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Myanmar Frees Reuters Journalists

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International Outcry Succeeds After 16 Months

CBS Shake-up Boosts Gayle King, Other Women

Anchor Out After ‘Racist and Sexist’ Question

2 Black Entrepreneurs Make Deal on TV Stations

Latinos Feel Angry, Disrespected by Trump and GOP

New Orleans Advocate to Hire From Times-Picayune

100 to Take Voluntary Buyouts at CNN

2nd ‘Black-ish’ Spinoff Features Mixed-Race Family

New Report Details Police Lies in Oakland Killing

 

On Tuesday, a photo released by Reuters showed journalists U Wa Lone, left, and U Kyaw Soe Oo walking away, smiling, from the gates of Insein Prison in Yangon, Myanmar. (Credit: Ann Wang/Reuters)

International Outcry Succeeds After 16 Months

“Two prizewinning Reuters journalists were released from prison in Myanmar on Tuesday after more than a year in detention for covering the country’s deadly crackdown on the Rohingya minority group, ending a drama that had brought global scrutiny upon the country’s de facto civilian leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi,” Russell Goldman and Mike Ives reported for the New York Times.

“The two reporters, U Wa Lone, 33, and U Kyaw Soe Oo, 29, were arrested in December 2017. They were sentenced in September to seven years in prison under the colonial-era Official Secrets Act for receiving documents from a police officer as part of their investigation into a 2017 massacre of 10 Rohingya villagers.

“The men, along with their Reuters colleagues, were awarded in April the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting, one of journalism’s most coveted and prestigious honors. “On Tuesday morning, they were mobbed by reporters as they emerged from Insein Prison in Yangon, the country’s largest city. They were both smiling as they walked away from the prison’s gates in the sunshine. Mr. Wa Lone flashed a thumbs-up sign. . . .

“Their case had become an international cause célèbre, with journalists, human rights activists and world leaders calling for their release. And their arrest, like the ethnic conflict they were covering, was a turning point in the West’s perception of Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former political prisoner who had once been seen as an international force for democracy and tolerance. . . .”

The Times story also said, “In 2017, the military set off an intense international backlash by carrying out what the United Nations has called a genocide of the Rohingya people, a Muslim ethnic minority whose members had lived in the western state of Rakhine for generations. The military killed thousands of people, burning villages, raping women and girls and forcing more than 750,000 to flee across the border into Bangladesh, where they now live in refugee camps. . . .”

The Associated Press added, “Zaw Htay, a spokesman for the office of President Win Myint, told journalists he spoke with in the eastern state of Kayah on Tuesday that the reporters’ families had sent letters requesting they be pardoned, and they were included among 6,520 prisoners released to promote peace and national reconciliation. . . .”

Gayle King, flanked by Anthony Mason, left, and Tony Dokoupil told viewers that the trio will be co-hosts of “CBS This Morning” starting May 20. (Credit: CBS)

CBS Shake-up Boosts Gayle King, Other Women

The shake-up at CBS News Monday that gave marquee roles to Norah O’Donnell and Gayle King was a boost for women and capped the recent ascendancy of King after the acclaim she received for a series of high-profile interviews, but the shake-up did not appear to do much for other people of color.

“CBS News President Susan Zirinsky unveiled sweeping on-air talent changes to the network’s evening newscast and morning show in her first steps toward rebuilding a division rocked by scandal and corporate neglect,” Stephen Battaglio wrote Monday for the Los Angeles Times.

“As part of the changes announced Monday, Norah O’Donnell will exit her role as co-host of ‘CBS This Morning’ to become the new anchor of ‘CBS Evening News,’ replacing Jeff Glor. Starting this fall, the program will originate full time from Washington for the first time in its 71-year history. She will also be a contributor to ’60 Minutes.’

“O’Donnell’s co-host John Dickerson will also leave the morning program to become a correspondent for the newsmagazine ’60 Minutes.’ He will also contribute to the network’s political coverage.

“Gayle King becomes the senior member of ‘CBS This Morning,’ which will have two new co-hosts starting May 20: CBS News veteran Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil, who joined the division as a correspondent in 2016 and has never hosted a daily program.

“The personnel shifts have been percolating for months since Zirinsky, a 46-year veteran of CBS News, was named president of the division in January. The shake-up will be her first major test as a decision maker. . . .”

