Political Influence and Media's Evolving Role in Sports and Culture - Episode Hero Image

Political Influence and Media's Evolving Role in Sports and Culture

The Press Box · · Listen to Original Episode →
Original Title:

TL;DR

  • Donald Trump's potential involvement in the CNN sale introduces a significant political influence, aiming to reshape the network's programming to align with his preferences, potentially impacting journalistic independence.
  • The proposed merger of CNN with CBS News under Paramount ownership, or a potential spin-off, signals a grim outlook for job security and the future viability of established cable news brands.
  • The media's intense focus on the College Football Playoff rankings, while generating engagement, incentivizes perpetual controversy and criticism, potentially overshadowing substantive analysis of the sport.
  • The narrative surrounding the Diddy documentary suggests a shift in how complex public figures are examined, leveraging extensive archival footage and candid interviews to explore character and allegations.
  • The evolution of post-game sports interviews, moving towards analysis of specific plays with the athlete, offers a more insightful and engaging alternative to generic responses, enhancing viewer understanding.
  • The continued financial viability of late-night television, exemplified by Jimmy Kimmel's contract extension, indicates a persistent advertising and promotional value, even as traditional viewership models shift.
  • The "Tell All Novella" series highlights the complex interplay between personal relationships, media scrutiny, and journalistic ethics, revealing the challenges of navigating public exposure and potential reputational damage.

Deep Dive

The future of CNN is entangled with potential ownership changes and Donald Trump's asserted influence, creating an uncertain landscape for the network and its employees. This situation highlights a broader trend of political figures attempting to shape media narratives and exert control over news organizations, potentially impacting journalistic independence and the media's role in public discourse.

The discussion around CNN's sale illustrates how political leverage can intersect with corporate transactions. Donald Trump's involvement, expressing a desire for new ownership and programming changes, suggests a continued effort to influence media outlets that he perceives as critical. This dynamic raises concerns about whether such interventions prioritize journalistic integrity or serve political agendas. The potential merger with CBS News under David Ellison's ownership, or spin-off into an independent entity, presents starkly different futures, both carrying the risk of significant job losses and a reshaping of established news brands. The argument that cable news is a contracting business, yet still subject to political maneuvering, underscores the complex interplay of declining traditional media models and enduring political influence.

Beyond CNN, the podcast touches on the evolving nature of sports journalism and athlete-media relations, exemplified by the interaction between Laura Rutledge and Justin Herbert. Rutledge's persistence in securing an interview with Herbert, who initially seemed reluctant, exposes the tension between journalistic necessity and an athlete's desire for privacy or post-game processing. Joel Anderson's proposed solution of integrating video highlights a potential avenue for more engaging and informative sports interviews, moving beyond rote questions to a more collaborative analysis of game moments. This reflects a broader challenge in sports media: how to balance traditional interview formats with the need for deeper insights in an era of readily available game footage.

The conversation also delves into the media's often lucrative role in generating controversy, particularly around the College Football Playoff rankings. The hosts argue that the media has a vested interest in "being mad" about the playoff system, as this fuels discussion and engagement. This perspective suggests that the outrage, whether organic or manufactured, serves as a critical driver for media consumption and content creation, turning disputes over rankings into a profitable enterprise for news outlets and personalities. The comparison to Oscar nominations underscores how the inherent subjectivity and potential for exclusion in ranking systems naturally create opportunities for debate and analysis, which the media readily exploits.

Finally, the deep dive into the Diddy documentary, 'Sean Combs: The Reckoning,' reveals a compelling exploration of a public figure's life and alleged transgressions. The documentary's strength lies in its extensive use of contemporary footage and interviews with a wide range of individuals, from childhood friends to jurors. This approach provides an intimate, albeit potentially biased, look at Combs's ascent and the serious allegations he faces. The discussion highlights how this documentary format, relying heavily on archival material and personal testimonies, has become a dominant mode for exploring complex public figures, often eschewing traditional narration to allow the subjects and their accusers to tell the story directly. The revelation of details like Diddy allegedly charging Biggie's family for his funeral, and the potential for jealousy to have fueled animosity towards Tupac, offer significant character insights. This documentary's success in peeling back layers of a carefully constructed public persona suggests a shift toward more critical and in-depth examinations of influential figures in entertainment.

