From the Beast’s media desk

EXCLUSIVE —  AILES VERSUS FOX: While Fox News weathers multiple scandals of its own making, Elizabeth Ailes, widow of the network’s infamous creator and fallen CEO Roger Ailes, tells Confider: “Karma is a bitch.” Roger would’ve been 77 today, and to mark the occasion, Elizabeth tweeted a pic in tribute to him, alongside a scathing caption: “It took you 20 years to build Fox News into the powerhouse that it was and only 6 years for the Murdochs to wreak havoc. Rupert thought he could do your job. What a joke. He has the checkbook but could never come close to your genius.” Confider saw that tweet and immediately cold-called Elizabeth, who then spent a half-hour absolutely railing against the Murdoch family and their handling of a post-Ailes Fox News. According to her, none of the network’s troubles—including its 2020 election crisis after calling Arizona for Biden, the Dominion election-lies lawsuit, or Tucker Carlson’s firing—would have ever occurred had the Murdochs not fired her late husband amid multiple sexual-harassment allegations. “Roger never had his hand off the wheel when it came to Fox,” she explained, contrasting it with the Murdochs, who she said “weren’t born here and don’t have the same pedigree.” She mocked current News Corp CEO Lachlan Murdoch, saying, “I was told he’s a spear fisherman, I don’t know if he spends time in the office,” and recalling how Roger used to refer to brothers James Murdoch and Lachlan as “Tweedle Dumb” and “Tweedle Dumber,” respectively.  But she saved most of her ire for the patriarch, Rupert Murdoch, whom she described as a “jealous man” who fired her husband because “Roger eclipsed Rupert on the world stage.” She further likened Carlson’s firing to her late husband’s ouster, claiming the Murdochs “figured out how to chop off his head” when he became too big. “That’s what the Murdochs did to Roger, Bill O’Reilly, Eric Bolling, and they did it to Tucker.” She recalled a time when Rupert “sought solace in my house” after discovering then-wife Wendi Deng’s alleged affair with British PM Tony Blair. She did her best Murdoch impression while recounting how he only wanted to eat sushi instead of her selections of tomato soup and bologna sandwiches; and how he would “nod off” on her “beautiful recliners.” Elsewhere, she fired off choice insults for Loudest Voice in the Room author Gabriel Sherman (“I don’t think he’s a journalist”), Geraldo Rivera (a “dumbass” who’d often “ruin our vacations” from afar with his antics), and Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott (“talented” but a #MeToo gender diversity hire). Ultimately, Elizabeth concluded rather ominously for Fox’s sake: “As one empire falls, maybe another will rise.” A rep for Fox News did not respond to a request for comment. 

EXCLUSIVE —  CNN TOWN HALL FALLOUT CONTINUES: CNN boss Chris Licht’s extreme sensitivity to any negative press coverage of his reign, and his resulting attempt to intimidate the network’s top media reporter in the wake of the disastrous Trump town hall, has greatly alarmed staffers. Less than a year after Brian Stelter was shown the door, Oliver Darcy’s reported dressing down is an inflection point that CNN talent, executives, and staffers who spoke with Confider over the last few days said has marked an especially dark chapter of Licht’s now yearlong tenure. As Puck first reported, Licht pulled aside Darcy and his Reliable Sources editor Jon Passantino to scold the pair for their newsletter’s highly critical coverage of the town hall’s “spectacle of lies” aired by CNN—an internal version of the intensely negative reviews that incensed Licht. The meeting took place shortly after a Thursday morning editorial call in which Licht unsubtly took a swipe at Darcy. The media reporter was “visibly shaken” after the meeting because Licht and other execs had “put the fear of God into him” and told him his coverage was “too emotional,” Puck’s sources claimed. According to multiple people familiar with the meeting, Darcy openly pushed back on the “emotional” characterization during the meeting and vigorously defended his reporting as accurate based on internal discord over the town hall. Another network source, meanwhile, characterized the meeting as essentially a healthy debate that didn’t grow overtly hostile. Licht was the main antagonist in the meeting, according to three people familiar with the matter, while CNN’s editorial VP Virginia Moseley and global news SVP Rachel Smolkin remained neutral and mostly quiet throughout the boss’ lecture. While CNN employees were already troubled by the CEO’s actions after Puck’s story on Friday, it was a Fox News Digital follow-up article, in which an anonymous Licht ally claimed CNN staffers were “appalled” by Darcy, that appears to have been a bridge too far for many. “People are really bothered,” one CNN executive told Confider, noting that their phone had been ringing off the hook from network employees “flipping out” over the situation. “I heard zero complaints about Darcy’s newsletter—in fact, the opposite. People were glad someone was calling this out,” a CNN on-air personality added. “And it’s a terrible look that he’s being muzzled or intimidated simply for saying what everyone is thinking. He’s not in PR. He’s a journalist.” Darcy had previously told colleagues that he has contemplated resigning from CNN over this incident, which a network spokesperson now tells Confider is not happening. Meanwhile, CNN insiders said Licht has been spending an inordinately large amount of time around The Atlantic reporter Tim Alberta, who is profiling the executive after his first year in office. Alberta was in the audience for the Trump town hall, which was described to Confider as “our Chernobyl” by one CNN staffer, as CNN spin doctors work overtime hoping to generate a glowing profile of the boss. All the while, the network fell to fourth place in cable news primetime ratings on Friday night, just two days after the Trump town hall, falling behind MAGA channel Newsmax. As for Darcy, he hasn’t posted to social media since the day of the meeting, and didn’t respond to requests for comment on Monday but is scheduled to publish his newsletter on Monday night.

