Back on March 27, One America News, the right-wing cable network and supporter of Donald Trump, ran a bizarre story on its website. The story said that it was actually Michael Cohen, Trump’s former fixer, and not Trump who had an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels.
Cohen hired a big-time defamation lawyer and, wouldn’t you know it, OAN has now removed the story from its website and all social media.
In a statement, OAN wrote Monday that it has retracted the story, adding, “This retraction is part of a settlement reached with Michael Cohen. … OAN apologizes to Mr. Cohen for any harm the publication may have caused him.”
The lawyer Cohen hired was Justin Nelson, who represented Dominion Voting Systems in its suit against Fox News. That ended with Fox News settling by writing a check for $787.5 million. In this case, Cohen isn’t getting any money, but he is getting what he wanted — which was for OAN to take the story down and admit it wasn’t true.
In a statement, Nelson said, “OAN’s retraction represents a victory for accountability. This retraction is not about money. It is about protecting the truth.”
This happens as Trump is on trial in New York City over allegations he falsified business records to pay hush money to Daniels. Cohen is expected to testify at some point, as might Daniels. The trial resumes today.
The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman and Katie Robertson wrote, “The OAN website depended on a Twitter post from a user who claimed to have been told in 2018 by Ms. Daniels’s former lawyer, Michael Avenatti, that it was actually Mr. Cohen with whom she had the affair, and that the two had a plan to ‘bilk’ the Trump Organization out of money. Mr. Avenatti denied the claim and OAN updated the story with that denial a week later. Ms. Daniels also denied it.”
The Times also added this nugget for context: “Mr. Trump has attacked Mr. Cohen’s credibility, which will also be how Mr. Trump’s lawyers approach his former fixer during trial. The story by OAN, which has been a consistent booster of Mr. Trump’s political agenda, bolstered that strategy.”
In its quite lengthy retraction, OAN wrote, “Mr. Cohen alerted OAN to the false statements. OAN promptly investigated and learned that Mr. Avenatti denied making the allegations. To be clear, no evidence suggests that Mr. Cohen and Ms. Daniels were having an affair and no evidence suggests that Mr. Cohen ‘cooked up’ the scheme to extort the Trump Organization before the 2016 election.”
In his own statement, Cohen said, “I am pleased that OAN has agreed to retract this story and has acknowledged that the statement is false. While this settlement cannot undo the harm that the publication caused me, it is important to set the record straight – which is what this settlement does.”
Stepping down as talks heat up
It’s official. Bob Bakish is stepping down as chief executive of Paramount just as the company is in the midst of what could be a major merger. Paramount includes CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon and the Paramount movie studio.
Paramount, for now, will have a three-person “office of the CEO” to run things: Brian Robbins, head of the Paramount movie studio; George Cheeks, chief executive of Paramount’s CBS division; and Chris McCarthy, president of Paramount’s entertainment and youth brands.
So now what?
The New York Times’ Benjamin Mullin and Lauren Hirsch reported, “Looming over Mr. Bakish’s exit are broader questions about the future of Paramount. Like many media companies, Paramount has struggled in recent years to get its streaming business off the ground as audiences for its cable channels have diminished. As a result, Paramount has long been considered an acquisition target by rivals looking to build up their content libraries and increase their leverage in cable negotiations.”
The latest talks are a possible merger with Skydance, a media company run by tech and Hollywood executive David Ellison. The deal has already been signed off on by Paramount controlling shareholder Shari Redstone, but other shareholders remain skeptical.
The Wall Street Journal’s Jessica Toonkel reported, “On Bakish’s watch, the company made strides in streaming with Paramount+ and the acquisition of Pluto TV, secured a major NFL rights renewal, streamlined cable-TV operations and scored some Hollywood hits, like 2022’s ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’ But the company’s market value was halved, as investors saw its TV business shrink and losses pile up in streaming.”
Tunkel added, “Bakish’s relationship with Redstone, Paramount’s chair and the head of controlling shareholder National Amusements, deteriorated as she grew concerned about his handling of certain strategic opportunities. Some members of the board and Paramount’s senior leadership team have also raised concerns about his tenure.”
Bakish had been at Paramount since 1997 and he took over as chief executive in 2016.
It’s not surprising that he is now out, but maybe one shouldn’t feel too bad for him. As the Times reported, “According to the data firm Equilar, he is entitled to a severance package of $50.6 million, with $31 million of that in the form of cash for the two years after his employment is terminated.”
Check out the Journal and Times stories for more details
Getting the news
We all know just how divided the country is. Supporters of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are split on, well, seemingly everything. So it comes as no surprise that each side gets its news from very different sources — if at all.
NBC News’ Ben Kamisar writes, “Biden is the clear choice of voters who consume newspapers and national network news, while Trump does best among voters who don’t follow political news at all.”
