When might Donald Trump return to Twitter?
The last time former President Donald Trump posted something on Twitter was Jan. 8, 2021 — less than 48 hours after the Jan. 6 insurrection. His last tweet was telling his followers that he would not be attending Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Later that day, Twitter announced Trump was permanently suspended “due to the risk of further incitement of violence.”
Since then, plenty has happened. Most notably, Elon Musk bought Twitter and, last November, he lifted Trump’s suspension.
But something hasn’t happened. Trump has not tweeted. Trump, instead, posts his messages on his own social media platform, Truth Social.
So will Trump ever return to Twitter, where he still has nearly 87 million followers?
Axios’ Sophie Cal reports that those close to Trump believe he will eventually return to Twitter. Cal wrote, “A person close to Trump’s campaign cast the ex-president’s Twitter return as a tool his team could use to try to offset bad news — another indictment, for example.”
Trump ally Mike Davis, founder of the conservative legal group called The Article III Project, told Cal, “From a business perspective, it’s very smart he’s only on Truth. From a political perspective, he needs to be on Twitter.”
My guess is Trump will return sooner rather than later. I’m actually surprised he has stayed off this long.
National Geographic layoffs
Several staffers at National Geographic magazine took to Twitter to say the magazine is laying off all its remaining staff writers.
Senior writer Craig Welch tweeted, “My new National Geographic just arrived, which includes my latest feature — my 16th, and my last as a senior writer. NatGeo is laying off all of its staff writers. I’ve been so lucky. I got to work w/incredible journalists and tell important, global stories. It’s been an honor.”
Other staffers announced the same news. Writer Doug Main tweeted writers were informed about the layoffs “a while ago.” It’s believed the layoffs impact 19 editorial employees. In another tweet, writer Michael Greshko said National Geographic will keep two wildlife crime reporters who are paid through nonprofit funding.
Freelancers will now fill the magazine.
In a statement to The Messenger’s Rocio Fabbro, National Geographic said, “National Geographic will continue to publish a monthly magazine that is dedicated to exceptional multi-platform storytelling with cultural impact.” It added that the staff reductions will give it “more flexibility to tell different stories and meet our audiences where they are across our many platforms. Any insinuation that the recent changes will negatively impact the magazine, or the quality of our storytelling, is simply incorrect.”
Last September, National Geographic laid off six of its top editors.
National Geographic is owned by Disney, which bought it as a part of a bigger deal with 21st Century Fox in 2019. The Washington Post’s Paul Farhi notes that at its heights in the 1980s, National Geographic had 12 million subscribers in the U.S. These days, that number is just under 1.8 million, which still makes it one of the most widely read magazines in the country.
Covering RFK Jr.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is running for the Democratic presidential nomination. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did a town hall Wednesday night on NewsNation. I’ll have more reaction about that in Friday’s newsletter.
Kennedy is a conundrum. His last name suggests he is to be taken seriously. Then again, he seems to be an extreme longshot to be the Democratic nominee for president. The other, more important issue is he makes and/or amplifies false and dangerous claims, especially about vaccines.
Can he make enough noise to have some sort of impact on the election? That answer is unknown, which makes it hard to determine just how much the media should pay attention to him.
Vanity Fair’s Charlotte Klein has a new story out: “The Media Is Reckoning With How to Cover RFK Jr.’s Presidential Run.”
An unnamed senior editor at a “major news organization” told Klein that they consider Kennedy a “real candidate” because “he is a real candidate.” That’s to say Kennedy is at least showing up in polling and has some support within the Democratic Party.
Another longtime network executive, however, seemed to take issue with NewsNation, telling Klein before Wednesday night’s town hall: “I think there’s a difference between giving him a town hall and just covering his candidacy. You cover his candidacy when it matters. But a town hall is a manufactured news event. As a news division you’re just as responsible for what’s being aired as the candidate, because you invited them on.”
Earlier this week, I was a part of a panel discussion with Poynter president Neil Brown and NPR TV critic Eric Deggans, a longtime media journalist. Deggans and I suggested treating RFK Jr. much like Trump: you monitor their news conferences, speeches and rallies and then report on the news that comes out of it. In addition, you call out the lies and misinformation.
But you don’t just hand them a megaphone and allow them to speak unchecked.
The price, er, job is right
This week’s big game show news was the announcement that Ryan Seacrest will replace Pat Sajak as host of “Wheel of Fortune.” Sajak will step down after next season — his 41st as host.
The choice of Seacrest was no surprise. He has a superb TV personality and, most of all, people already know him. In fact, that might have been the key, as Associated Press media reporter David Bauder wrote in his latest piece: “Who wants to be a game show host? These days, you already have to be famous.”
In the past, many of the popular game show hosts — Bob Barker, Wink Martindale, Monty Hall, Bill Cullen — were famous for being game show hosts. These days, many game show hosts — Drew Carey, Wayne Brady, Steve Harvey and the two “Jeopardy!’ hosts, Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings — were famous before becoming game show hosts.
Bauder’s story is a good look at how being a game show host is actually a good career move even for those who already have good careers.
Oh, one more thing about “Wheel of Fortune”
Vanna White of Wheel of Fortune. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
So did you catch this part of the “Wheel of Fortune” news — that “Wheel” letter-turner Vanna White hasn’t had a raise in 18 years?
Puck’s Matthew Belloni reported that White makes about $3 million per year and has received bonuses over the years, but no actual raises. Sajak, meanwhile, makes five times as much.
Yes, Sajak’s job is a bit harder, so you can see why he makes more. And I can hear some of you saying now, “Give me $3 million a year to touch letters and I’ll be more than happy, even without raises.”
You’re missing the point. First, White does more than touch letters. Much of her work is about promoting the show. She spends as much time on that show — on and off air — as Sajak. Maybe more so. She’s every bit as popular as Sajak. And you’re telling me that Sajak hasn’t had a raise in 18 years? In fact, I’d also be willing to bet that everyone who works on “Wheel,” including the behind-the-scenes folks, has gotten raises over the years.
Look, I get it. If we’re going to argue on behalf of those who should be paid more, we should be doing it for nurses and teachers and social workers, not game show co-hosts. I’m not saying this is the greatest injustice ever.
But it is an example of a woman being treated unfairly in the workplace and of a television company, which has plenty of money, taking advantage of someone they knew wasn’t going to complain for the past 18 years.
Well, until now. White, who has another year left on her contract, has brought in a big-time entertainment lawyer to negotiate a new deal.
Honoring the picket line
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was supposed to appear on Wednesday’s “The View” on ABC, but canceled because of the Hollywood writers’ strike.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Weprin, the White House said, “Out of respect for striking writers, we pulled down our scheduled appearance on The View. President Biden and his entire administration sincerely hope that the writers’ strike gets resolved — and writers are given the fair deal they deserve — as soon as possible.”
The Hollywood Reporter reported recently that “The View” has “a couple” of writers who belong to the Writers Guild of America. The show is largely unscripted with panel discussions and interviews.
Staying focused
Washington Post sports columnist Sally Jenkins is the guest on the latest episode of Jeff Pearlman’s podcast, “Two Writers Slinging Yang.”
If you read this newsletter often, you know that I’m a huge fan of Jenkins’ work, and she shared with Pearlman one of the secrets to her writing. I found this to be incredibly interesting. She said:
“I have two laptops. I just got a new one. And I’m going to do the same thing with this new one that I did (with the old one). I took my personal laptop into the tech shop and I said, ‘I’m going to hand this to you. I want you to break my browser. I’m going to turn my back and I want you to break my browser. And I don’t want to know how to fix it.’ And so they did that for me and I take that laptop to the library and I write with no browser.”
It’s Jenkins’ way of disconnecting and not getting distracted from writing by looking at Twitter or Facebook or surfing the web, even if it’s to look up something for her column.
“You’ll be amazed at how much more productive you are and how much more you get done with your writing,” Jenkins said. “We’re so used to being able to look something up right now. ‘I have to know that stat. I have to know what (Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick) Mahomes’ completion percentage was.’ No, you don’t have to know it right then unless you’re literally on a two-hour deadline. You don’t have to know it right now. You can fill it in with an X and look it up later. But you can frame something out and focus and concentrate and write from your head instead of from all this stimulus. So that’s one trick I have.”
Media tidbits
- Rolling Stone’s Brian Hiatt with “Ready to Sing Elvis Karaoke … as Elvis? The Weird Rise of AI Music.”
- Video story from CBS News: “Ceremony held to honor victims on fifth anniversary of Capital Gazette shooting.”
- The Associated Press’ Hillel Italie with “USA Today resumes its bestseller list for books after monthslong hiatus.”
- Nicolle Wallace will interview President Joe Biden for MSNBC’s “Deadline: White House” today at 4 p.m. Eastern.
- America University announced that Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Wesley Lowery has joined the university as an associate professor of investigative journalism, teaching courses in AU’s School of Communication. In addition, he will be executive editor at the Investigative Reporting Workshop, the nonprofit, editorially independent newsroom based in the school.
- The Wrap’s Jeremy Fuster with “LA Times Opens Up Buyout Option to All Editorial Staff Amid Layoffs.”
- Dana Bash celebrated her 30th anniversary at CNN on Wednesday. Here’s a photo of her colleagues toasting her.
Hot type
- The New York Times’ Edgar Sandoval with “How Migrants Flown to Martha’s Vineyard Came to Call It Home.”
- Rolling Stone with “The 50 Most Inspirational LGBTQ Songs of All Time.”
More resources for journalists
- Bring Poynter to Your Newsroom, Classroom or Workplace.
- Sign up for Beat Academy (Now-Oct. 19) (Webinar series) — You’ll get tips, sources, inspiration and ideas to cover emerging newsroom beats. Enroll now.
- Executive Leadership Summit (Oct.) (Seminar) — Apply by Aug. 14.
- Power of Diverse Voices: Writing Workshop for Journalists of Color (Nov. 15-18) (Seminar) — Apply by Sept. 15.
Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at tjones@poynter.org.
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