Action Items

  • Audit media coverage of CNN: Identify 3-5 instances of bias or factual inaccuracies related to political figures (ref: Trump's commentary on CNN).
  • Analyze post-game interview structure: Propose 2-3 alternative formats that integrate player review of key plays (ref: Rutledge/Herbert interview discussion).
  • Evaluate media incentives for criticism: Document 3-5 examples where media outlets amplify controversy for engagement (ref: CFP rankings media reaction).
  • Track Diddy documentary impact: Monitor public and critical reception of the documentary's portrayal of allegations and legal proceedings.
  • Assess media's role in public discourse: Identify 2-3 instances where media narratives shape public perception of complex issues (ref: Diddy documentary, CFP rankings).

Related Episodes

Key Quotes

"warner brothers discovery is trying to sell its movie assets and hbo to netflix this is option number one joel and if the netflix deal goes through well that's good news for cnn i guess it's good news because netflix does not want cnn this is where we are with cable news in general we're not wanted counts as good news because at that point then they get to be spun off with tnt and all these other cable assets and they get to try to go it alone and ms now ms now style and your reward is if you get the quote unquote good option is that you get to try to figure out the problem of how we make money with cable in 2025 and beyond without the attachment to life support of batman movies harry potter movies all that kind of stuff that's your reward again that's the good option"

Bryan Curtis explains that under one potential sale scenario for Warner Brothers Discovery, CNN being spun off with other cable assets is considered the "good option." This interpretation highlights the precarious state of cable news, where avoiding acquisition by a company that doesn't want it is framed as a positive outcome. The core challenge, as Bryan Curtis notes, is figuring out how to monetize cable news in the future without relying on major movie franchises for support.

"the thing that we know is that he doesn't like any news that he doesn't approve of right like that's that's the thing and so i would have i would have thought that in recent months maybe the last couple of years that cnn had started trending towards something that donald trump approved more of i mean i've certainly seen more scott jennings clips uh in the past year than i'd ever planned on seeing before correct um and so i i mean i think there is new editorial leadership over there and it's maybe not exactly fox or certainly not you know oan but i would have assumed that it would have been okay but again nothing is good enough for him right and so yeah like he's going to he's going to figure out a way to have everything bend towards his preferences in terms of media coverage"

Joel Anderson observes that Donald Trump's criticism of news outlets stems from a fundamental dislike of anything not aligned with his approval. Joel Anderson suggests that despite potential shifts in CNN's editorial direction, such as increased inclusion of figures like Scott Jennings, Trump's standards are exceptionally high. The core point Joel Anderson makes is that Trump consistently seeks to shape media coverage to his personal preferences, regardless of any changes made by the outlets themselves.

"i mean it's it's always awkward like though i mean how often in your life have you ever seen somebody extremely excited to talk to a reporter after the game like sometimes it happens besides fernando mendoza oh man fernando mendoza just can't wait man but he couldn't flip and wait to talk to the reporter he's gassed yeah he is so god dogged god dogged gosh darn it uh excited about it but yeah i mean the thing is and you're always sort of aware of that and i'm sure you've been in this situation before brian when you're in a in a even even in a circumstance where a guy he's won but not had a good game and justin herbert did not have a good game he was 12 for 26 for 139 a pick and a touchdown ran for 66 yards but i mean he probably is thinking about how bad he played and yeah i'm sure he did want to celebrate with his teammates so it happened i don't think it has to be you know there has to be a referendum on this right no"

Joel Anderson reflects on the common awkwardness of post-game interviews, noting that athletes are rarely enthusiastic about speaking with reporters. Joel Anderson points out that even when a team wins, as the Chargers did with Justin Herbert, the quarterback's poor individual performance likely made him disinclined to engage. The core idea Joel Anderson conveys is that while interviews are a journalistic necessity, the athlete's emotional state and performance significantly influence their willingness and ability to participate meaningfully.