That’s based on a new NBC poll that shows Biden leading Trump, 52% to 41%, among traditional news consumers. That means newspapers, national network news and cable news. When it comes to digital news consumers, Trump holds a 47% to 44% edge.
But when it comes to those who don’t follow political news at all, Trump’s margin is a hefty 53% to 27%.
Kamisar writes, “The stark differences help highlight the strategies both candidates are using as they seek another term in the White House — and shed some light on why the presidential race appears relatively stable.”
Those who follow the news from traditional outlets, the poll shows, generally tend to have a positive view of Biden. Kamisar then adds, “And although the sample size is small, those who don’t follow political news feel more positively about Trump and independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and more negatively about Biden.”
The poll was from 1,000 registered voters nationwide.
Calling an audible
Former NFL quarterbacks, from left, Matt Ryan, Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason. (AP Photo/File)
There’s a big shakeup coming to one of the signature NFL pregame shows. The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reports that Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms — both longtime NFL quarterbacks — are out at CBS’s “The NFL Today.” Meanwhile, former NFL quarterback Matt Ryan, who hasn’t played since 2022 and officially retired earlier this month, will join the program.
Ryan joins “The NFL Today” veteran host James Brown and returning analysts Nate Burleson and Bill Cowher. J.J. Watt will continue filling the role he did last season as a part-time analyst.
The moves come as no great shock. It had been rumored for a while that CBS was looking to tinker with a show that made its debut in 1975. Still, it is a different look. Esiason had been with CBS for 22 years. Simms was the network’s top game analyst for nearly 20 years before shifting to the studio in 2017.
I was a fan of Esiason’s work on “The NFL Today.” Then again, you can understand why CBS was looking to add former players who had played more recently than Esiason, who last played in 1997, and Simms, whose last NFL season was 1993.
Esiason will continue to co-host New York’s highly-rated WFAN radio morning show “Boomer and Gio” with Gregg Giannotti. That show is simulcast on CBS Sports Network. Esiason announced on that show Monday that he wasn’t returning to “The NFL Today,” but he had signed an extension with WFAN.
As far as “The NFL Today” part of it, Esiason said, “More their decision than maybe mine, but I really thought (last season’s) Super Bowl was my swan song.” He added, “I never in my wildest dreams (thought my time there) would have lasted 22 years. With all the people that I’ve worked with CBS and the ‘NFL Today’ it’s been an amazing run.”
Even more NFL broadcasting news
The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand also reported that recently-retired Jason Kelce, the brother of Chiefs tight and (and Taylor Swift boyfriend) Travis Kelce, will be a part of ESPN’s pregame show for “Monday Night Football.”
When Kelce, a longtime center for the Philadelphia Eagles, announced his retirement after last season, networks were lining up in an effort to sign him. He seems a natural for broadcasting, and has a fun (and quite good) podcast with his brother called “New Heights.”
Media tidbits
- For CNN, Holmes Lybrand and Dana Bash with “Hunter Biden demands that Fox News remove ‘intimate’ images from its platforms.”
- Semafor’s Max Tani with “The New Yorker’s succession race is kicking off.”
- Here’s a trailer for tonight’s episode of “Frontline” on PBS. In partnership with The Associated Press, “Frontline” looks at deaths that occurred after police used tactics like prone restraint and other “less-lethal force.” Also check out this interactive story and database.
- Check out Monday’s extra good “The Daily” podcast from The New York Times: “Trump 2.0: What a Second Trump Presidency Would Bring.” It features Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman, political correspondents for the Times, and Charlie Savage, who covers national security.
- Washington Post media critic Erik Wemple answers reader questions in “Why does these media publish these stupid stories? I’m answering your questions.”
- From earlier this month. The Boston Globe’s Aidan Ryan writes about a reporter from The Patriot Ledger: “The death of veteran reporter Fred Hanson is another blow to community journalism.” And from MassLive, Susannah Sudborough with “Mass. journalists mourn longtime Patriot Ledger reporter Fred Hanson.”
Hot type
Today’s Hot Type features two pieces from The Washington Post. First up, Greg Miller, Gerry Shih and Ellen Nakashima with “An assassination plot on American soil reveals a darker side of Modi’s India.”
The use of photos, videos, graphics and design are impressive in this superb piece from The Washington Post’s Chris Mooney, John Muyskens, Kevin Crowe and Brianna Sacks: “The new face of flooding.”
Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at tjones@poynter.org.
More resources for journalists
- Reporter’s Toolkit gives you the tools to succeed early in your career. Applications close Sunday.
- Beat Academy offers eight trainings for one low price.
- Work-Life Chemistry six-week newsletter course: Ditch work-life balance for a more sustainable approach.
- June’s Lead with Influence is for women and nonbinary leaders.
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