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** OPINION
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** ‘60 Minutes’ gains stability with an esteemed new producer
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Tayna Simon, the new executive producer of “60 Minutes.” (Courtesy: CBS News)

It has been a lousy few months at CBS News and, in particular, “60 Minutes.”

It all goes back to when President Donald Trump sued CBS’s parent company, Paramount, claiming that CBS News edited an interview with then-Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris to help her defeat Trump in the 2024 election.

Even though legal experts believed Trump had no case, Paramount eventually settled out of court, agreeing to pay Trump $16 million. (Trump says it was way more.) But the mess began well before the settlement agreement was reached.

As soon as word leaked that Paramount was even considering a settlement — and reports that there was extra scrutiny on the stories being done by “60 Minutes” — there was a revolt at CBS News. That included the well-respected “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens resigning in protest.

It became a show and news network in turmoil, all because of Trump and Paramount's reaction to Trump.

When the dust settled after the settlement, there was concern about what would happen at “60 Minutes,” the gold standard of TV news programs. At the top of those concerns was who would replace Owens. Would it be someone who was going to somehow lower the show’s editorial standards to avoid the ire of Trump? Would it be an outsider who didn’t have the trust of the “60 Minutes” team or understand the true fabric of the show?

Well, those particular fears appeared to be put to rest Thursday when CBS named Tanya Simon as the executive producer of “60 Minutes.” Simon is the daughter of the late Bob Simon, a longtime correspondent of the program. In addition, Tanya Simon has been with “60 Minutes” for 25 years and has been serving as the program’s interim executive producer since Owens left.

She becomes just the fourth executive producer and the first woman EP in the show’s 57-year history.

The Los Angeles Times’ Stephen Battaglio wrote ([link removed]) , “Simon will have the backing of her colleagues who are thankful they won’t be dealing with an outsider who might not value the program’s editorial rigor and independence. But she will be faced with the challenge of navigating the operation after one of the most difficult periods in its history.”

It will be up to Simon to get the show back on track, although honestly, “60 Minutes” never seemed to slip editorially throughout the turmoil. Now attention turns to how involved the new owners of CBS will be in the news division, including “60 Minutes.”

(Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount was approved by the FCC ([link removed]) on Thursday evening. More on that in a moment.)

Tom Cibrowski, president and executive editor of CBS News, said in a statement, “Tanya Simon understands what makes ‘60 Minutes’ tick. She is an innovative leader, an exceptional producer and someone who knows how to inspire people. Tanya knows that the success of today’s ‘60 Minutes’ depends on delivering a weekly mix of the most informative, impactful and entertaining stories and investigative journalism from around the world. This is the true essence and foundation of ‘60 Minutes.’”

In the same statement, Simon said, “It is a privilege to lead ‘60 Minutes’and its formidable team of journalists. ‘60’ is in a class of its own, upholding a legacy of extraordinary and thought-provoking journalism for more than half a century. I’m deeply committed to this level of excellence and I look forward to delivering an exciting season of signature ‘60’ stories that cover a wide range of subjects for a broad audience and engage viewers with their world.”

Simon has been with “60 Minutes” since 2000, working with correspondent Ed Bradley on a variety of stories, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Duke University lacrosse rape case and a rare interview with musician Bob Dylan. She then went on to produce stories with virtually every other “60 Minutes” correspondent. She started at CBS News in 1996 as a researcher for its other newsmagazine program, “48 Hours.”

That experience means she has the journalism chops. But, just as important, she takes over a staff that’s pleased she will be in charge.

The Associated Press’ David Bauder wrote ([link removed]) , “Many at the famously insular broadcast supported Simon as a replacement for Owens. In May, seven of the show’s correspondents signed a letter to Paramount Global management urging her appointment. ‘As much as we will miss Bill Owens, we believe — no, we know — that his long-term successor must come from within,’ the correspondents wrote.”

“Crucially,” Bauder added, “Simon’s appointment came before the Trump administration’s approval of Paramount Global’s proposed merger with Skydance Media, a takeover that is expected to result in changes at CBS News, and could be viewed as a way to calm nerves.”

