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Another outed harasser, but intense interest doesn't change things
The CNN.com headline (and story) offers a parenthetical of its own that's rich with ironic necessity: "The (incomplete) list of powerful men accused of sexual harassment after Harvey Weinstein."
Yes, it's Wednesday, or is it Thursday? How many today? Tech, media or financial executive? Wasn't there some famous chef, too? Did you see Megyn Kelly going after Fox?
"It's been 20 days since the sexual assault allegations against media mogul Harvey Weinstein exploded into public view," writes CNN. "Since then there have been new allegations made against other powerful men in various industries seemingly almost every day."
No sooner was that story out, than came another apparent case study in awful behavior via CNN. It's word that "Veteran journalist Mark Halperin sexually harassed women while he was in a powerful position at ABC News, according to five women who shared their previously undisclosed accounts with CNN and others who did not experience the alleged harassment personally, but were aware of it."
He's been an NBC and MSNBC regular, and co-host of Showtime's "The Circus." Now a reporter who was a pathbreaker long ago with his ABC political newsletter, "The Note," has to tell CNN, "I now understand from these accounts that my behavior was inappropriate and caused others pain. For that, I am deeply sorry and I apologize. Under the circumstances, I'm going to take a step back from my day-to-day work while I properly deal with this situation."
MSNBC's "Morning Joe" was very upfront this morning as Mika Brzezinski briefly told viewers about Halperin's situation. So as he steps back, many women step forward with new hashtags and passionate claims of abuse. Gretchen Carlson, the former Fox News host, was even on Stephen Colbert's show last night promoting a book of advice for women based on her tawdry victimization at Fox News that resulted in a $20 million settlement and an apology.
"My Facebook News Feed is teeming with posts," wrote Backchannel's editorial director, Jessi Hempel, last week. Her take seems more relevant this week. "Female friends have shared heavy anecdotes about inappropriate events. Men have attempted to express solidarity, or concern, or surprise. Celebrities have run with the meme. A backlash has materialized, in which women voice concerns about those who are speaking up."
But here's her thesis: On its surface, #MeToo has the makings of an earnest and effective social movement. It’s galvanizing women everywhere to speak out about harassment and abuse. It’s causing everyone to weigh in on systemic sexism in our culture. In truth, however, #MeToo is a too-perfect meme. It harnesses social media’s mechanisms to drive users (that’s you and me) into escalating states of outrage while exhausting us to the point where we cannot meaningfully act. In other words, #MeToo — despite the best intentions of so many participating — is everything that’s wrong with social media."
This is a point that Suzanne Muchin, a Chicago branding consultant, has been making for weeks and expands upon in a U.S. News & World Report opus, "Weinstein is No Watershed." Co-host of a podcast called "The Big Payoff," on careers and culture, she tells me:
"The watershed moment is good. But it is … a moment. There are much more entrenched issues that need to be discussed, and they are NOT being discussed given how 'sexy' (sorry to use that term in this context) the story is about 'bad men who do bad things to women.' It's entertaining (sadly) to wake up each AM and see whose head is next to roll. But no different than every other issue — you can't keep this up. People will get tired of the story. Their attention will go elsewhere. They will be less and less outraged with each passing man who is outed."
You really want to change things? Then one must really think strategically, especially in using media and convincing Americans who are not part of the mainstream conversation on the matter. And one size doesn't fit all when it comes to targeted messaging toward and dialogue with. The blunt tools geared toward mass consumption may feed the voracious 24/7 news cycle but they won't bring much social change. That's way harder than even the more outraged hashtag.
A few accusers have found platforms to powerfully rage. Most don't. Most won't get CNN or Brzezinski to perhaps tell millions about a man who did them ill. Changing societal norms goes well beyond announcing that we've come to some "inflection point." We probably are far from it, even amid this unceasing disclosure of bad behavior.
Good News for NPR
The latest Nielsen ratings, for the spring, show "the total weekly listeners for all programming on NPR stations reached an all-time high of 37.7 million."
Headline of the day
From Ad Age: "KELLOGG ACCUSED OF RACIST CORN POPS PACKAGING"
Morning Babel
There was the "Morning Joe" announcement about why Mark Halperin surely won't return for quite a while, if ever. The show was also live in South Korea via reporter Keir Simmons, trying to figure out what's going on next door in North Korea, as Defense Secretary James Mattis was expected in Seoul today. He spoke of American ignorance of the North Korean mentality and its take on history.
"Trump & Friends" was whole hog on the talk of the Democratic-funded Trump "dossier," bringing more unwanted attention to Fusion GPS, the Washington research firm that helped the Clinton campaign's key law firm and includes several former journalists, including former Wall Street Journal investigative reporter Glenn Simpson. One guest reminded one of the perils of live television, calling Fusion's response "bull—-" before correcting himself.
