| Wednesday, November 26, 2025 |
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Happy Thanksgiving a wee bit early! We'll be off for the rest of this week and back on Monday. Scroll down for the latest about Bloomberg, "Rush Hour 4," CBS News, WBD, "Stranger Things," and an AI-generated singer topping iTunes' Christian albums chart... |
This daily CNN newsletter about the wide world of media turned just 10 years old, and it's all thanks to you. I started sending out Reliable Sources in November 2015 to share my CNN stories and sum up media industry news in one fell swoop. It was inspired by daily digests like Playbook, blogs like Romenesko and earlier CNN newsletters like Nightcap. I did not — could not — imagine it would still be going strong in 2025. But it is — powered by your interest, insights, questions and tips. Ten years is a long time. Back in 2015, there was no Substack, no TikTok, no "doomscrolling," no "enemy of the people." But some of the same stories resonated then as now. Check out the subject line of the first edition: "CNBC blame game; Star Trek streaming; NYT succession plan; Trevor Noah on Jon Stewart; Trump book out tomorrow." This newsletter launched during the GOP presidential primary, when Trump was taking over the party, and the first edition included a prescient quote-of-the-day from the BuzzFeed-era Ben Smith: "A presidential campaign is, more or less, a media company." Now, everyone and everything is a media company, and we're chronicling the impacts right here. Over the years, this letter has been home to outstanding talent, including more than a few writers who now helm their own newsletters, like Dylan Byers, Kerry Flynn, and Oliver Darcy. I owe Oliver a special thanks for protecting and expanding Reliable when my first stint at CNN ended. It's fun to be back, mostly because I get to collaborate with Andrew Kirell and Liam Reilly on this daily blast. In an era dominated by AI and algorithms, low-tech emails remain the best way to reach an audience directly. Thank you for staying subscribed and staying in touch! |
This story by TheWrap's Corbin Bolies is vintage Reliable Sources: With newsrooms "under more scrutiny than ever," reporters and editors have to be more proactive about explaining their work. "Letting the journalism speak for itself is an approach from a bygone era," the NYT's assistant managing editor for trust and standards Patrick Healy told Bolies. "Our audience is understandably asking really tough questions about why and how we publish what we publish — that's fair, and I think we want to do a better job of opening up our process and how we work in that regard." |
Wow, Bloomberg. The news agency obtained an audio recording of a call between Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his Russian counterpart. "The transcript offers key new insight about the behind-the-scenes talks that produced a 28-point peace plan that has been the subject of intense discussions between the Trump administration, Russia and Ukraine in recent days," CNN's Betsy Klein writes. Who leaked it? And how? "Leaks like this are incredibly rare and, as we saw with the Signalgate fiasco, offer an unparalleled view of how government officials operate when they think no one's listening," Politico's Jack Blanchard says... |
Trump insults another female reporter |
The NYT produced a seemingly undeniable report on Trump showing signs of aging, and Trump is trying to deny it anyway. The article by Katie Rogers and Dylan Freedman is data-driven, almost downright clinical, showing that Americans see Trump "less than they used to," that he "keeps a shorter public schedule than he used to," and that "his battery shows signs of wear." Trump's response this morning: "The Creeps at the Failing New York Times are at it again." He didn't mention the male reporter, but he attacked Rogers, calling her a "third rate reporter who is ugly, both inside and out." In other words, he's going after a female White House reporter's looks, less than two weeks after calling another "piggy." |
Trump admin rules out right-wing conspiracy theories |
The White House is pushing back on a report from MS NOW that Trump is "considering removing Kash Patel as FBI director in the coming months." Karoline Leavitt claimed the story is "completely made up," and Trump said Patel is "doing a great job." Time will tell. But the Patel report reminded me: There are two new instances of the FBI deflating conspiracy theories that Patel's right-wing allies irresponsibly pumped up. (This has become a pattern.) Last week, Patel and Dan Bongino gave an interview to Fox's Brooke Singman, saying the FBI has concluded that the Trump shooter, Thomas Crooks, "acted alone." The officials methodically refuted many MAGA media theories about deep state mishandling of the Butler, PA crime scene. And yesterday, CBS News published this scoop: "How an innocent woman's name was tied to the Jan. 6 pipe bombs." The Blaze was responsible for pushing a potentially defamatory claim about a woman, which then spread all across the pro-Trump web, but the FBI has "ruled her out" as a suspect, CBS reported, adding that "Blaze News updated its story with one correction and further information, but it remains online..." |
