncontested) — Nancy Flores; general at-large officer (uncontested) — Nathan Olivares-Giles; academic at-large officer — Laura Castaneda and Inez Gonzalez; Spanish at-large officer (uncontested) — Miguel Rosa.

Running uncontested for regional representatives are Rafael Mejia (Region 1); Erik Reyna (3); Blanca Rios (6) and Brian De Los Santos (8). Sebastian Vega is running unopposed as student representative. There are no candidates for regions 2, 4, 5 and 7.

As four-term president of the NAHJ Washington, D.C., chapter from 2010 to 2014, Benavides, 35, led creation of three joint job fairs.

The 2015 edition was held with the associations of black, Asian American and lesbian and gay journalists, and the Society of Professional Journalists. It attracted about 300 people, Benavides said then, including 215 jobseekers. On Saturday, Benavides plans to attend an NAHJ job fair in Chicago, recruiting for his station’s owner, the Graham Media Group.

In his Texas hometown, to which he returned last year, Benavides is executive producer of “Good Morning San Antonio.”

Before joining Washington’s WRC-TV in March 2010, Benavides worked at KSTP-TV in the Twin Cities as a senior news producer for four years. He was previously executive producer for KETK-TV in Tyler, Texas.

He messaged Journal-isms that he would release his platform when campaigning officially begins next Friday.

Decoding Immigration, Affirmative Action Rulings

“President Obama’s attempt at immigration reform was the big loser at the Supreme Court Thursday, and affirmative action in university admissions was the winner,” Emily Bazelon wrote Friday for the New York Times Magazine, beginning a discussion with Nikole Hannah-Jones, Eric Posner and William Baude.

“Let’s start with immigration: In this odd term of only eight justices, the court has weighed in on United States v. Texas with a 4-4 split and an unsatisfying one-line affirmance of the lower court to deny deportation relief to as many as five million immigrants who could have applied for it. . . .

“A question for you: Is there any way that Obama could try to implement his program for deportation relief in at least some parts of the country, despite Thursday’s ruling? With an eight-justice court, we may have to get used to this sort of question: When the Supreme Court divides evenly and simply affirms the lower-court ruling (which went against the administration in the immigration case), its opinions generally don’t make national law, or carry value as legal precedent, the way a majority opinion does.

“So why, exactly, are the administration’s hands are tied throughout the country by a ruling of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which only has authority over Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi? . . .”

‘O.J., Made in America’ Reaches 35 Million Viewers

The five-part, 7 1/2-hour documentary “O.J.: Made in America” reached 35 million viewers on television, an ESPN spokeswoman told Journal-isms on Friday. This, despite concerns that critical hosannas aside, some just did not want to relive the saga of a football legend who worked hard not to be perceived as black and who became the defendant in the “trial of the century.”

This, despite FX’s miniseries “The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” which aired its finale on April 5.

“Yes, we are thrilled with the performance and critical acclaim,” said Jay Jay Nesheim, senior director, communications, ESPN Films and Original Content.

“To date, OJ has reached 35.0 million viewers on TV. The first three parts of OJ have averaged 3,896,000 Viewers. So far, 880K unique devices watched OJ content (original, re-air, or VOD) on WatchESPN. These devices have generated 3.1 million show starts and 127.2 million minutes viewed. 70% of these unique devices watched OJ content on VOD (617K). Of those who watched on VOD, 85% watched exclusively on VOD (527K).”

The series debuted on Saturday night, June 11, on ABC, then switched to ESPN. Part one on ABC averaged 3.4 million viewers watching live or utilizing time shifting (for instance, DVR) within the same day, according to Nielsen.

On this 1879 cover of Harper's Weekly, drawn by Thomas Nast, the African American in the South and the Chinese man in the West share a similar dilemma – pawns in a volatile debate regarding their right to vote, access to work, and be accepted into the larger American society. (Credit: thomasnastcartoons.com)
On this 1879 cover of Harper’s Weekly, drawn by Thomas Nast, “the African American in the South and the Chinese man in the West share a similar dilemma – pawns in a volatile debate regarding their right to vote, access to work, and be accepted into the larger American society.” (Credit: thomasnastcartoons.com)

Lawmakers Seek Apology for Chinese Exclusion Act

“A group of New York state lawmakers sent a letter last week to President Barack Obama, asking him to issue a government apology for the passage and enforcement of the Chinese Exclusion Act,” Chris Fuchs wrote Monday for NBC News Asian America.

“The letter, written by Democratic state Assemblyman Ron Kim and signed by 20 other state legislators, said there are striking parallels between the exclusion act, which banned Chinese from entering the United States or becoming citizens, and rhetoric that has surfaced in recent political discourse. . . .”

Tony Cao, a spokesman for Kim, told Journal-isms by email on Friday, “We’re certainly glad that it’s gotten the coverage it has, and hope that it reaches even more reporters and media outlets. One of our main goals is getting those interested to sign the Change.org petition, and that means reaching as wide an audience as possible.”

