Sorry seems to be the hardest word. Well, it’s rare, anyway, in Rupert Murdoch’s media world.

That’s what made Wednesday’s news so surprising.

As expected, Murdoch’s British newspapers division, News Group Newspapers, reached a settlement with Prince Harry and a former political leader in the United Kingdom. Harry and Tom Watson, a former deputy leader of the Labour Party, were suing Murdoch’s London tabloids for alleged unlawful gathering of information, which included allegations of phone hacking and using private investigators to unlawfully dig up dirt.

What wasn’t expected was NGN offering Harry “a full and unequivocal apology.” The apology was “for the serious intrusion by The Sun between 1996 and 2011 into his private life, including incidents of unlawful activities carried out by private investigators working for The Sun.” NGN also admitted Harry “being placed under surveillance in 2009 by journalists at The News of the World and those instructed by them.”

The New York Times’ Mark Landler wrote, “It was the first time News Group has admitted wrongdoing involving that paper.”

The apology was just getting started. NGN also apologized for “the impact on him of the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales, his late mother, in particular during his younger years. We acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused to the Duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family.”

CNN’s Brian Stelter wrote, “The move was especially striking because it came at the behest of Murdoch, the hard-charging magnate who has wielded his papers like weapons for decades. Murdoch is not exactly a man known for apologizing. His pugnacious media brands tend to resist any whiff of weakness or wrongdoing. When Murdoch’s Fox News Channel was sued for defamation by Dominion Voting Systems over lies about the 2020 U.S. election, Fox settled for a whopping $787.5 million, but did not say sorry.”

However, The Washington Post’s Karla Adam and William Booth noted, “The NGN apology did not address the allegation that senior Murdoch company executives had engaged in a coverup. In their statement Wednesday, Harry and Watson repeated that allegation, asserting that ‘senior executives deliberately obstructed justice by deleting over 30 million emails, destroying back-up tapes and making false denials — all in the face of an on-going police investigation. They then repeatedly lied under oath to cover their tracks.’”

Adam and Booth added, “NGN had ‘strongly denied’ that narrative in pretrial proceedings, and said Wednesday that ‘extensive evidence would have been called in trial to rebut these allegations from senior staff from technology and legal.’”

And, oh, there was a financial settlement, too. NGN said it was a “substantial amount.” While no numbers were announced, there are reports that it was eight figures.

While this particular case might be over, Harry’s fight against the press likely is far from over.

Sky News royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills wrote, “We know Harry still has significant issues with how he feels he is treated by the press now, and he’s spoken of feeling that he and Meghan have faced intimidation from the papers, because of his decision to pursue them in the courts. This will be a moment to celebrate, both with the extent of the apology and a chance to publicly shout for further investigations. But knowing the man Harry is, and his conviction to do what he thinks is morally right, it is unlikely to be the end of what has always been the most personal of crusades.”

CNN layoffs?

CNBC’s Alex Sherman reports that “CNN plans to lay off hundreds of employees Thursday as it refocuses the business around a global digital audience, according to people familiar with the matter. The layoffs come as CNN is rearranging its linear TV lineup and building out digital subscription products. The cuts will help CNN lower production costs and consolidate teams, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic changes.”

Sherman also reported that the cuts won’t affect CNN’s most recognizable names.

The right call from the right

The Wall Street Journal editorial board, which generally leans right, blasted President Donald Trump over his Jan. 6 pardons in an editorial titled, “Trump Pardons the Jan. 6 Cop Beaters.”

The board wrote, “This is a rotten message from a President about political violence done on his behalf and it’s a bait and switch.”

The board was referring to Trump previously saying he would look at it on a case-by-case basis. But Trump pardoned nearly all the people who rioted that day. That included those convicted of (and some were seen on video) punching law enforcement (including one using brass knuckles), using a stun gun on a police officer, spraying wasp and hornet killer at police and hitting police with a hockey stick.