In January, an incomplete, embarrassing tweet from a CBS News producer depicted no African Americans among CBS News’ 2020 presidential campaign digital journalists and was greeted by a blizzard of criticism of the network for appearing to ignore black journalists.

CBS responded by saying, “This group is the initial wave of what will be an outstanding and diverse group of journalists assigned to cover the 2020 election for CBS News.”

Then, last month, former CBS employee Whitney Davis, whose career at the network mostly involved CBS Entertainment, wrote an article for Variety under the headline, ” ‘CBS Has a White Problem’: Executive Blasts Toxic Culture at Network in Explosive Letter.”

Brian Steinberg noted Monday in Variety, “Zirinsky’s new lineup places women at the center of most of CBS News’ flagship programs: O’Donnell at ‘CBS Evening News’; Margaret Brennan at ‘Face The Nation’; King at the center of ‘CBS This Morning’ and Jane Pauley at ‘CBS Sunday Morning.’ Women also hold top producer roles at many shows, including Diane Miller, newly installed as executive producer at ‘CBS This Morning’; Mary Hager, a veteran presence at ‘Face The Nation’; Judy Tygard, named to succeed Zirinsky at ’48 Hours’; and Tanya Simon, recently elevated to executive editor at ’60 Minutes.’ ”

Of those named, only King is a woman of color.

Still, the importance of King’s new role should not be underestimated.

As Battaglio noted, “Although the evening news is still a flagship broadcast for network news operations, morning shows are the largest revenue and profit drivers. It’s the reason Zirinsky has locked down King to a new deal. King is said to have doubled her salary to $11 million a year. ABC News and CNN expressed interest in her services, which helped drive up her price.

“The salary is among the highest ever paid to a CBS News on-air person, topped only by Couric who earned $15 million a year as ‘CBS Evening News’ anchor. King’s deal is a sign of CBS Corp.’s willingness to invest in the news division after years of budget cutting.

“Even as ‘CBS This Morning’ ratings have declined, King has emerged as a visible star for the network, thanks in part to recent high-profile interviews with embattled R&B star R. Kelly and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. . . .

“ ‘Gayle has exploded over the last several years as unique talent that people trust,’ Zirinsky said. ‘They want to speak to her about important topics.’

“King, 64, will be paired with two male co-hosts, a departure from the formula for morning programs, for which women make up more than half of the audience. . . .”

The New York Times’ John Koblin and Michael M. Grynbaum noted that King was recently named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people.

“The CBS News boss noted that Ms. King brought qualities to the network that it hadn’t had in a previous golden age, when ’60 Minutes’ made stars out of its correspondents.

“ ‘Gayle has evolved as someone we’ve not ever had at CBS in that vein,’ Ms. Zirinsky said. ‘Sure, we’ve had the Mike Wallaces and the Ed Bradleys, but Gayle has this humanity, relatability, this curiosity. She’s smart, and people trust her.’ ”

 

Anchor Out After ‘Racist and Sexist’ Question

“WJZ anchorwoman Mary Bubala, who came under fire Thursday for a question she asked about the race, gender and leadership of Baltimore’s past three mayors, is no longer with the station, according to an email sent to The Baltimore Sun on Monday night by general manager Audra Swain,” David Zurawik reported for the Baltimore Sun.

“ ‘Mary Bubala is no longer a WJZ-TV employee. The station apologizes to its viewers for her remarks,’ the statement said. Swain declined to comment further.

“The criticism of Bubala that started last week in the wake of the WJZ anchor asking Loyola University Maryland Professor Karsonya ‘Kaye’ Wise Whitehead an on-air question about the race and gender of the past three Baltimore mayors has continued to build.

“ ‘We’ve had three female, African-American mayors in a row,’ Bubala said in setting up her question. ‘They were all passionate public servants. Two resigned, though. Is this a signal that a different kind of leadership is needed to move Baltimore City forward?’ . . .

“Nicki Mayo, who worked in TV news and is immediate past president of the Baltimore Association of Black Journalists (BABJ), posted video of the interview on Twitter, and the social media blowback to Bubala’s question was immediate.

“Bubala apologized on Twitter on Thursday and Friday.

“WJZ, meanwhile, remained silent even as the BABJ on Monday posted a statement on its website labeling Bubala’s question ‘racist and sexist.’

“The statement from Swain on Monday night was WJZ’s first official response to the controversy. . . .”

Zurawik also wrote, “Mayo responded to the news of WJZ’s action, saying, ‘Firing or letting her go does nothing to relieve the greater problem here. So, I don’t take any joy in another journalist not working.’

