Good morning.
- A quiet profile in courage
Kathy Kiely is a very respected Washington reporter-editor who moved to Bloomberg Politics as Washington news director after a tour as managing editor of the Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit on government transparency that saw a mass exodus (including her) due to dismal management.She’s worked at The National Journal, USA TODAY, New York Daily News, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Houston Post and Pittsburgh Press. She’s savvy and hard-working. But when The New York Times broke word over the weekend that Michael Bloomberg was mulling a presidential campaign, she confronted the company’s aversion to writing about its leader, even when New York City mayor, or itself. She learned quickly that her bosses didn’t want to cover this as she would reflexively cover any huge political story. So she resigned.
“I did agonize. I considered quitting on the spot Saturday but held off because I knew there were great reporters busting their chops on the trail who needed somebody there to land their copy. I sent a resignation letter on Sunday but held off again to give some senior managers, all of whom I know are sincerely trying to do the right thing, a chance to work something out. I made the right decision for me. I just didn’t feel this was tenable. But I totally understand that others have to make a decision based on professional and personal circumstances. I’m not Joan of Arc. But the organization does have to come to terms as to how to cover its owner as a newsmaker.”
- The Megyn Kelly bandwagon
“Millions of Americans are expressing their resentment and outrage at being put in the appalling position of siding with the Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, a state of affairs that many are calling ‘intolerable.'” Wow. Pretty amazing Associated Press story, don’t you think? Oh, hold on. It’s Andy Borowitz. (The New Yorker) - A media win in sunny Palm Beach
A Florida appeals court released its formal opinion in overturning a lower court decision in a rather odd case. The panel underscored that a lower court judge grievously erred in forcing The Palm Beach Post to essentially unpublish transcripts of recorded phone conversations of a jailhouse snitch. The original one-word court reversal had already let the paper put those transcripts back on its website. (The Palm Beach Post) Here’s the tale, now restored to its original form. - Wounded Warriors’ wounded image
After CBS News broke a terrific story on the nonprofit Wounded Warriors Project spending lavishly on conferences and parties, there was a trickle of follow-ups, including in The New York Times. But also notable is this: how many organizations, caught up in horserace campaign coverage, did not note the CBS exposé while reporting that Donald Trump might do an event with the same group instead of appearing at Thursday’s Fox-sponsored-GOP debate. Stories by CNN, Philly.com and RealClearPolitics were typical. - Facebook’s $1 billion fourth-quarter profit
That’s right. “Google still rules the digital-advertising roost. But Facebook’s fourth-quarter performance shows it’s narrowing the gap as the giant network ramps up sales of mobile advertising and begins to make money from mobile app Instagram.” (USA TODAY) - Multi-billion-dollar feud ends
After a duel for Media General, Nexstar Broadcasting upends Meredith Corp. and gets Media General for upwards of $2 billion. This creates a hefty group with 171 stations in 100 markets serving nearly 40 percent of U.S. households. In the middle of all this, Media General’s chief executive died after a fall at his Virginia home. (The New York Times) - A Trump-Scarborough ticket?
The lavishly compensated MSNBC co-host Joe Scarborough is unfettered in his fawning over “Donald.” But would the former Florida congressman want to wind up in the White House with Trump? He didn’t quite deny he wasn’t interested in a chat with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. (CNN) Boy, just what the Republicans need, given their quest for a few minority voters: two wealthy white males. - Ditching New Republic, buying house with tunnel
New Republic owner Chris Hughes and husband Sean Eldridge are buying a $23.5 million townhouse in Manhattan’s West Village, replete with an underground tunnel connecting to a carriage house. Imagine what $23.5 million might have brought The New Republic that he’s ditching? (New York Post) Well, regardless, he can line the apparently well-lit tunnel with framed magazine covers. - Maddow gets emotional in Flint
The MSNBC host fronted a town hall meeting on the city’s pollution debacle. It was a solid effort and wound up with her telling one and all what she thought. “You did nothing to bring this disaster unto yourself…This is an American, a man-made disaster…We as your fellow Americans must start thinking about the restoration of this town…You are not alone. America is with you now, Flint, Michigan….I am convinced it is going to happen. It will be hard but it will happen. Because we as a country will not let this lie.” The aggrieved locals stood and cheered her. Let’s hope the passionate good intentions prove her correct. - Job moves, edited by Benjamin Mullin
Matthew Rose is now enterprise editor at The Wall Street Journal. Previously, he was deputy D.C. bureau chief there. (Talking Biz News) | George W. Stone is now editor in chief of National Geographic Travel. Previously, he was ‎editor at large there. (Fishbowl DC) | Job of the day: The Hartford Courant is looking for a deputy metro editor. Get your resumes in! (Journalism Jobs) | Send Ben your job moves: bmullin@poynter.org.
Corrections? Tips? Please email me: jwarren@poynter.org. Would you like to get this roundup emailed to you every morning? Sign up here.
Correction: An earlier version of this story said that Kathy Kiely was Washington news director for Bloomberg News. In fact, she was Washington news director for Bloomberg Politics.