Lynn Edmonds wrote Thursday for the Queens Tribune in New York, “Until today, Chinese individuals are the only national group that has been explicitly and entirely banned from immigrating to the United States. Throughout the ban, high volumes of individuals from other countries were able to enter and leave the United States.

“The Chinese Exclusion Act, and the [Geary] Act, which followed it, froze the lives of Chinese Americans already in the country, when it came to everything from starting a family to economic survival – let alone success. It also blocked any eventual pathway to citizenship and prohibited the Chinese population, which strongly skewed male, from marrying white women and owning land.. . .”

Fuchs also wrote, “The White House told NBC News that President Obama has addressed the Chinese Exclusion Act in past remarks, citing proclamations opening the 2013 and 2014 Asian Pacific American Heritage Months.

“In 2012, the House of Representatives unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution introduced by U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), formally expressing regret for the Chinese Exclusion Act and other legislation that discriminated against Chinese Americans. A year before, the Senate unanimously voted through a similar resolution, introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). . . .”

25 Media Firms Sue Orlando for 911 Transcripts

“Eleven days after the Orlando massacre, the public still does not have full access to transcripts of the 911 calls made by the shooter and his victims,” Eliza Dewey reported Friday for the Miami Herald. “Thursday, a coalition of 25 media companies, including the parent company of the Miami Herald, filed suit against the city of Orlando for its refusal to release the calls from that night.

“The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Orange County, challenges the city’s contention that those calls are exempt from public records laws because they record the killing of a person. The media consortium argues that the Orlando shooting is similar to the infamous Sandy Hook school shooting, in which a Connecticut court ruled that related 911 calls were not confidential despite state laws that restricted the release of child abuse records.

“The lawsuit also asserts a key discrepancy in the city’s argument: ‘The federal government has stated that there were no reports of gunfire during the three-hour standoff. Thus no recordings created during that time could have captured any killings.’

“ ‘One important step in truly understanding what happened that night is contained in these and other records that haven’t been released,’ said Aminda Marqués Gonzalez, executive editor of the Miami Herald, whose parent McClatchy joined the suit. “Under Florida law, the public has a right to know. That’s what we are asking for ‐ compliance with state law.’

“The lawsuit seeks a court order compelling Orlando to release not only Mateen’s four separate calls to 911 and crisis negotiators that night, but also all 603 calls made to police and fire authorities during the three-hour attack, the majority of which are assumed to be from people inside the club or their loved ones. . . .”

How About ‘Diversity Credits’ for Buying Stations?

“In an effort to increase diversity in station ownfership, the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council today asked the FCC to conduct a proceeding to explore a marketplace means of doing it — tradeable diversity credits similar to the carbon emissions credits used in the energy industry,” Harry A. Jessell reported Friday for TVNewsCheck.

“Here’s how it would work, according to the MMTC:

“As the administrator of the program, the FCC would give diversity credits to small disadvantaged businesses (SDBs) and to sellers in deals that result in greater structural diversity.

“Buyers in deals that result in less structural diversity would have to pay the FCC for that loss in the form of diversity credits. If they didn’t have enough, they could buy them from other companies or SDBs, which would use the money to fund station acquisitions.

“The program would inject greater efficiency into station trading. Today, when large media companies merge, they often have to spin off or swap stations to comply with FCC ownership limits and, in some cases, negotiate additional conditions with the FCC and citizen groups.

“On top of that, it can take six months for the FCC to review a deal and make sure that all is in order.

“With the diversity credit, the merging companies would simply determine how many diversity credits they need and then go out and buy whatever they don’t have. . . .”

Station Director Calls LeBron Profanity ‘Low Class’

“LeBron James has been criticized for his profanity-laced speech that offended parents and fans Wednesday after the Cavaliers’ NBA championship parade,” Marla Ridenour wrote Friday for the Akron Beacon Journal.

“But Cuyahoga Falls native R.J. Nemer, who rose from self-started ICON Sports Management in Stow to his recent promotion to global head of golf clients for International Management Group, doesn’t believe James needs to apologize.

“James’ 16-minute speech at the rally at Mall B in Cleveland included 13 expletives, including two uses of the F-word. There was immediate reaction on Twitter, with WKYC-TV Channel 3 director Frank Macek tweeting it was ‘very low class’ and that the station had ‘several viewer complaints.’ . . .”

Editor in chief Rusty Fields, 17, and managing editor River Fields, 14, of the Bainbridge Times in Brooklyn, N.Y., plan to become neurosurgeons. (Credit BrooklynNews12.com)
Editor in chief Rusty Fields, 17, and managing editor River Fields, 14, of the Bainbridge Times in Brooklyn, N.Y., plan to become neurosurgeons. (Credit BrooklynNews12.com)

Short Takes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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