NPR
Media correspondent for NPR
PROFILE
David Folkenflik
Guest
FROM David Folkenflik
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
How much power does Sean Hannity have at the White House? Sean Hannity is so close to President Trump that he’s been dubbed the unofficial chief of staff. He and Trump talk all the time. They give each other advice and help each other’s agendas. We find out how Hannity was able to rise to the top of the conservative media world.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
After voting to unionize, what's next for the LA Times and its publisher? The LA Times newsroom overwhelmingly voted to unionize today. They are demanding that their publisher Ross Levinsohn resign after NPR reported incidents of sexual misconduct. We speak with the NPR reporter who broke the story and one of the leaders of the union effort at the Times. Ross Levinsohn on Press Play last year , coming into the job.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The media's different storylines around Manafort The news spotlight yesterday was on the Paul Manafort indictment and George Papadopoulos plea deal. Conservative outlets covered the story through a prism that cast Hillary Clinton and the Democrats as the true villains. We look at why Fox and right-leaning outlets have such a different version of these events.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
What does Bannon's departure mean for the ideology at the White House? Steve Bannon was fired today, or quit, or left by mutual agreement -- depending on who you ask. But his departure is not a surprise. He’s been rumored to be on the hot seat for some time, at odds with new White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and other more mainstream members of the administration. We look at Bannon’s time in the White House, the right-wing media environment he helped create, and whatever his future may be.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Lawsuit: Fox News and White House produced fake story of DNC staffer A Fox News contributor says the network worked with the White House to make up a story about Democratic staffer Seth Rich leaking DNC emails to Wikileaks. Rich was murdered a year ago, just before those emails were published. The story was later retracted.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Is Megyn Kelly's NBC show in trouble? Megyn Kelly, formerly of Fox News and now with NBC News, is being slammed for an interview with Alex Jones. Jones, the right-wing radio host of Infowars, has pushed conspiracy theories. Kelly has defended her decision, stating that Jones has a growing audience of millions, and has been elevated by President Trump. But NBC is reportedly losing advertisers.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Fox News faces more allegations of sexual harassment Fox’s paid political commentator Julie Roginsky filed a lawsuit against Fox, claiming that former Fox News chief Roger Ailes made unwanted advances towards her, and that she was passed up for a promotion because she resisted those advances. Roginsky also says the network’s current president and its top lawyer ignored her complaints and retaliated against her. This comes a day after revelations of harassment allegations against Fox star Bill O’Reilly.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Univision buys Gawker Spanish-language media company Univision is buying embattled media company Gawker, which declared bankruptcy after losing a lawsuit brought by Hulk Hogan. Earlier this year, Univision took full ownership of Fusion, a news and entertainment outlet, and has acquired stakes in companies like satire site The Onion, and African-American commentary site The Root. It’s part of Univision’s growing media portfolio.
The Mixer
TV, Ratings, and the Custody of our Democracy "Go Donald!" is what CBS chief Les Moonves famously cheered during an investor call last December. And that's not because of his politics. Just last month, he quipped that, while Trump’s campaign may not be good for America, it’s "damn good for CBS." 2016 is set to be a record-breaking year for political ad spending on TV, as candidates and Super-PACS load up on anti-Trump ads. But what does it all mean for our republic?
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The Treatment
Kenya Barris: Black-ish Black-ish creator Kenya Barris joins Elvis Mitchell to discuss utilizing his show as a conversation starter.
The Business
Industry insights and lessons learned from memorable guests We have interesting guests on The Business, and sometimes our conversations are too long to fit into one show. This week we give you stories that were too good to leave on the cutting room floor, including some sharp insights on making it in the industry from David Mandel, David Simon, Shawn Levy and Matt Reeves.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Gov. Jerry Brown: California and China will fight climate change together President Donald Trump reportedly wants the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, and he’s expected to announce a decision soon. California Governor Jerry Brown heads to China to strengthen climate and clean energy ties.