“But, she added, ‘This was another ceremonial falling on the sword that continues to cut a serious hole in efforts for newsroom inclusion and diversity.’ . . .”

2 Black Entrepreneurs Make Deal on TV Stations

Three days after being catapulted “into the big leagues” by becoming a partner in the acquisition of the Fox regional sports networks from Walt Disney Co., Byron Allen announced his company is buying four television stations from fellow black entrepreneur DuJuan McCoy, one of the nation’s few African American television station owners.

Byron Allen

Each praised the other in an announcement Monday.

“Byron Allen is a visionary, and a brilliant entrepreneur who always gets it done,” said McCoy, owner, president and CEO of Bayou City Broadcasting. Allen’s companies, “which exemplify excellence, are perfectly positioned to continue the strong tradition these stations have in serving their communities.”

The stations are WEVV-TV, a CBS affiliate, and WEEV-TV, a Fox affiliate, in Evansville, Ind.; and KLAF-TV, an NBC affiliate, and KADN-TV, a Fox affiliate, in Lafayette, La.

“DuJuan McCoy is an outstanding broadcaster and he has done a phenomenal job of assembling a strong management team to operate these network affiliate stations,” said Allen, founder, chairman and CEO of Entertainment Studios/Allen Media LLC. “This is another milestone for our company, as we have now agreed to purchase our very first broadcast television stations and continue to look for other opportunities to grow our global media company through strategic acquisitions.”

In an interview Friday with Nick Turner of Bloomberg, “Allen said he was a ‘huge fan’ of Rupert Murdoch, the Fox magnate who built a global conglomerate of film and TV businesses,” Turner reported Monday.

“Entertainment Studios is nowhere near Fox proportions, but the business has come a long way from its start on Allen’s kitchen table 26 years ago. He sold Sinclair [Broadcast Group Inc.] its first syndicated show, ‘Entertainers with Byron Allen,’ when the broadcaster had just two stations. That relationship laid the groundwork for him to invest in the Sinclair acquisition of the Fox networks.

DuJuan McCoy

“ ‘I decided we weren’t going to sit this out — we definitely wanted to be a part of it,’ he said. ‘We campaigned, and we were able to strike a deal with Sinclair.’ ”

Allen’s company describes itself as “one of the largest independent producers and distributors of film and television, with 43 shows on the air, and owner of nine 24-hour HD television networks now serving nearly 160 million subscribers — including The Weather Channel television network and its streaming service Local Now.” It bought theGrio.com in 2016.

McCoy announced plans last month to buy WISH-TV and sister station WNDY-TV, both  in Indianapolis, from Nexstar Media Group Inc. for $42.5 million in cash.

According to the Federal Communications Commission, racial minorities owned 36 full power commercial television stations (2.6 percent) in 2015 and 41 full-power television stations (3.0 percent) in 2013. Blacks or African Americans owned 12 stations (0.9 percent) in 2015 and 9 stations (0.6 percent) in 2013.

Latinos Feel Angry, Disrespected by Trump and GOP

“So what do Latinos think of the Trump administration and national politics five months after the historic midterm elections of 2018?,” Matt Barreto asked Monday for the polling organization Latino Decisions. “Overwhelmingly, Latino voters remain angry, frustrated and feel disrespected by Trump and the Republican Party as a whole.

“Exhibit A: The Republican Party is now seen as openly hostile towards Latinos. . . .

“Exhibit B: Access to health care remains the number one policy issue and Trump is trying to end Obamacare. . . .

“Exhibit C: Trump’s decision to continue bashing immigrants is seen as racist and strongly rejected. . . .

“If Trump and Republicans continue on this path of bashing immigrants, using racist rhetoric to describe migrant families, as well as disparaging border cities they will continue to alienate the average Latino voter who is sick and tired of being the target of scapegoating, stereotyping and immoral immigration policies.

“What’s more, on the policy issue most important to Latino voters — access to affordable health care — Trump and Republicans appear to be on a path towards repealing Obamacare through the courts, and not introducing any legislation or policy solutions at all. Looking ahead to 2020, it is quite likely that the lessons of 2018 will repeat themselves with an angry, energized, mobilized and Democratic-leaning Latino electorate.”