"my idea is why don't we do this basically every game i mean even as poorly or mediocre as herbert was there he did lead an overtime drive to win the game he did have big runs in that game show a couple of those get those cued up and then just have him talk us through it because that is the stuff the print people are going to be asking in a couple of minutes anyway that's right here you can actually marry it to video and it's cool right like that's it's a better question than what did this mean to you how important how big was the defensive performance and all that stuff you hear in a post game you actually get hard information is the reason that doesn't happen because it's more logistically impossible more logistically difficult than you think"

Bryan Curtis proposes an innovative approach to post-game interviews, suggesting that players should discuss specific plays shown on video. Bryan Curtis argues this method would yield more concrete information than standard questions about the game's meaning or defensive performance. The core concept Bryan Curtis presents is that by integrating video playback into the interview, reporters can elicit detailed insights from athletes, making the interaction more informative and engaging for viewers.

"and i think something that has gotten ignored is there's an enormous amount of incentive for all media people here from your national media people to your message board people to be mad at the playoff right we needed to just go ahead and admit this and it's not to say that there aren't things to be mad at mostly i think procedural things this time around because there aren't really many good arguments to be mad at the actual field that the committee came up with right but my thing is like you have to understand we have to be honest with you know people that are listening or reading us and say you know being mad is very lucrative for us in the media where it comes to the college football playoff how many people would pay attention if we were just like you know it seems like that was the right thing to do the podcast would be over often yeah it's like all right well yeah let's break down the games you know i think that's important and to me it's a little bit like oscar nominations that every single year if you're like you know the academy not not bad your podcast would would end because there would be nothing to talk about so the we are incentivized again it doesn't mean we're wrong all the time but dude like the people covering college football now of a certain age which is to say my age and your age they were mad at the bowls right they were mad at the bcs right they were mad at the 14 playoff when they eliminated teams like unbeaten florida state and now they're mad at the 12 team playoff and their careers have grown the whole way so yeah of course they're mad now of course they're going to pick something to be mad at because that's that's the button you push right now that is what works if you're in the media"

Resources

External Resources

Books

  • "Sean Combs: The Reckoning" - Mentioned as a Netflix documentary series.

Articles & Papers

  • "Trump and CNN’s Fate, Another Telos-Novela, and the New Diddy Documentary" (The Press Box) - Episode title.
  • "Telos-Novela" (Ryan Lizza's Substack) - Discussed as a series of posts detailing a personal relationship.
  • "The Press Box" (Podcast) - The primary medium for the discussion.
  • "The Biggie and Tupac" (Slate) - Mentioned as a previous series produced by one of the hosts.
  • "Sean Combs: The Reckoning" (Netflix) - Mentioned as a documentary series.
  • "June 17th, 1994" (ESPN 30 for 30) - Referenced as an example of a documentary without a narrator.
  • "The Atlantic City Newspaper" - Mentioned in relation to local newspapers.
  • "The Atlantic" - Mentioned as a publication that publishes profiles.
  • "Status" (Newsletter) - Mentioned as a newsletter run by Oliver Darcy.

