THE DAILY NEWSLETTER - WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022

Media Winners & Losers

MEDIA WINNER:
Correspondents Ed O’Keefe
& Mary Bruce

CBS News White House correspondent Ed O’Keefe and ABC News White House correspondent Mary Bruce grilled White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki over President Joe Biden‘s use of the phrase “Ultra-MAGA,” asking who thought it up and “Why the need to kick it up a notch? MAGA wasn’t enough?”

On the heels of the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade if it takes effect, President Biden has taken to ripping current Republicans as “Ultra-MAGA” over a raft of issues that include abortion rights, tax policy, and programs like Medicaid and Medicare.

At Tuesday’s press briefing, Bruce and O’Keefe teamed up to drill down on the phrase, First was Bruce, who asked who thought it up and why the existing phrase “MAGA” was considered insufficient.

"Who came up with this phrase 'Ultra-MAGA'? Why the need to kick it up a notch? MAGA wasn’t enough? I mean, why now use this phrase?" she asked.

Next, O’Keefe picked up the line of questioning by asking Psaki if Senators Rob Portman, Susan Collins, and Mitt Romney would fit the designation.

The topic, and the answer to their questions, were a big hit as news, especially on social media. The questions managed to address something that both sides of the political divide would want answers to, albeit for different reasons.

In short, exactly what people want and expect from a White House reporter. Or two.

MEDIA LOSER:
MSNBC's Symone Sanders
 

Symone Sanders' new show on MSNBC had it all: a well-known host who just left a presidential administration, heaps of promotion, a plump timeslot, and a splashy first guest.

It still flopped in the ratings.

With a paltry 29,000 in-demo viewers, and 361,000 total viewers according to Nielsen ratings, the debut episode was a small affair.

Sanders is a former press secretary for Vice President Kamala Harris. Before that she was an adviser to President Joe Biden's campaign. Her previous political job was as national press secretary for the Bernie Sanders campaign.

In between those gigs, she was a CNN contributor. Now, after them, she's an MSNBC host - soon to be joined at the company by current White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

The network's January announcement of the new show was an early move in a larger shuffling of the line-up following the departure of Brian Williams.

By way of comparison, the Symone premiered in third, and that 361k total was dwarfed by Fox's 842,000 at 4pm.

The former administration official's first big interview was with First Lady Jill Biden.

Mediaite's Colby Hall this week is raising questions about the revolving door phenomenon.

Viewers may turn out to have the same questions, too. Should they turn up at some point.

The A-Block

"Reprehensible"

CNN's John Berman asked Democratic Senator Dick Durbin about recent protests taking place outside the homes of Supreme Court Justices in the wake of the leaked draft opinion on abortion law.

Durbin said the protests are "absolutely reprehensible" and "over the line.'

"Stay away from the homes and families of elected officials and members of the court," he said. 

Berman brought up comments from Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that protests like this are perfectly fine and no big deal, and Durbin expressly contradicted him.

“I think when it comes to the home of an elected official, that’s over the line. It’s happened to me. And I think it happened to most of us in elected position,” he said. “If we want to bring women and men into this position, and accept the responsibility and sometimes the controversy, we have to have reasonable lines drawn to respect their families.”

On the other other side of the aisle, Sen. Marsha Blackburn has called for arrests.

“They should haul all of these people down to the police headquarters," she said. "They should book them for violating a federal statute."


🇺🇦 FOR LATEST UKRAINE COVERAGE CLICK HERE


In Other News...

Univision Anchor Completely Nukes Biden on Inflation in Scorching Commentary

Psaki Grilled Over Biden's 'Ultra-MAGA' Phrase: 'Why The Need To Kick It Up A Notch? MAGA Wasn't Enough?'

INTERVIEW: CNN's Harry Enten Dishes on the 'Human Experience' Focus of His Podcast's New Season


Industry News...

Al Jazeera Journalist Killed In West Bank During Israeli-Palestinian Clashes

TelevisaUnivision Names Michael Angus Head Of U.S. Distribution

RATINGS: May 9 - The Five Tops in Total Viewers Again

Must See Clip

Is There a Pilot Onboard?

The answer to that question was no, but that didn't stop a man from landing a plane in distress on Tuesday. It was truly — as CNN aviation correspondent Pete Muntean described it — like something out of a movie.

During a flight from the Bahamas Tuesday, a passenger who had never flown a plane before managed somehow to land it safely after the pilot became incapacitated.

"I’ve got a serious situation here,” the passenger said. Ya think?

Links We Like

It’s OK To Incite Violence On Twitter — As Long As It’s Against The Right
- Rachel Bovard, New York Post
Forty Years Of Attacks And Slurs Against Justice Thomas
- Mark Paoletta, Newsweek
CNN’s New Ownership Gut-punched Its Journalists
- Erik Wemple Washington Post
Henry Winkler to Share His Life Story in Memoir Due Out in 2024
- Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone
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