New Orleans Advocate to Hire From Times-Picayune

“The publisher of The New Orleans Advocate said workers have begun adding desks to its newsroom and advertising area in anticipation of hiring staffers from the Times-Picayune, which The New Orleans Advocate recently purchased,” the Associated Press reported Monday.

“Publisher Dan Shea says The Advocate will hire journalists and other staff from The Times-Picayune. But on Monday he said it’s too soon to know how many.

“The Advocate’s purchase of The Times-Picayune from Advance Local media was announced Thursday, the same day Advance notified the Louisiana’s labor department that it would lay off 161 employees effective July 2. . . .”

100 to Take Voluntary Buyouts at CNN

“CNN is the latest division of AT&T’s WarnerMedia to feel the effects of company-wide restructuring, with voluntary buyouts being taken by more than 100 seasoned workers at the cable new network,” Dade Hayes and Lisa de Moraes reported Monday for Deadline.

“A network spokesperson tells Deadline the exits are purely related to the buyouts and do not involve any layoffs, contrary to a press report earlier on Monday. A WarnerMedia rep said there was no truth to the initial report of layoffs.

“The buyouts are consistent with similar offerings at HBO and Turner and will see dozens of seasoned employees leave the news brand. WarnerMedia parent AT&T is looking to restructure and reduce what was $170 billion in net debt as of the end of 2018. . . .”

 

A still featuring characters from the “Black-ish” spinoff, “Mixed-ish.” (Credit: Kelsey McNeal/ABC)

2nd ‘Black-ish’ Spinoff Features Mixed-Race Family

“Two weeks ahead of Disney’s upfront, ABC is doubling down on the Black-ish franchise next season, ordering a sixth season of the comedy and also picking up a second Black-ish spinoff,” Jason Lynch reported Friday for adweek.com.

“The new series, called Mixed-ish, will focus on the childhood of Rainbow Johnson, the character played by Tracee Ellis Ross, and her experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the ‘80s.

“It’s the first series for the 2019-20 season ordered by Karey Burke, who was named ABC Entertainment president last November, following the exit of Channing Dungey. . . .”

Lynch also wrote, “This will be the second Black-ish spinoff following Grown-ish, which followed Yara Shahidi’s Zoey Johnson to college. That series was originally developed for ABC but ultimately landed at sister network Freeform, where it is in the middle of its second season.

“According to ABC’s description of the spinoff, ‘Rainbow Johnson recounts her experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the ‘80s and the constant dilemmas they had to face over whether to assimilate or stay true to themselves.

“Bow’s parents Paul and Alicia decide to move from a hippie commune to the suburbs to better provide for their family. As her parents struggle with the challenges of their new life, Bow and her siblings navigate a mainstream school in which they’re perceived as neither black nor white. This family’s experiences illuminate the challenges of finding one’s own identity when the rest of the world can’t decide where you belong.’ . . . ”

 

This composite image, made from a cell phone video released by attorney John Burris, shows the moments before and immediately after Johannes Mehserle shot Oscar Grant on the Fruitvale BART Station platform on Jan. 1, 2009. Top left: BART police officers talk to Grant as he sits against the wall at the Fruitvale Station platform. Top right: Mehserle and another officer place Grant on his stomach. Bottom left: Mehserle holds his gun after shooting Grant. Bottom right: Mehserle looks up moments after discharging his weapon. (Courtesy John Burris)

New Report Details Police Lies in Oakland Killing

“A police officer involved in the 2009 killing of Oscar Grant on an Oakland train platform repeatedly lied to investigators and had punched the unarmed 22-year-old without justification, according to newly released records,” Sam Levin reported from Oakland, Calif., Thursday for Britain’s Guardian.

“The report on the New Year’s Eve killing, which sparked national police accountability protests, was disclosed this week following journalists’ requests under a new California police transparency law. The previously sealed internal file, written 10 years ago, documented how the Bay Area Rapid Transit (Bart) officer Anthony Pirone ‘started a cascade of events that ultimately led to the shooting’. Pirone called Grant the N-word while detaining him, hit him in the face in an ‘unprovoked’ attack, and later gave a series of false statements contradicted by videos, investigators said.

“The death of the young father was one of the first major US police brutality cases in which cellphone footage went viral, prompting widespread outrage years before the Black Lives Matter movement. The killing was later made famous by Ryan Coogler’s 2014 film Fruitvale Station, named after the site of the death.

“The officer who shot Grant in the back, Johannes Mehserle, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in a rare criminal trial over a killing by law enforcement. . . .”

 

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