Why CNN Is Losing a Big Name, NPR's Huge Mistake, and Bari Weiss’ CBS Hits Grim New Low
Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon PassantinoShow Notes
On today’s episode:
Paula Reid, CNN's chief legal affairs correspondent, is leaving the network after growing uncomfortable with David Ellison’s impending takeover. Jon and Oliver break down exclusive reporting on what happened, and who else could follow her out the door.
Next, NPR’s embarrassing false report that Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito was retiring, what went wrong inside the newsroom, and what it reveals about the outlet’s editorial process.
Plus: MAGA media turns on Justice Amy Coney Barrett after the Supreme Court’s birthright citizenship ruling, and another brutal week for Bari Weiss’ CBS News as the network tries to spin a grim ratings picture.
Read these stories and more at http://www.status.news
0:00 Intro
1:41 Paula Reid is Leaving CNN. Who’s Next?
18:24 NPR’s Embarrassing False Report
27:04 MAGA Media Attacks Justice Barrett
34:06 Latest Ratings Data from Bari Weiss’ CBS News
44:21 Media Moment of the Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino
In a special episode of Power Lines, we publish exclusive audio from a stunning all-hands meeting in which Bari Weiss' handpicked foreign editor, Shayndi Raice, unleashed a lengthy tirade against her own CBS News journalists.
After completing his acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Ellison is facing questions about his relationship with Donald Trump and his plans for CNN. Jon shares what happened when he pressed Ellison directly on the Paramount lot, and Oliver reports on Anderson Cooper’s pointed questions for his new boss at an internal company town hall.
The future of CNN is coming into focus…at least for now. David Ellison has opened talks with Mark Thompson about extending his tenure as CNN’s chief. Oliver and Jon break down what the move signals to employees inside the network, what it could mean for CNN’s direction under Ellison, and where it leaves Bari Weiss, both now and down the road.
The anonymous source behind one of the stories that the White House used to justify its press ban was none other than JD Vance himself. We detail our exclusive reporting and get into the latest developments on Donald Trump’s war against the media.
CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins turned the tables on Status founder Oliver Darcy for the final interview of the Status Summit. Darcy described what it actually felt like to leave CNN and go independent, including the realization that there’s no undo button once you’ve handed in your badge. They also discuss how sourcing and reporting have changed for both of them since their beginnings in conservative media, and Oliver's plans to grow Status with more journalists, events, and podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices