And we’re off.

The Democratic National Convention got underway Monday in Chicago with speeches from, among others, President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

In a perfect headline, The Washington Post wrote, “Biden was to be the headliner. Instead, he’s an opening act.”

In the story, the Post’s Matt Viser wrote of Biden: “By the time the balloons drop on Thursday night before a rapturous crowd in Chicago, he will be long gone. And while he had hoped this week would be about rallying the party around his vision for a second term, he has now reoriented himself around bolstering Vice President Kamala Harris, a recognition that his legacy is deeply tied to whether she can win in November.”

With the torch passed from Biden to Harris, the DNC will continue to ramp up its message, concluding with Harris’ speech Thursday night.

Outside the convention, protesters march for a variety of reasons, most of them having to do with the war in Gaza.

Meanwhile, I wanted to point you to a superb story from Louis Jacobson, a reporter for Poynter’s PolitiFact: “What makes a good political convention — at least from a journalist’s perspective?”

Before this DNC, Jacobson had covered 15 party conventions since 1988. Not only does he pass along his experiences, but those of other journalists who have covered multiple conventions.

First, the city matters. Smaller is better, at least according to Jacobson. But others, such as CQ Roll Call editor-in-chief Jason Dick, think a big city such as Chicago is “ideal” because of plenty of transportation and places to stay. Journalists also like places where it’s easy to find good food.

But most importantly: How is the convention zone designed? In other words, how easy is it to get from one place to another? Walking is always preferable in places where traffic might be heavy.

Anyway, check out Jacobson’s story for more interesting tidbits on what makes a good convention city.

Something to worry about

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow has a new guest essay for The New York Times: “What Worries Me Most About Election Night.”

Maddow lays out the possibilities of how votes might not be certified after the election, writing, “Election boards across the country now include Republican officials who have not only propounded Mr. Trump’s lies about the last presidential election being ‘stolen,’ they have tested how far they can go in denying the certification of the vote.”

Maddow later added, “Now is the time to get to know your local election board, especially if you live in a place where election denialism has taken hold, and where certification refusals may be coming. Public awareness and vigilance can make a difference. No one should be surprised when certification refusals happen or when they are then exploited to try to maximize chaos and upset.”

This is a well-executed and not outlandish essay from Maddow that deserves your attention.

Also, check out these two stories from Georgia. First, ProPublica’s Doug Bock Clark with “Election Deniers Secretly Pushed Rule That Would Make It Easier to Delay Certification of Georgia’s Election Results.” And then The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Mark Niesse with “Georgia election board votes to add more requirements before vote certification.”

Notable pieces as the Democratic National Convention continues in Chicago this week …

• NBC News’ Jonathan Allen with “How Harris built her political network as vice president.”
• The New York Times’ Annie Karni and Katie Glueck with “Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris: Inside Their Quietly Close Bond.”
• In an opinion piece from The New York Times’ Frank Bruni, Maureen Dowd, Michelle Goldberg and Patrick Healy: “Four Writers on Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton and How to Win the White House.”
• Video from The Wall Street Journal: “What Kamala Harris Has to Prove at the Democratic National Convention.”
• For Vanity Fair, Molly Jong-Fast with “Why the 2024 DNC has me anxious — and optimistic.”
• The 19th with “Where Harris stands on eight key issues — from criminal justice to the economy and education.”
• The Washington Post’s Maeve Reston with “How Harris has largely stayed away from embracing the ‘first woman’ rallying cry.”

ABC News names a new president

New ABC News president Almin Karamehmedovic. (Nathan Martin/ABC News)

Almin Karamehmedovic, the senior executive producer of ABC’s “World News Tonight with David Muir,” has been named president of ABC News. He replaces Kim Godwin, who exited the network in May after a chaotic tenure.

ABC now turns to Karamehmedovic, who helped drive “World News Tonight” to the top of the ratings among network newscasts and, from time to time, among all shows on TV. He has been with the network since 1998 and in charge of “World News Tonight” since 2014.

Now Karamehmedovic takes over the whole news division, which also includes “Good Morning America,” “The View,” “20/20” and “Nightline.”

In a statement, Karamehmedovic said, “I approach this role with great respect and humility, not only for the hundreds of colleagues around the world whose tireless contributions fuel the unflinching and unbiased reporting of ABC News but also for the viewers we serve. Our team represents the best in journalism.”

But, as The New York Times’ Benjamin Mullin writes, “Disney is appointing Mr. Karamehmedovic at a tricky moment for network news. As viewership of traditional TV erodes, networks have developed streaming services like ABC News Live to try to attract and retain viewers. But those services are not the appointment viewing juggernauts that network news programs were in their heyday, when broadcasters like Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather were household names.”

And Variety’s Brian Steinberg tweeted, “Immediate reaction inside ABC News is puzzlement. Despite hard won journalism credentials, Karamehmedovic is said to have little experience with Good Morning America, The View, Tamron Hall and the business that supports such programming, critical to the economics of the news unit.”

Remembering a legend

Phil Donahue, during a taping of his talk show in 1993. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

A television legend and pioneer has died. Phil Donahue, whose unique daytime talk show inspired a host of imitators and wannabes and earned him the title of “the king of daytime talk,” passed away on Sunday after what his family called a “long illness.” He was 88.

“The Phil Donahue Show” debuted in Dayton, Ohio, in 1967 and eventually had a 29-year run in syndication. The show, which switched its name to “Donahue” in 1974 and aired on more than 200 stations in the U.S., was like nothing that had ever been seen before.

