Journalism

It is a welcome respite, to no longer hear terms such as “fake news” and “enemy of the people” emanating from the White House. But this is no time for complacency among journalists across the country who work hard every day to serve their communities by seeking and reporting the truth. There are still major challenges that need to be addressed.

What does “engaged” journalism mean for you, your audience … and your bottom line?

Hugo Balta, news director of WTTW Chicago (PBS) and executive producer of the nightly newscast Chicago Tonight, has been sidelined by his bosses for apparently sharing too much on social media.

The network has committed to six episodes of Soul of a Nation that will air on consecutive Tuesday nights. No premiere date or time slot has been announced. Each episode will be centered on a theme, such as spirituality, activism in sports and the racial reckoning triggered by George Floyd’s death. Journalist Jemele Hill and actor Marsai Martin of Black-ish are among the guest hosts. Above from left, Carmelo Anthony, Nick Cannon and David Alan Grier are among those who will be featured.

ViacomCBS is reviving a streaming version of the newsmagazine 60 Minutes, hoping the series can draw viewers to its new online service Paramount+, according to people familiar with the situation. The company had created a spinoff of the show called 60 in 6 for the short-lived Quibi, but it was left in limbo when the streaming startup announced plans to close down in October.

Sponsors for Tucker Carlson Tonight faced renewed calls for boycotts Thursday after Carlson falsely claimed Wednesday night that George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by police in Minneapolis last summer, died of a drug overdose. The claim Carlson shared on Fox News Wednesday has been debunked and it earned him significant ire as a result.

Fox Corp. streaming service Tubi is expanding the live news offering it debuted last fall, adding nearly 80 stations owned by Cox, Hearst, Scripps and Tegna. The 24-hour live feeds will join those of 17 Fox-owned stations and Altice USA’s News 12 New York in a section of the streaming app called News on Tubi. National streaming outlets run by Fox, NBC, Bloomberg and others are also on the free, ad-supported platform.

Any number of hallowed political and media institutions fell apart. So why should the most hallowed political-media institution of them all escape unscathed?

CNN executives have been mulling a move that would put Alisyn Camerota, the New Day co-anchor who has steered the program though the bulk of the Trump administration, to afternoons, according to a person familiar with the matter. She could be replaced in that role by Brianna Keilar, a Washington-based afternoon anchor who has gained attention in recent months for delivering hard-nosed video essays and pushing back at Trump officials in live interviews.

The incident was a dramatic illustration of the tightrope walked by programmers at television networks that appeal to fans of former President Donald Trump during his second impeachment trial.

Hustler magazine publisher Flynt was shot in a 1978 assassination attempt and left paralyzed from the waist down but refused to slow down, building a flamboyant reputation along with a fortune estimated at $100 million while championing First Amendment rights. He was 78.

The Baton Rouge ABC affiliate elevates Trey Schmaltz to succeed the retiring Lee Polowczuk as news director and names Ben Lemoine to succeed Schmaltz as assistant news director.

Shows hosted by Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and other talk radio stars promoted debunked claims of a stolen election and urged listeners to “fight back.”

Tara Lachapelle: Distancing from the former president may hurt ratings for a while, but it will safeguard profits over the long term.

Television stations among the winners of the annual honors presented by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism included WNBC New York, KSTP Minneapolis, WFAA Dallas and KING Seattle.

A tape of the seige on the Capitol, compiled from several sources by the House impeachment managers, offered a chronological view of the former president’s statements on Jan. 6 and the actions by a mob of his supporters as they broke into the Capitol. It included several examples of rough language, including a chant, “f—- the blue,” apparently directed at police officers, and use of the word “motherf——-” by a rioter. The footage was aired on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC as part of live coverage of the trial’s first day.