The Journal’s board wrote, “There are more like this, which everyone understood on Jan. 6 and shortly afterward. ‘There is nothing patriotic about what is occurring on Capitol Hill,’ one GOP official tweeted. ‘This is 3rd world style anti-American anarchy.; That was Marco Rubio, now Mr. Trump’s Secretary of State. He was right. What happened that day is a stain on Mr. Trump’s legacy. By setting free the cop beaters, the President adds another.”

Meanwhile, the editors of the conservative National Review wrote, “Societies must resist disorder, riots, political violence, and mob rule. They can and must use the criminal justice system to punish those who engage in such acts. The more dramatic the offense, the greater the case for exemplary punishment.”

They added, “Trump may calculate that Americans have moved on from January 6, that those in favor of the pardons cared a lot more than those who criticized them, and that he could bury the news amidst the whirlwind of activity in the start of his administration. Perhaps his conscience, too, bothered him as so many were punished for following his lead on that fateful day. But if even one of the pardoned defendants commits an act of political violence in the future, he could live to rue this act. Even if he doesn’t, it is a poor start for an administration that has pledged to end the partisanship of law enforcement and restore public order.”

An R-rated message

Speaking of the Jan. 6 pardons, former D.C. Metro police officer Michael Fanone had a very R-rated on-air message for Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, whose 18-year sentence was commuted by Trump.

During an appearance on CNN on Wednesday, Fanone was shown a clip of Rhodes saying he had no regrets leading up to Jan. 6. Rhodes told reporters after his release from jail, “Because we did the right thing. We were there to protect Trump supporters from antifa. The guys that went inside were not committing violence. They helped police.”

When asked for a comment, Fanone told anchor Pamela Brown, “Yeah, I mean, this is what I would say to Stewart Rhodes: ‘Go (expletive) yourself. You’re a liar.’”

Brown was visibly surprised by Fanone’s comment and said, “OK. We didn’t obviously get to bleep that word out … but obviously this is personal to you, Michael. This is very personal to you.

During the Jan. 6  insurrection, Fanone, a D.C. Metro police officer at the time, was dragged into the crowd by rioters. He was beaten and shocked with a stun gun device. The five men charged in the attack were among those pardoned by Trump.

After the pardons, Fanone sought protective orders against the five men — all of whom pleaded guilty to assaulting him. Fanone said at the time, “I feel betrayed by my country.”

Meanwhile, Axios’ Sareen Habeshian reports, “Police union that endorsed Trump blasts Jan. 6 pardons.”

Sharing her view

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde leads the national prayer service attended by President Donald Trump at the Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

On Tuesday, Trump attended the traditional inaugural prayer service at Washington National Cathedral. During her sermon, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde said to Trump, “I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives.”

The New York Times’ Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Tim Balk and Erica L. Green wrote, “The direct appeal to Mr. Trump, at the start of the first full day of his presidency, was a remarkable moment. Twenty-four hours after he had reclaimed the highest office in the land, summoning tech billionaires as witnesses and pulling off a sweeping display of power by signing a flurry of executive orders, he was suddenly confronted by an extraordinary act of public resistance from an unlikely source: a soft-spoken bishop.”

Budde also told Trump, “The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here.”

Yet, even people of God, asking for empathy, cannot escape Trump’s pettiness and wrath. On Wednesday, Trump posted on his Truth Social, “The so-called Bishop who spoke at the National Prayer Service on Tuesday morning was a Radical Left hard line Trump hater. She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way. She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart. She failed to mention the large number of illegal migrants that came into our Country and killed people. Many were deposited from jails and mental institutions. It is a giant crime wave that is taking place in the USA. Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job! She and her church owe the public an apology!”

Yes, the president of the United States said that.

(And this needs to be mentioned, too: The Daily Beast’s Janna Brancolini wrote, “In fact, violent crime has plummeted over the past three years, according to ABC News, and research shows undocumented immigrants commit far fewer crimes than people born in the U.S.” Also check out PolitiFact’s Jeff Cercone, who wrote last September: “What’s behind recent false claims about immigrants and crime?”)