Making movies great again? |
First, Semafor's Max Tani reported that the president "personally pressed" Larry Ellison to revive the "Rush Hour" movie franchise. Then Puck's Matt Belloni revealed that it's really happening: "Paramount WILL release 'Rush Hour 4' after prodding from Trump on behalf of Brett Ratner," Belloni wrote yesterday. The Ratner angle is key: He directed the first three "Rush Hour" movies, and a fourth feature will be a comeback, "his first narrative feature since multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment in 2017," as THR wrote. (Ratner denied it all.) Ratner is in business with the Trumps, making a documentary about Melania for Amazon, so Trump's chat with Ellison seems like an attempt to help out a friend. But it doubles as a display of power for Trump, and as a reminder of Trump's willingness to wield the presidency to intervene in corporate decision-making for Paramount. >> Belloni wrote on X, "Trump should get executive producer credit AT VERY LEAST. As producers like to say, he made this happen..." | 'A new ecosystem' of liberal media |
"One year since their catastrophic election loss, Democrats still face a decisive disadvantage in the media space," Kyle Tharp writes in the latest edition of his excellent weekly newsletter, Chaotic Era. While politicos and donors talk in circles about the right-left disparities, "a new ecosystem of liberal media companies and brands is being born," Tharp writes, noting that "2025 has seen several left-of-center media operations emerging and scaling rapidly." He counted two dozen-plus "lefty media plays" and sorted through them here... |
Next WBD deadline: Dec. 1 |
"Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent of HBO and CNN, has asked potential buyers to submit new, sweetened offers after receiving an initial round of bids," Bloomberg's Michelle F. Davis, Josh Sisco, and Lucas Shaw scooped yesterday. The new deadline: Monday, Dec. 1. "After reviewing any improved offers, Warner Bros. may enter a period of exclusive negotiations with one of the companies," the trio reported. Meantime, Charlie Gasparino's latest New York Post piece is about Netflix's "charm offensive" apparently "sowing doubts about the inevitability of Paramount Skydance's bid from an antitrust standpoint..." |
>> "The BBC has confirmed plans to save at least $132 million by radically reimagining its workforce." (Deadline) >> Paul Farhi notes that it's been "more than two weeks since Trump threatened to sue the BBC. And still no follow through. Empty threat?" (X)
>> "Trump's media lawsuits keep falling flat," Sara Fischer and the aforementioned Kerry Flynn write. (Axios) >> "The editor of the Sydney Morning Herald, Bevan Shields, has resigned after four years." Chief reporter Jordan Baker will become editor. (The Guardian) >> Hannaa' Tameez dug into news publishers' embrace of vertical video via "watch" tabs in-app. (NiemanLab) |
7️⃣ great reads for the holiday weekend |
>> Brian Phillips will make you laugh, cringe and possibly cry with this explainer about Olivia Nuzzi, RFK Jr. and Ryan Lizza, which he dubs "the most important, and also least important, story of our time." (The Ringer) >> Dylan Wells and Sarah Ellison describe "how Democrats are building their own digital media army." (WaPo) >> Kieran Press-Reynolds says Charlie Kirk has had a "shocking online afterlife" as an "infinitely malleable avatar," including for "people who hate him." (GQ) >> Victoria Le explores the specific reasons why college students like to get news from TikTok stars and Instagram influencers instead of, ya know, actual news outlets. (The Verge) >> Kelsey Kramer McGinnis says "the current No. 1 Christian artist has no soul" – because Solomon Ray is AI-generated. (Christianity Today) >> Roy Peter Clark is "begging TV showrunners to stop writing journalists as villains." (Poynter) >> James Poniewozik says "Stranger Things" "defined the era of the algorithm." (NYT) |
Thanksgiving programming notes |
"Stranger Things" is back: Netflix is releasing the fifth and final season "in three parts," starting with the first four episodes tonight. Disney+ is streaming "The Beatles Anthology," an updated version of the 1995 docu-series, starting today. CNN is putting on a Thanksgiving extravaganza again this year, with a special broadcast from 8 a.m. til noon ET tomorrow. And a heads-up for all my fellow "Family Guy" fans: There's a new special coming out Friday, titled "Disney's Hulu's Family Guy's Hallmark Channel's Lifetime's Familiar Holiday Movie." |
'Zootopia' expects a big weekend |
Disney's "Zootopia" sequel, which makes its theatrical debut today, stands to make a dent at the box office during the long holiday weekend. The family-friendly movie is currently averaging 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, just shy of the first film's 98%, and it's projected to rake in $135 million to $150 million domestically over the next five days, including $100 or so from my family. 😉 Hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving! |
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