CNN's "New Day" was actually in Pyongyang, North Korea, with its Will Ripley suggesting that the country will follow up on its threat to detonate a nuclear device (a hydrogen bomb) above ground. It would be the first time since China did the same in the early 1980s. Meanwhile, there was the unrelated topic of Trump deriding the press as concocting the notion of him as uncivil, with Bill Carter saying Trump has a "personality disorder" and Brian Stelter saying he's caught in a vicious cycle of watching too much TV and then blaming the messenger. Co-host Chris Cuomo demurred, citing long experience with the Trump family and arguing that everything Trump says, he believes, no matter how goofy.
Replacing Scott Pelley at 'The CBS Evening News'
It's Jeff Glor. "Old white audience likes young white guys," says a longtime major TV executive. "A more or less unknown (David) Muir worked out well for ABC. It ain't a place worth investing in big-name talent given what has become of nightly news. Overall, a very modest move for what has become a very modest part of the news landscape."
The calculus inside CBS News, says another source familiar with the thinking, is clear: "Very good on camera. Pretty good reporter. Next generation demos. Likable. Not too expensive. "
You can read more about Glor here.
A story that could have used an addition
Reports The Huffington Post: "George H.W. Bush Apologizes After Actress Says He Sexually Assaulted Her — Heather Lind says the 93-year-old former president 'touched me from behind, then did it again.'"
It notes, "Lind’s accusation follows a slew of recent public sexual harassment and assault allegations against film executive Harvey Weinstein, director James Toback and others. … Several women have accused President Donald Trump of sexual assault. Trump has denied the allegations."
Ah, since it does run a recent photo of Bush with the four other living ex-presidents, do you think this might have made even fleeting, parenthetical mention of Bill Clinton's vivid history on this topic?
Upsetting a prevailing media narrative
The Washington Post disclosure Tuesday was heralded by conservative media, not by others: The Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee were the ones who paid for that so-called dossier about Donald Trump. The money was essentially passed through a prominent law firm (Perkins Coie) that, in a standard practice (to be able to claim attorney-client privilege for the results), hired an investigative firm filled with former journalists.
The Wall Street Journal editorializes, "Strip out the middlemen, and it appears that Democrats paid for Russians to compile wild allegations about a U.S. presidential candidate. Did someone say 'collusion?'"
"This news is all the more explosive because the DNC and Clinton campaign hid their role, even amid the media furor after BuzzFeed published the (former British spy Christopher) Steele dossier in January. Reporters are now saying that Clinton campaign officials lied to them about their role in the dossier. Current DNC Chair Tom Perez and former chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz deny knowing about the dossier arrangement, but someone must have known."
Upsetting another prevailing media narrative
The New York Times' estimable Peter Baker on White House Chief of Staff John Kelly:
"For all of the talk of Mr. Kelly as a moderating force and the so-called grownup in the room, it turns out that he harbors strong feelings on patriotism, national security and immigration that mirror the hard-line views of his outspoken boss. With his attack on a congresswoman who had criticized Mr. Trump’s condolence call to a slain soldier’s widow last week, Mr. Kelly showed that he was willing to escalate a politically distracting, racially charged public fight even with false assertions."
Did he really tweet that?
China hands, including journalists, were shaking their heads at Trump's tweet heralding a call with a dictator. "Spoke to President Xi of China to congratulate him on his extraordinary elevation." As one told me, fine, since it's a formality. But don't fawn over him in a tweet. Tacky, probably counterproductive
Cashing Ukraine's check
The Washington Post's Politics P.M.newsletter opened last evening with this saga:
"President Trump on Wednesday revived the controversy over his handling of a condolence call with an Army soldier’s widow, disputing Myeshia’s Johnson’s claim that he did not seem to remember her husband’s name and calling into question the memories of others who heard the conversation."
Right above it, rather incongruously, was this ad:
"STANDING UP WITH UKRAINE TODAY WILL INVEST IN SECURITY TOMORROW: U.S. military assistance has been vital to Ukraine's defense so far, and Ukraine is ready for the next step."
It was from the Ukraine government and all about the need to improve its military to fight Russian aggression.
A valiant fight
The longtime ESPN NFL reporter Chris Mortensen is heartfelt in telling Sports Illustrated's Peter King about dealing with throat cancer, which has metastasized to his lungs. King, too, clearly was emotional, having known Mortensen a very long time as they both rose to be stars covering pro football.
"We're not supposed to root in this business, but I found myself saying, 'Come on, Mort, you can do it.' I hope you'll enjoy this emotional conversation, and the story that accompanies it."
Corrections? Tips? Please email me: jwarren@poynter.org. Would you like to get this roundup emailed to you every morning? Sign up here.
