Journalism

Margaret Kreger Ashburn has been assistant news director for the last two years at the Graham Media NBC affiliate in Roanoke, Va.

In addition to heading the new streaming service, he will retain his role as executive vice president of marketing at Fox News Media.

Jon Allsop: “The most immediate answer to both these accountability questions is the same: to never forget what happened on [Jan. 6], and to use it as a point of no return. That means no more squeamishness about calling nasty truths—racism, lies, coups—what they are; no more bothsidesism; no more optics chatter; no more blinkered American exceptionalism.”

Following the Capitol siege, the right-wing media landscape is beginning to split between entities that want to double down on pro-Trump rhetoric and those that want to stick with the establishment.

As new and more graphic videos of the mayhem emerged on social media and TV, the enormity of what happened only deepened.

The Big Three broadcast networks are mulling a roadblock special to air in primetime Jan. 20 celebrating the inauguration of Joe Biden as president of the United States and Kamala Harris as vice president. Multiple sources with knowledge of the situation tell Variety that the special would be 90 minutes to two hours in length and would be produced by Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, the same team that handled the Democratic National Convention. Weiss is set to direct. The special would feature remote performances as well as other possible highlights such as an outdoor, ball-style “first dance” with Biden and soon-to-be-First Lady Jill Biden, and a fireworks display.

Shawna Thomas, a veteran of upstart journalism efforts like Vice and Quibi as well as mainstays like NBC News’ Meet the Press, will take the reins of CBS This Morning, filling a role that has been empty for months. Thomas has logged hours working as a Capitol Hill producer and also covering President Barack Obama. She spent a decade at NBC News before moving to Vice News, where she spent three years as its Washington bureau chief.

Tom Zappala will be responsible for developing and executing programming strategy for the new Scripps networks. He will report to Jonathan Katz, chief operating officer and head of entertainment for Scripps networks.

Jake Tapper has been promoted at CNN, becoming the cable news channel’s lead Washington anchor. As such, he’ll take an hour from Wolf Blitzer’s daily program. Tapper’s daily show will now run from 4-6 p.m. ET. Wolf Blitzer will run from 6-7. Tapper also gets Dana Bash on Sundays. The two will co-anchor State of the Union together.

Fox News Channel will revamp a significant chunk of its daytime schedule, and launch a new opinion program at 7 p.m., which previously housed the news-focused show, The Story. As part of the changes, many of Fox News Channel’s best known daytime anchors will find themselves leading new time slots and shows.

Julie Wolfe, news director at Tegna’s WHAS Louisville, Ky., has tackled hiring and training new personnel during COVID by leaning on pre-pandemic habits. Those include constantly networking even before newsroom positions open, lots of one-on-one communication with new personnel and building a newsroom culture with a ready embrace of digital tools.

Correspondents recall last week’s mob attack on the Capitol and the threat to news media.

Is on-demand streaming the future of local TV news? For Scripps ABC affiliate KGUN Tucson, Ariz., OTT is not just a convenience for viewers. It’s an opportunity to experiment aggressively with new programming driven by new technology — and a way to deepen ties with the community.

Kristen Welker and Peter Alexander were named the new chief White House correspondents for NBC News, part of a rejiggering of some of the news unit’s personnel in the nation’s capital as many news outlets prepare to cover a new presidential administration.

In his new role, Ernesto Mourelo will continue to lead the digital strategy for the station group while also leading Hearst Television’s central news team that publishes national and feature news content, produces original video for company franchises including Stitch and “Dispatches from the Middle,” and manages the company’s digital copy desk.

Reporters at the Toledo Blade and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said Friday that the right-wing views of the papers’ owners are hindering their ability to accurately cover President Donald Trump and Wednesday’s Capitol riot.

It was a story he had chosen not to tell — until 2015, when he sat for a four-hour interview, promised that this account would not be published while he was alive.

A number of journalists who were at the Capitol reporting on this week’s insurrection, including NBC’s Kasie Hunt (above), offer their observations and insights from the ground during what was a historic, chaotic, and frankly, sad day for America.

Some 30 million people watched coverage during the day and evening on broadcast networks and the major cable news channels. CNN had its most watched day ever.

Dealing with the shocking breach of the national landmark was a complex task for outlets aimed at Trump’s base, many of whom are suspicious of more mainstream news sources. Most were clear: the violence was indefensible.