A MESSAGE FROM POYNTER
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** Sarasota, Florida, event: Poynter’s 50th anniversary exhibit
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Register for the events ([link removed])


** Pleasing the boss
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So, as we’ve been expecting, it’s now official. Skydance’s $8 billion acquisition of Paramount was approved Thursday evening by the Federal Communications Commission. It all happened after Skydance did what it needed to do to please Trump’s FCC.

It started earlier this week when Skydance told the FCC that it would make some major changes once the merger was completed. That will include hiring an ombudsman for CBS News, who will receive and evaluate any complaints of bias or other concerns.” Skydance will also eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives that were in place at Paramount.

FCC commissioner Brendan Carr, talking about those potential changes, said, “They're hitting on issues we need to see some big change on.”

After the deal was approved Thursday, Carr said, “Americans no longer trust the legacy national news media to report fully, accurately, and fairly. It is time for a change. That is why I welcome Skydance’s commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcast network.”

The Washington Post’s Jeremy Barr wrote ([link removed]) , “In a meeting last week with Carr, Skydance chief executive David Ellison pledged his company’s ‘commitment to unbiased journalism and its embrace of diverse viewpoints,’ arguing that the members of the new ownership group ‘represent fresh leadership’ that could help the company thrive in a challenging market for media. Ellison’s father, Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, is a friend of President Donald Trump.”

Time to keep a close eye on how CBS News covers Trump and the news.

Anna M. Gomez, a Democratic commissioner on the FCC who voted against the merger, said in a statement that the FCC had used “its vast power to pressure Paramount to broker a private legal settlement and further erode press freedom.”

She added, “Even more alarming, it is now imposing never-before-seen controls over newsroom decisions and editorial judgment, in direct violation of the First Amendment and the law.”


** Speaking of Paramount
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You gotta love the brashness of “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker.

Here, I’ll let NBC News’ Daniel Arkin explain. In his latest story ([link removed]) , he wrote, “The media conglomerate Paramount announced Wednesday afternoon that the creators of ‘South Park’ had agreed to produce 50 new episodes over the next five years in a deal reportedly valued at $1.5 billion. Ten hours later, ‘South Park’ creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker excoriated Paramount — and aggressively skewered President Donald Trump — in the premiere episode of the Comedy Central show’s 27th season.”

Arkin writes, "In the episode, Trump (voiced by Stone) sues the town of South Park for $5 billion after they challenge Jesus Christ’s presence in their elementary school. The townspeople are prepared to fight back, but Jesus Christ (also voiced by Stone) urges them to settle.”

In the episode, Jesus says, “You guys saw what happened to CBS? Yeah, well, guess who owns CBS? Paramount. Do you really want to end up like Colbert?”

And, in case you didn’t know, Paramount owns Comedy Central, too, which makes Stone and Parker’s jabs even more bold.

Of course, the White House put out a statement that said, in part, “This show hasn’t been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention. President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country’s history – and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump’s hot streak.”

Doesn’t seem accurate to say that a show and its creators are “hanging on by a thread” when they just signed a $1.5 billion streaming deal ([link removed]) .


** He changed the media landscape
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Hulk Hogan, speaking at a Donald Trump rally last October. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died on Thursday after an apparent cardiac arrest. He was 71.

This might seem like a bold statement, but it really isn’t: Hogan was one of the most famous people in the world. That’s why his death held prominent spots on most news sites Thursday, including major stories in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Fox News and all the major networks.

The New York Times’ Victor Mather perfectly captured ([link removed]) who Hogan was with this one sentence: “Hogan was the face of pro wrestling for decades, with his blond hair and horseshoe mustache, colorful bandannas and massive biceps, which he referred to as ‘24-inch pythons.’”

In addition, Hogan was at the center of a scandal that had as much of a chilling effect on the media landscape over the past 20 years as anything or anyone until Trump doubled down on his press attacks during his second term. In 2012, Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, sued Gawker after the controversial media company posted a video of Hogan having sex with a friend’s wife. The lawsuit was later revealed to have been secretly bankrolled by billionaire Peter Thiel, a co-founder of PayPal and one of the earliest investors in Facebook. Thiel was eager to go after Gawker because of its brash coverage of him and others, including one that outed him as gay.

