The Media Front
A.J. Katz On Media and Politics
A.J. Katz is Media Editor at TheWrap, overseeing coverage of the industry, and with an emphasis on the intersection of media and politics.
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The Upfronts: How TV’s Big Week Evolved From Chess Match to WWE Free For All
Networks still talk about things like “audience flow,” but linear TV priorities have faded from the day when scheduling moves could elicit gasps and buzz
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Columns
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CNN’s Noisy ‘NewsNight’ Shows Why Staking Out the Middle Is So Hard for Media
The squabbling panel show lives most robustly in social media, but its “Crossfire”-like partisan talk often feels more like verbal wrestling than enlightened debate
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Columns
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Does ‘Sinners’ Box Office Coverage Make the Case for Media Diversity?
News outlets that appeared to downplay the film were channeling their sources, but they may have revealed blind spots when it comes to Black-centered movies
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Columns
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Muzzling Big Bird: Trump Tries to Silence the ‘Liberal Media’ of PBS and NPR
The executive order defunding these publicly funded outlets may not pass legal muster, but it reflects Trump’s habit of pivoting to culture-war issues when under pressure
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Columns
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ABC’s Terry Moran and the Trump Interview: 5 Do’s and Don’ts for Battling Lies and Deflections
Marking 100 days, ABC’s Terry Moran ran into the brick wall that has flummoxed TV interviewers since Trump entered the political arena
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Columns
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‘60 Minutes’ vs. a Corporate Merger? You’ve Seen This Movie Before – in ‘The Insider’
In key ways, the resignation of EP Bill Owens mirrors the 30-year-old scenario portrayed in the 1999 Michael Mann thriller
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Columns
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For Media CEOs in the News Business, Trump Turns M&A Dreams Into a Quid Pro Quo
Pressure on Paramount over “60 Minutes” could preview deal-making challenges for other studios like WBD and Comcast
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Columns
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How George Lucas’ ‘Star Wars’ Prequels Unexpectedly Saw the Future
As “Revenge of the Sith” hits 20, its much-derided emphasis on trade wars and the mechanics of a crumbling republic might deserve an apology today
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Columns
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With His ’60 Minutes’ Coup, Trump Sends a Not-So-Subtle Message to the Press
The resignation of producer Bill Owens could send a chill through other news outlets, even if CBS was uniquely vulnerable
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Columns
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Trump Can’t Say It Out Loud, but He Really Doesn’t Like the First Amendment
The president’s attacks on “60 Minutes,” cable news and the AP underscore the hypocrisy of “Free speech for me, but not for thee”
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Columns
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How the NBA Got Its Groove Back: Strategic Trades and Rising Stars Deliver a Rebound
A series of midseason deals put the focus on the league’s stars and lifted ratings, while its international appeal reflects an enviable global profile
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Columns
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Did Bill Maher Normalize Trump by Going to the White House?
The ever-defiant comic defended his “just asking questions” dinner with the president in the HBO host’s latest bid for attention by provoking the left
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Columns
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Return the White House Correspondents Dinner to Its Journalism Roots
By disinviting Amber Ruffin, the most thankless gig in stand-up demonstrates why Washington’s “nerd prom” should give up on providing showbiz flair
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Columns
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Want to Escape Bad Tariff News? Try ‘Fox & Friends’
Fox News has remained steadfast in supporting Trump amid second-guessing elsewhere, while employing a familiar tactic: Changing the subject
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Columns
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Roll the Tape: NCAA Basketball Falls Victim to TV Sports’ Interminable Call Reviews
College hoops’ top showcase irritated fans by dragging out games as officials stop the action to review every close play
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Business
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