Pressing Problem – Printing problems continue to plague the Globe, and this week it cost at least two long-time employee their job. Late papers, blurry pictures, no sports scores and sometimes no paper at all are just some of the issues for subscribers. So far, The Globe is not reporting on itself and it’s not clear whether there is a fix in the works.
Bad Ads – Facebook disclosed last week that it had sold $100,000 worth of ads to shadowy Russian accounts trying to influence the presidential election. Now, the investigative news site ProPublica says Facebook allowed advertisers to tailor messages to anti-Semites. Can they be the trusted news source they want to be if they don’t even know enough about themselves?
Out of Bounds? – ESPN’s “Sports Center” host Jemele Hill got herself into some hot water after calling President Donald Trump a bigot and white supremacist on Twitter. While she apologized — and the sports network accepted — the White House suggested she should be fired. It’s the latest episode of sports getting political, which prompted some to question whether the go-to sports network is biased.
Cutting the Cord – So far this year, more than 22 million adults in the US have cut the cord on cable, according to research firm eMarketer. That’s up 33% from 2016. As TV and video continues to shift toward cord-free, on-demand viewing, will traditional networks, such as local news stations, be left behind? Or can they adapt to the new landscape?
Rants and Raves – A review of the week in media.
On this week’s edition of Beat the Press, Emily Rooney is joined by Jon Keller of WBZ News, Josh Benton of the Nieman Journalism Lab, Dan Kennedy of Northeastern University and Callie Crossley of WGBH News.