Hogan won the case and was awarded $115 million in compensatory damages and $25 million in punitive damages. Gawker later reached a settlement with Hulk Hogan for $31 million. Hogan’s victory essentially bankrupted Gawker, which is now shut down for good after a brief revival.

As Fast Company’s Joe Berkowitz smartly noted ([link removed]) , “Thiel’s involvement raised concerns that the victory over Gawker could become a playbook for extremely wealthy individuals to silence media outlets — a First Amendment nightmare. The New Yorker, for instance, warned at the time that the verdict could pave the way for ‘a war against the press.’ And those concerns have since proven well-founded.”

Veteran media journalist Margaret Sullivan, while at The Washington Post in 2017, called it “The Gawker Effect.” ([link removed]) She was writing about Jim DeRogatis, a Chicago rock critic who reported for months on a stunning story about R&B singer R. Kelly and the young women alleged to be under his psychological and sexual control. DeRogatis told Sullivan that three media organizations were interested in the story, but got cold feet, adding, “Gawker came up in a lot of those conversations. Nobody wanted to take that risk.”

There have been more examples over time. Even recently, we’ve seen Trump go after news organizations simply because he has the money to sue over coverage he doesn’t like.

Berkowitz wrote, “Whether Bollea would approve of all this or not — and judging by his professed admiration for Trump, he certainly might —the dire current state of U.S. media is his true legacy. ‘Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on YOU?’ he used to ask wrestling opponents. Nearly a decade after Bollea’s lawsuit destroyed Gawker, newsrooms across the country are still grappling with that question.”


** Media news, tidbits and interesting links for your weekend review
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* BBC News’ Amy Walker with “BBC and news agencies warn journalists in Gaza at risk of starvation.” ([link removed]) In a statement, BBC News, Agence France-Presse, The Associated Press and Reuters said their journalists are facing “the same dire circumstances as those they are covering.” They added, "Journalists endure many deprivations and hardships in warzones. We are deeply alarmed that the threat of starvation is now one of them. We once again urge the Israeli authorities to allow journalists in and out of Gaza. It is essential that adequate food supplies reach the people there.”
* The New York Times’ Benjamin Mullin with “Donations to NPR and PBS Stations Surge After Funding Cuts.” ([link removed])
* “E! News” is being canceled as a linear TV show after 34 years. The Hollywood Reporter’s Tony Maglio has more ([link removed]) .
* Mediaite’s Alex Griffing with “Who Said Broadcast News Is Dying? ABC’s David Muir Has Top Show on All of TV for Last 10 Weeks.” ([link removed])
* From MSNBC: “Rachel Maddow debunks weird spate of fake news, A.I. slop stories about her and MSNBC.” ([link removed])
* For The xxxxxx, Jonathan V. Last with “The Washington Post is dying. I can tell you ‘how.’ But not ‘why.’” ([link removed])
* Meanwhile, here’s New York Magazine’s Charlotte Klein with “Things are somehow getting worse for The Washington Post.” ([link removed])
* On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported a story ([link removed]) that said Attorney General Pam Bondi had told Trump that his name was included in the Jeffrey Epstein Files. Hat tip to CNN’s Brian Stelter for noting this paragraph deep in the story about FBI deputy director and former right-wing podcaster/radio host Dan Bongino: “Bongino has told colleagues that his association with the administration’s decision to keep the files private has eroded his credibility among the base of support that fueled his rise as a successful podcaster and media personality on the right, according to a senior administration official.”
* NBC used to have a sports cable network (NBC Sports Network). But it shut down at the end of 2021. Now there’s this scoop from The Wall Street Journal’s Joe Flint: “NBCU Is Exploring Launching a Sports Cable Network.” ([link removed])
* There’s a new HBO documentary out now about musician Billy Joel. So Los Angeles Times pop music critic Mikael Wood took all of the Joel songs that made the Billboard Top 100 over the years for a fun read in “All 43 of Billy Joel’s Hot 100 hits, ranked from worst to best.” ([link removed])
* Oh, one more from Wood following this week’s death of Ozzy Osbourne: “The 10 essential Ozzy Osbourne songs.” ([link removed])


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