People

  • Donald Trump - Mentioned in relation to negotiations for CNN's sale and his opinions on media coverage.
  • David Ellison - Mentioned as Paramount's potential buyer of Warner Brothers Discovery and his assurances to Trump.
  • Barry Weiss - Mentioned as someone who might run merged CNN and CBS News.
  • Laura Rutledge - Mentioned as an ESPN sideline reporter who interviewed Justin Herbert.
  • Justin Herbert - Mentioned as a quarterback interviewed after a game.
  • Scott Jennings - Mentioned as an example of someone hired by CNN.
  • Abby Phillip - Mentioned as a CNN host.
  • Van Jones - Mentioned as a CNN host.
  • Jake Tapper - Mentioned as a CNN host.
  • Don Lemon - Mentioned as a former CNN host.
  • Anderson Cooper - Mentioned as a CNN host.
  • Joe Flint - Mentioned as a Wall Street Journal reporter.
  • Brian Schwartz - Mentioned as a Wall Street Journal reporter.
  • Natalie Andrews - Mentioned as a Wall Street Journal reporter.
  • Bob Iger - Mentioned in relation to Disney and ABC.
  • Jimmy Kimmel - Mentioned in relation to his new contract with ABC.
  • Stephen Colbert - Mentioned in relation to his contract ending.
  • Conan O'Brien - Mentioned as a past late-night host.
  • John Stewart - Mentioned as a late-night host who continued making political commentary.
  • Tim Alberta - Mentioned as an author of profiles.
  • Josh Shapiro - Mentioned as someone who received a profile.
  • Stephen A. Smith - Mentioned as a potential candidate.
  • Olivia Nuzzi - Mentioned in relation to a personal relationship and its media fallout.
  • Ryan Lizza - Mentioned as the author of "Telos-Novela" detailing a personal relationship.
  • Mark Widdicci - Mentioned as a New York Magazine editor.
  • David Haskell - Mentioned as an editor at New York Magazine.
  • Rachel Adler - Mentioned in relation to work done on her behalf.
  • Oliver Darcy - Mentioned as a reporter for the "Status" newsletter.
  • Kara Swisher - Mentioned as someone who texted Ryan Lizza.
  • Max Tanning - Mentioned as someone who tweeted about book sales.
  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) - Mentioned in relation to a relationship and its media fallout.
  • Dez - Mentioned as the three-year-old son of one of the hosts.
  • Marcus Freeman - Mentioned as a coach.
  • Scott Frost - Mentioned as a former quarterback for Nebraska.
  • Charles Woodson - Mentioned as a player for Michigan.
  • Sean Combs (Diddy) - Mentioned as the subject of a Netflix documentary.
  • 50 Cent - Mentioned as an executive producer of the Diddy documentary and a long-time antagonist of Diddy.
  • Biggie Smalls (The Notorious B.I.G.) - Mentioned in relation to his murder and his relationship with Diddy.
  • Tupac Shakur - Mentioned in relation to his murder and Diddy's potential involvement.
  • Cassie Ventura - Mentioned in relation to her relationship with Diddy.
  • Bruce Baldwin - Mentioned as the producer of the podcast.
  • Shoemaker - Mentioned as a co-host.
  • Fernando Mendoza - Mentioned as a player who enjoyed talking to reporters.
  • Drew Lock - Mentioned as a quarterback who had a post-game interview.
  • Lisa Salters - Mentioned as a colleague of Laura Rutledge.
  • James Madison - Mentioned as a college football team.
  • Tulane - Mentioned as a college football team.
  • Florida State - Mentioned as a college football team.
  • Alabama - Mentioned as a college football team.
  • Georgia - Mentioned as a college football team.
  • James Lipton - Mentioned as a host of a show where Diddy appeared.
  • Mark Curry - Mentioned as a rapper and a guest on the podcast.
  • Jason England - Mentioned as a music writer and academic.
  • Kurt Burrowes - Mentioned as someone who helped start Bad Boy Records.
  • Robert Patterson (Tim Dog) - Mentioned as a childhood friend of Diddy.
  • Julianne Moore - Mentioned as a narrator of a New Yorker documentary.
  • Cheo Hodari Coker - Mentioned as a hip-hop journalist.