The Times wrote, “Mr. Trump, seated in the first row of pews in the towering Washington National Cathedral, looked down and then away. Vice President JD Vance raised his eyebrows and looked several times at his wife, Usha Vance, who kept her gaze trained ahead on the bishop. When Bishop Budde finished, Mr. Trump said something to Mr. Vance, who shook his head in apparent irritation. Members of the Trump family seated directly behind them appeared to look at one another, noticeably perturbed. Eric Trump, Mr. Trump’s middle son, shook his head.”

After the service, Trump told reporters, “What did you think? Did you like it? Did you find it exciting? Not too exciting, was it? I didn’t think it was a good service, no.”

On Wednesday, Bishop Budde appeared on ABC’s “The View.” She said, “I wanted to emphasize respecting the honor and dignity of every human being, basic honesty and humility and then I also realized that unity requires a certain degree of mercy — mercy and compassion and understanding. I was trying to speak a truth that I felt needed to be said, but to do it as respectful and kind a way as I could. And also to bring other voices into the conversation … voices that had not been heard in the public space for some time.”

Detroit Free Press will shut down its printing plant

For this item, I turned it over to Poynter media business analyst Rick Edmonds.

The Detroit Free Press announced Wednesday that it is exiting the printing business, closing its press operations in August. That will be at the cost of 115 jobs. The huge plant prints 32 publications, the Free Press reported, along with locally distributed versions of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. The Free Press work will be distributed to other plants in Michigan and adjacent states.

Of particular note is that Gannett’s Free Press is part of a joint operating agreement with The Detroit News, owned by MediaNews Group, which in turn is owned by investment fund Alden Global Capital. That means each owns its newsroom but business functions including printing are pooled. Each has scaled back to three days a week of print home delivery as the emphasis shifts to building digital.

The agreement expires at the end of the year, and there has been no indication of whether it will be renewed. Though Las Vegas and York, Pennsylvania, have scaled back, Detroit’s JOA is the last survivor of the original 28, authorized in 1970 legislation when preserving two-newspaper towns was a priority, and Congress decided to help.

Brady to return?

Tom Brady sure sounds like he’s returning to the broadcast booth next season.

The former NFL superstar is wrapping up his rookie season as the lead NFL game analyst for Fox Sports. But he has two huge games left: Sunday’s NFL Championship Game and then the Super Bowl on Feb. 9. That broadcast, which will be seen by well over 100 million people, will conclude the first season of Brady’s massive 10-year, $375-million deal with Fox Sports.

It’s hard to find anyone who believes that Brady will fulfill the whole 10 years of his deal. The real question is how long he will stay. Brady has shown flashes of being really good as an announcer, but overall, he has had mixed reviews. He does seem to be getting better each week and his performance last weekend calling the Commanders-Lions playoff game was his best so far.

Further complicating matters is that Brady has a minority ownership stake in the Las Vegas Raiders, and that has raised legitimate questions about a conflict of interest.

On Wednesday’s Colin Cowherd show, which is for Fox Sports 1, Brady was asked about rumors that he won’t be back next season as an announcer.

Brady said, “Yeah, I don’t know where it comes from. I know it says, ‘Sources close to Brady’ or whatever, but I’ve had the best time.”

Brady went on to say, “I’ve loved kind of just the whole process and diving into all these different teams. It’s been a lot of growth for me in one year. And I really can’t see, can’t wait to see what it looks like in year two and way beyond that too. So I got nine years left on my deal. Maybe longer. You never know. If Fox wants me and I want to go we’ll just keep going because it’s been really fun thus far.”

So that sounds like he’s returning, but then again, what would you expect him to say when put on the spot on live TV/radio? My guess is he will return for season two, but I’m still doubtful he will be calling football games in nine years.

Back on the court

Mike Tirico, shown here in 2021. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

The NBA is returning to NBC Sports next season for the first time since 2002, and the network is putting in its top play-by-play announcer to call the biggest games. Mike Tirico, NBC’s Olympic prime-time host and the play-by-play announcer on “Sunday Night Football,” will be the lead announcer on NBC Sports’ NBA coverage.