EXCLUSIVE — DON’T SHOOT THE MESSENGER: Digital media startup The Messenger got off to a bit of a rocky start on Monday. While the Jimmy Finkelstein-owned site launched with an “exclusive” interview with former President Donald Trump and a buzzy piece about convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh, much of the online chatter focused on The Messenger’s seemingly clunky rollout. For instance, observers noticed how ex-NBC reporter Marc Caputo’s Trump interview page featured a loud autoplay ad and pop-ups. As the site’s top editor Dan Wakeford welcomed readers to the “impartial and objective news” outlet, ads for the American Petroleum Institute were pasted all over the site. “Our only ad is from the American Fucking Petroleum Institute,” one reporter said. “That is about as shitty as it gets.” In fact, the inundation of cheap-looking programmatic ads on the site also drew a lot of attention—especially as The Messenger tells prospective sponsors that their “more emotionally connected editorial environment translated to greater engagement for our advertisers.” While Finkelstein and president Richard Beckman have promised investors $100 million in ad revenue in its first full year, advertisers have expressed skepticism, wondering whether The Messenger is “another Quibi,” a reference to the video site that crashed and burned after raising more than a billion dollars from Hollywood and tech companies. Suffice to say, The Messenger seems to be figuring out its kinks very publicly, as critics have derisively noted how the site seems to be mostly flooding the zone with SEO-friendly aggregation and clickbait despite its high-minded promises to “change journalism” with things like “polyperspectivity.” One widely mocked article merely posted a tweet from financier George Soros along with one brief sentence. Hours later, a single paragraph was added. The internal criticism over that piece in particular, sources told Confider, further exposed ongoing tensions between the digital/breaking-news staffers and veteran magazine staffers, led by Wakeford and others he brought aboard, whom insiders claimed aren’t well-versed in the intricacies and metabolism of a digital outlet. Even before Monday, that divide had been growing, our sources said, especially after the social-media team had to delete a Vatican news tweet that mistakenly featured a goofy, clearly fake AI image of Pope Francis in a white puffer jacket. Despite it being just Day One, with growing pains a regular feature of any launch, some Messenger staffers are already claiming the venture is looking like a “slow-motion train wreck” and a “disaster.” A Messenger flack wrote in a statement: “The site launched very successfully in beta today and traffic exceeded our expectations. It is patently untrue, there are currently several advertisers on the site with more coming as the month goes on, and as we roll out our verticals. There is a great sense of shared purpose in the newsroom and the hundreds of stories that we delivered reflect that.”

EXCLUSIVE — OPENING THE JOURNAL: Less than a month after newly minted Wall Street Journal editor in chief Emma Tucker pushed out WSJ Magazine editor Kristina O’Neill, the paper is advertising for someone to lead the magazine. “You will have precise commissioning and copy-editing skills, an extensive contacts book and an exquisite radar for what's new and important and coming around the corner in the world of fashion, style and culture,” states the job description. The pay range for the plum role is listed as between $140,000-$450,000. O’Neill had been in the gig for more than a decade before getting her marching orders from Tucker in late April. “This is a bittersweet moment for me,” O’Neill said in a parting note, which Tucker shared with Journal staff. “I’m leaving with an immense sense of pride for everything we accomplished and look forward to what’s next.” O'Neill's departure is just one of many moves Tucker is making as she shakes up the paper after being parachuted in from The Sunday Times of London taking the reins from former editor Matt Murray. “Going forward, we will continue to build on this growth and keep the Wall Street Journal at the forefront of coverage of fashion and style, as those domains broaden to be important elements of the larger worlds of business, technology and beyond,” Tucker said in the note to staff. A Wall Street Journal flack declined to comment.