Organizations & Institutions

  • CNN - Mentioned in relation to its potential sale and future ownership.
  • Warner Brothers Discovery - Mentioned as the entity selling its assets, including CNN.
  • Netflix - Mentioned as a potential buyer of Warner Brothers Discovery assets and as the platform for the Diddy documentary.
  • Paramount - Mentioned as a potential buyer of Warner Brothers Discovery assets.
  • CBS News - Mentioned in relation to potential mergers with CNN.
  • Fox News - Mentioned as a comparison to CNN's editorial direction.
  • OAN (One America News Network) - Mentioned as a comparison to CNN's editorial direction.
  • Truth Social - Mentioned as a media platform associated with Donald Trump.
  • ESPN - Mentioned as the broadcaster of the Laura Rutledge interview and the CFP rankings show.
  • ABC - Mentioned as the network that airs Jimmy Kimmel's show.
  • Disney - Mentioned in relation to ABC.
  • New York Magazine - Mentioned in relation to Olivia Nuzzi and Ryan Lizza's story.
  • Vanity Fair - Mentioned in relation to Olivia Nuzzi.
  • The Atlantic - Mentioned as a publication.
  • The Wall Street Journal - Mentioned as a publication.
  • The New York Post - Mentioned as a publication.
  • The Journal - Mentioned as a publication.
  • The Orange County Register - Mentioned as a newspaper.
  • The Los Angeles Times - Mentioned as a newspaper.
  • The Ringer - Mentioned in relation to a deal with Netflix and as the podcast network.
  • Spotify - Mentioned in relation to a deal with Netflix.
  • Chargers - Mentioned as a football team.
  • Eagles - Mentioned as a football team.
  • Cowboys - Mentioned as a football team.
  • NFL (National Football League) - Mentioned in relation to player interviews.
  • NBA TV - Mentioned as a sports broadcasting channel.
  • The Atlantic City Newspaper - Mentioned as a local newspaper.
  • The Atlantic - Mentioned as a publication.
  • The New Yorker - Mentioned as a publication.
  • The Ringer - Mentioned as the podcast network.
  • The Press Box - Mentioned as the podcast name.
  • Bad Boy Records - Mentioned in relation to Diddy's music label.
  • Death Row Records - Mentioned in relation to a rivalry with Bad Boy Records.
  • Slate - Mentioned as a previous employer of a host.
  • The Ringer - Mentioned as the podcast network.
  • ESPN - Mentioned as the broadcaster of the CFP rankings show.
  • The Atlantic - Mentioned as a publication.
  • Nebraska - Mentioned as a college football team.
  • Michigan - Mentioned as a college football team.
  • Boise State - Mentioned as a college football team.
  • James Madison - Mentioned as a college football team.
  • Tulane - Mentioned as a college football team.
  • ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) - Mentioned in relation to conference championship determination.
  • Duke - Mentioned as a college football team.
  • Oregon - Mentioned as a college football team.
  • Florida State - Mentioned as a college football team.
  • Texas - Mentioned as a college football team.
  • Amazon - Mentioned as a sender of packages.

Tools & Software

  • Substack - Mentioned as a platform for newsletters and content creation.
  • YouTube - Mentioned as a platform for content creation.

Podcasts & Audio

  • The Press Box - Mentioned as the podcast being discussed.
  • Tailgate - Mentioned as a podcast.

Other Resources

  • Free Business Internet Advantage - Mentioned as an offer from Spectrum Business.
  • Revitalift Triple Power Moisturizer - Mentioned as a skincare product by L'Oréal Paris.
  • Vitamin C, Pro Retinol, Hyaluronic Acid - Mentioned as ingredients in a skincare product.
  • SPF 30 - Mentioned as a feature of a skincare product.
  • Spectrum.com/freeforlife - Mentioned as a website for an offer.
  • CFP (College Football Playoff) - Mentioned in relation to rankings and media reactions.
  • YOLO Book of Flood - Mentioned as a recurring segment.
  • Bookscan - Mentioned as a source for book sales data.
  • Measles outbreak in South Carolina - Mentioned in relation to RFK Jr.'s agenda.
  • Game day spread - Mentioned in relation to Boar's Head products.
  • Blazing Buffalo Chicken Dip - Mentioned as a Boar's Head product.
  • Holiday Rum Cake - Mentioned as a seasonal dessert from Whole Foods Market.
  • Bone-in Spiral Cut Ham - Mentioned as a holiday main from Whole Foods Market.
  • Bone-in Rib Roast - Mentioned as a holiday main from Whole Foods Market.
  • **Seasonal Candles from

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