It also is a return to basketball for Tirico, who called NBA games for ESPN from 2002 to 2016.

Tirico said in a statement, “My 15 years of chronicling the best basketball players in the world still stands as one of the highlights of my career. Like so many others, my love of the league took hold during the unforgettable days of the NBA on NBC back in the ’90s. The chance to be a part of the team bringing that iconic partnership back to life has us incredibly excited.”

Tirico’s NBA work next season won’t get into full swing until late in the season — after he is done with “Sunday Night Football” and the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games. But he will call select games prior to that time, including the NBA season opener in October 2025.

Jamal Crawford, who played 20 seasons in the NBA, already has been named NBC’s lead NBA game analyst.

Media tidbits

• Deadline’s Ted Johnson with “Donald Trump Nominates L. Brent Bozell III To Lead U.S. Agency For Global Media.” This is a bit disconcerting, since Bozell is the founder of the conservative watchdog group Media Research Center, and the U.S. Agency for Global Media oversees U.S. broadcast entities such as Voice of America and Radio Free Europe.
• The New York Times’ Mike Isaac with “Why You Might Suddenly Be Following Trump on Instagram and Facebook.”
• A Milwaukee TV weather reporter is out of a job a day after going on social media and criticizing Elon Musk for what looked like a Nazi salute. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Daniel Bice and Mary Spicuzza have the details.
• Nielsen reports that 24.58 million tuned into the Trump inauguration. That’s down 27% (33,760,000) from Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021 and down nearly 20% (30,635,000) from Trump’s first inauguration in 2017.
• For Bloomberg, Davey Alba, Leon Yin, Julia Love, Ashley Carman, Priyanjana Bengani, Rachael Dottle and Elena Mejía with “The Second Trump Presidency, Brought to You by YouTubers. Podcasters including Joe Rogan, Theo Von and Logan Paul are mobilizing America’s men to lean right. An analysis of over 2,000 videos shows how.”
• The Chicago Sun-Times’ David Roeder with “Sun-Times owner seeks voluntary buyouts from the newsroom.” Roeder’s story says, “The nonprofit owner of the Chicago Sun-Times is calling for staff reductions that will fall heavily on the publication’s newsroom employees. The cutbacks could be the deepest Chicago Public Media has ordered since it absorbed the Sun-Times in 2022.”
• Boston Globe Media has acquired Boston Magazine, the monthly glossy that has lifestyle features and investigative pieces. According to the official release, “all members of the team from Boston Magazine were extended offers to continue in their roles.” The Boston Globe’s Aidan Ryan has more, as does Media Nation’s Dan Kennedy.
• There will be no “60 Minutes” this week on CBS. It is being preempted by the AFC Championship Game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.
• For Poynter, Nicole Carroll with “A university steps in with a new model for preserving local news.”
• Awful Announcing’s Ben Axelrod with “USA Today’s Dan Wolken says Notre Dame players threatened him after national title game.”
• Pete Medhurst, a longtime radio broadcaster for Navy athletics, has died. He was 55. Medhurst had surgery in October for a brain tumor. Medhurst was the voice of Navy football for the past 12 years and had been with the Navy Radio Network since 1997, calling a variety of sports. Here’s more from Navy athletics.

Hot type

• The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Alex Coffey with “His eyes and mind have been spared by ALS. Pat Behan uses them to coach basketball at Bucknell.”
• For The New York Times, Bruce Schoenfeld writes about former ESPN NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, who left his lucrative career to go work for St. Bonaventure University basketball: “Why Did ‘Woj’ Take a 99% Pay Cut? To Save the Team He Loves.”

More resources for journalists

• The application deadline to apply for Peak Producing is tomorrow, Friday. Jan. 24. Apply now.
• Gain a deeper understanding of Polarization in America and Christian Nationalism. Enroll now.
• The 2025 Poynter Journalism Prizes contest is open for entries. The early bird deadline is Jan. 31. Submit your entry today.
• Learn how to cover critical issues surrounding child protection and the foster care system. Apply by Feb. 14.

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

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