The New York Times’ Clyde Haberman wrote, “Almost from the start, ‘The Phil Donahue Show’ dispensed with familiar trappings. There was no opening monologue, no couch, no sidekick, no band — just the host and the guests, focused on a single topic. At the time, audiences were expected to be seen and not heard, unless prompted to applaud. Mr. Donahue changed that. He quickly realized from chatting with audience members during commercial breaks that some of them asked sharper questions than he did. And so he began his practice of stalking the aisles, microphone in hand, and letting those in the seats have their say. He also opened the telephone lines to those watching at home. Electronic democracy, as some called it, had arrived.”

Sometimes the guests were everyday people with everyday problems. Sometimes the guests were celebrities or world leaders. Topics ranged from raunchy to important, with no topic seemingly being off-limits.

The Chicago Sun-Times’ Richard Roeper wrote, “From Ronald Regan to Hubert Humphrey, from John Wayne to Richard Pryor, from Muhammad Ali to Nelson Mandela … they all did ‘Donahue.’ He took his show to Russia for a week of programs. He was the first Western journalist to visit Chernobyl after the 1986 nuclear disaster. He hosted a number of important TV specials, including one in which the late Ryan White, a teenager from Indiana who was one of the first children to be diagnosed with AIDS, talked to children about the illness.”

He also tapped into an audience that was often ignored. According to The Washington Post’s Fred A. Bernstein, Donahue’s show averaged 9 million viewers a day and 8 million of those were women.

Haberman wrote, “His appeal to women was unmistakable. He treated them like the adults they were, and on many days they made up 90 percent of his studio audience. ‘The average housewife is bright and inquisitive,’ he said in 1979, but television had treated her for too long ‘like some mental midget.’”

The formula worked, and inspired a generation or two of daytime talk shows.

Oprah Winfrey wrote on social media, “There wouldn’t have been an Oprah Show without Phil Donahue being the first to prove that daytime talk and women watching should be taken seriously. He was a pioneer. I’m glad I got to thank him for it. Rest in peace Phil.”

Donahue won nine Emmy Awards during his time as host, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden last May. Aside from his talk show, which had more than 6,000 episodes, Donahue regularly appeared on NBC’s “Today” show during the 1980s.

Roeper wrote, “Donahue was a passionate, energetic, risk-taking, groundbreaking, made-for-TV personality who embraced controversy and took on virtually any subject without hesitation. Yes, he could be over the top and bombastic — and that made for enormously effective television. With his trademark mop of white hair and his penchant for delivering fantastically theatrical monologues, Donahue was a singular presence.”

Donahue was married to actress Marlo Thomas of “That Girl” fame.

For even more, here’s The New York Times’ Maya Salam with “3 Episodes That Explain Phil Donahue’s Daytime Dominance.”

Avoiding layoffs

Earlier this month, the Poynter-owned Tampa Bay Times announced it was eliminating 60 jobs — about 20% of its workforce — because of economic hardships. The Times would first offer buyouts and then conduct layoffs if not enough people took them.

On Monday, Times CEO and president Conan Gallaty sent a note to staff saying that enough staffers took the buyouts for the Times to avoid layoffs. In the note, Gallaty said he was “relieved” that there would be no layoffs, and later added, “My thanks to all team members for taking on these difficult considerations and conversations.”

He also wrote, “As these changes are fully realized later this month, I appreciate the helpful transition work already started by those ending their time with our company. Though our people and products will change, our mission-driven work continues, focused on the future.”

New status

Former CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy had a rather lengthy conversation with Mediaite’s Kathryn Wilkens: “Oliver Darcy Dishes on CNN After His Sudden Exit.”

Darcy, who wrote the “Reliable Sources” media newsletter for CNN, left the network abruptly earlier this month to start his own independent newsletter called “Status.”

He talked to Wilkens about his plans for his new venture, why he left CNN, the state of CNN these days and so much more.

About CNN, Darcy talked about relatively new boss Mark Thompson and where the network stands in this world of cord-cutting. Darcy said, “I think people are still waiting to see exactly where the network is going. I think that they want to certainly go into the 21st century. I think they’re just still waiting for what that plan ultimately looks like. I think in Thompson’s last note, which I can’t remember when it was, but it was recently, he said, ‘it’s not going to happen overnight.’ I think there’s some desire to get somewhere sooner rather than later. And I think his team knows that, and they’re working on it. But he is the guy who did transform these institutions. So he does have that I think built in credibility with a lot of people. They’re just waiting for what that looks like. Like what’s the actual game plan here?”

Media tidbits

• Axios’ Alex Thompson has joined CNN as a political contributor. He will continue working at Axios, as well.
• The Athletic has launched a new editorial team and vertical on sports collectibles and memorabilia. In a statement, the Times said, “Readers can expect everything from explainers on the most sought-after collectibles to data-backed insight stories to news and analysis of the latest trends. The Athletic will provide trustworthy recommendations and guidance from knowledgeable collectors and industry experts to help readers navigate an increasingly in-demand space. Beyond avid collectors, this coverage will appeal to a range of fans, including those getting into sports collectibles for the first time.” As a part of the launch, The Athletic announces a multi-year exclusive collectibles partnership with eBay, which the Times said will provide sports fans with “memorabilia content and data-based insights from eBay’s global marketplace.”
• U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is scheduled to be interviewed on this morning’s “Fox & Friends” on Fox News.

Hot type

• Los Angeles Times columnist Glenn Whipp has a Q&A with comedian-actor extraordinaire Steve Martin in “Solving Steve Martin doesn’t take that much guesswork.”

More resources for journalists

• Get an AI ethics framework for your newsroom. Start here.
• Lead With Influence is for leaders who manage big responsibilities but have no direct reports.
• Public media journalists: Learn about our Digital Transformation Program.

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at tjones@poynter.org.

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