ABC’S PR FIGHT: A National Association of Black Journalists post celebrating network boss Kim Godwin’s second anniversary at ABC News claims that there is a “campaign designed to assault her character and cast doubt about her qualifications.” The post lists Godwin’s achievements as having Good Morning America and World News Tonight sit at number one in total viewership along with 20/20, The View and scandal-plagued GMA3. All are shows Godwin inherited from former news boss James Goldston, sources pointed out. “Hugely successful at her former company CBS, which is why ABC maneuvered to lure her away and CBS fought to keep her, she is already proving herself in a very short period of time in areas that it would take most people years to accomplish,” the article says. The post came after Godwin’s critics inside ABC News have complained—including to Confider—about her alleged poor decision-making and high-flying lifestyle. Godwin flew to Scotland on Tuesday after attending the White House Correspondents Dinner in D.C. before jetting onward to London for the coronation of King Charles III. “The story stands,” NABJ Executive Director Drew Berry told Confider on Monday. ABC News declined to comment.

WHAT’S UP WITH WASHINGTON WEEK?: While TV news outlets try to cement their primetime lineups for the 2024 cycle, one influential show still without a host is PBS’ Washington Week, which has been without a moderator since NBC News reporter Yamiche Alcindor exited in February. The program, which has long given rising stars and established vets alike a shot at primetime, has since seen a rotating cast of guest hosts pulled from PBS NewsHour, including correspondents Laura Barrón-López, Lisa Desjardins, William Brangham, and hosts Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett. Notably, the program has not had an outside moderator since Alcindor’s departure, giving some insiders who spoke with Confider the impression that her permanent replacement will come from within PBS—a return to form since longtime host Gwen Ifill died in 2016. “It’s a terrific job,” said Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times and a longtime guest panelist on the program. “The show is one of the crown jewels of American journalism. It’s one of the few places left that really has a chance to let reporters explain and analyze what’s going on in a thoughtful, extended way without a lot of the shouting and the performance that is too common these days.” A PBS NewsHour spokesperson said a replacement will be announced within “the next few months” and that PBS will consider outside candidates, even as none have taken a turn in the moderator chair.

Tips? We’re all ears: confider@thedailybeast.com or call/text us 551 655 2343.

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IN PLAIN SIGHT: MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle on the floor of the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room cracking her back ahead of her sitdown interview with President Joe Biden. A makeup artist posted a photo of the back cracking to Instagram, which has curiously since been deleted.

MORE FROM THE BEAST MEDIA DESK

—Long before Tucker Carlson was fired, thanks in part to behavior indicating he viewed Fox News as his personal fiefdom, previously unreported texts show he and his top producer schemed about threatening and bullying Fox employees into submission. Read about that here.

—Chris Licht said CNN’s biblically awful Trump town hall was worth it because it “made a LOT of news.” But nothing Trump said or did was particularly new, so what news is the CNN CEO even talking about? More here.

—MTV News is officially gone. Legendary host Kurt Loder reflects on what was once “a freshly hatched, 24/7 fun factory” where “everything seemed possible.” Read that here.

RECENT READS

—Axios co-founder Jim VandeHei copped to losing his cool on Politico editor Matt Kaminski at a party, writing a blog about “taming our demons” that serves as both an introspective look at his own impulsive decision to tell a fellow journo “you are dead to me” and a roundabout way to continue airing grievances against the outlet he once co-founded. Read it here.

—“As long as independent journalism has existed, it has angered people who want stories told their way or not at all,” New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger wrote in a CJR essay on objectivity, taking aim at subjects who’ve taken issue with his paper’s handling of sensitive topics. Read that here.

—Graydon Carter, a legendary editor and cosmopolitan figure, reveals a surprising fact about himself: He reads the New York Post every day. Before he even picks up the Times, in fact. More here.

***WHAT ARE WE OUTRAGED ABOUT NOW?***

If there was ever pure, uncut catnip for the right-wing outrage industrial complex, it would be an overly sensitive vegan scolding her next-door neighbor for cooking meat. So when an Australian woman’s letter doing just that went viral last week, it was hardly surprising that Fox News ran no less than half-a-dozen TV segments about the “nasty note” while giddily mocking the libs. “I'm usually pretty nice to people. but when it comes to this, it makes me want to eat more meat,” Fox News host Dana Perino said Thursday. “It makes me want to cook more meat so my neighbors get sick.” Other Fox News personalities congratulated the neighbor for responding to the woman’s complaints by doubling down and hosting a big outdoor barbecue. “Good on the neighbor for saying you’re gonna complain about the smell then we’re gonna have a big old cookout outside,” Pete Hegseth cheerfully declared. Tomi Lahren, meanwhile, took the opportunity to do what she does best: paint with a ridiculously broad brush. “But I don’t wanna say it’s just a liberal thing, but I happen to feel that a lot of vegans are also liberals,” she exclaimed over the weekend (yes, this extremely local story garnered three-plus days of coverage). “But it’s the entitlement of, I get to tell you what you and your family need to do. They have the right to cancel somebody else… that is the part of society that we need to root out now like a tumor.”

Confider will be back next week with more saucy scooplets. In the meantime, subscribe here and send us questions, complaints, or tips  here or call/text us  551 655 2343.

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