John Kelly - FishbowlDC

MSNBC.com Gets New Name

Betsy Rothstein — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 08:26:07 +0000

MSNBC.com is getting a new name. Despite the complex, corporate jargon, the long and short of it is that MSNBC.com will now be NBCNews.com. Some staff will be “co-located” at NBC’s headquarters in New York in order to create “unified multi-platform teams, and promote the sharing of resources and cross-platform reporting between the network’s broadcast and digital properties.”

NBC News President Steve Capus announced today that NBC News is now the full owner and operator of Msnbc Digital Network. This includes msnbc.com, TODAY.com, NightlyNews.com, BreakingNews.com,Newsvine.com, EveryBlock.com, and the apps and extensions of these respective properties.

All of NBC News’ digital businesses, including Msnbc Digital Network properties, theGrio.com, NBCLatino.com,NBCPolitics.com, EducationNation.com, social media and all of the network’s digital initiatives, will form a new division called NBC News Digital.

NBC News Digital will be overseen by Vivian Schiller, Senior VP & Chief Digital Officer of NBC News. Charlie Tillinghast will continue to oversee the legacy Msnbc Digital Network properties, reporting to Schiller. The current NBC News Digital sales team will now report to Marianne Gambelli, President of NBC Network Ad Sales, and work closely with John Kelly, Executive VP of NBC News Ad Sales.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

WaPo Columnist Plans Tribute to Late Davy Jones

Eddie Scarry — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:00:34 +0000

Journopalooza, the charity event that showcases the bands of local journalists, is scheduled for March 9 and there will be a special tribute to the late Davy Jones of the Monkees. Jones died yesterday.

WaPo‘s John Kelly and his Monkees tribute band “The Stepping Stones” will perform at the event and end their set with Monkees song “Pleaseant Valley Sunday” in dedication to Jones.

Journopalooza will be held at The Hamilton on 600 14th st, NW. It starts at 7 p.m.

Below is a video of The Stepping Stones performing at least year’s Journopalooza:

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

WCP’s Brooke Hatfield Holds Onto the Crown

Betsy Rothstein — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 17:30:59 +0000

After much drama over who really earned the most applause at the recent Commedia del Media stand-up contest amongst Washington journalists, WCP‘s Brooke Hatfield comes out on top.

She was pronounced the winner last Friday night. But judges, former CNNer Jamie McIntyre and Fox News Business’ Rich Edson, weren’t so sure.

So organizers had FishbowlDC host a vote. And the people have spoken: 42 votes for Hatfield. No reason to embarrass WaPo Columnist John Kelly and award-winning documentary film producer and former WAMU anchor Mike Walter with their numbers, but suffice it to say, they too have fans.

Congratulations to Brooke!

If you missed her performance, watch below:

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We Need Your Help: Who’s Funniest?

Betsy Rothstein — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:37:36 +0000

The official word on why the Commedia crown is still in contention: Upon late-night review of Friday’s performances at the National Press Club, the judges who included former CNN Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre and Fox News Business reporter Rich Edson noticed a few errant chads hanging loosely in the applause. This casts doubt on their decision to award WCP‘s Brooke Hatfield the Commedia crown and title of “DC’s Funniest Journalist.” Others who had the most clapping in the first round of voting include the following performers: Award-winning documentary producer and former anchor at WUSA Mike Walter and WaPo columnist John Kelly.

So the jury is STILL out.

Congress (i.e. the powers that be at Commedia del Media) has mandated a re-vote to commence immediately prior to total government shutdown. We’ve agreed to host the vote.

The finalists are:

1. Mike Walter: Watch here.

2. Brooke Hatfield: Watch here.

3. John Kelly: Watch here.

Watch the videos. Cast your vote. We’ll tally the numbers.You’re on the honor code to vote just once.

Write us at FishbowlDC@mediabistro.com.

Find out other weird details about the evening…

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Fish Food

Betsy Rothstein — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 12:23:06 +0000

(A Sprinkling of Things We Think You Ought to Know...)

*But will they be funny? Commedia dell Media III tickets are officially on sale. The final lineup is 13 journo competitors. But only one will be named D.C.’s Funniest Journalist. The date: April 1. WaPo cartoonist Nick Galifianakis will host and PBS’s Miles O’Brien will headline the show. Sharpening their wits in prep for the competition, the candidates are: Politico’s Jon Allen and Meredith Shiner, NPR’s Jamila Bey, Nadia Bilbassy of the Middle East Broadcasting Company, NJ‘s Matt Cooper, WCP‘s Brooke Hatfield, WaPo‘s John Kelly, Riz Khan of al-Jazeera English, Bloomberg’s Scott Lanman, Bloomberg TV’s Lizzie O’Leary, Mike Walter of Walter Media, TWT‘s Shaun Waterman and freelancer Tim Young. Last’s year’s winner’s, Military.com’s Jamie McIntyre (who trash talked CNN last year) and FOX Business News’s Rich Edson will head a snark panel of judges, but audience input will anoint the winner. Buy tickets here: $15 online and $20 the night of the show. The event takes place at the National Press Club. Starting time: 8 p.m.

*The Irony As the House gears up to vote on funding for NPR, NPRNews releases its “Song of the Day.” That would be Jessica Lea Mayfield‘s “Strength In Vulnerability.”

*Gender Confusion on Capitol Hill: The Hill‘s Christina Wilkie reporting over Twitter that Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) referred to Under Sec. for Defense Michele Flournoy as a man. “Has @RosLehtinen ever met under secretary Flournoy, who she just quoted on the House floor? Because Flournoy is a Ms., not a Mr.” Wilkie wrote.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Matthews Hangs Out at the Oldest Bar – Who Knew?

Betsy Rothstein — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 06:50:31 +0000

As it turns out, MSNBC “Hardball” host Chris Matthews regularly frequents the oldest bar in Washington.

We won’t ruin this cliffhanger — read on here in today’s WaPo in John Kelly‘s Sunday Washington column. The question, – what’s D.C.’s oldest bar, oldest hotel? – comes from a longtime FishbowlDC reader and media consultant Nicholas Thimmesch of Reston.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Taking Out The Trash

Christine — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:34:21 +0000

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

M – Th 11p / 10c

Moment of Zen – First Dog Puns

thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Economic Crisis

Political Humor

What we almost missed today…

• The press has been panting after President Obama’s new puppy and hence a “Moment of Zen” for Daily Show‘s Jon Stewart. WaPo’s Howard Kurtz makes an appearance.

• WaPo has launched “Personality Pages” to “create an ecosystem around a writer/columnist with contextual information, links to content created by that person, and other features like RSS feeds,” according to a memo from managing editor Raju Narisetti. Politico reports “so far, 20 staffers were contacted about the program, with half responding: Joel Achenbach, Chris Cillizza, Marc Fisher, Dan Froomkin, Carolyn Hax, John Kelly, Howie Kurtz, Dana Milbank, Lisa de Moraes, and Rob Pegoraro.” Milbank’s up first and you can check out his prototype here.

• And finally today, TMZ has arrived in DC. First scoop, the pooch.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Morning Reading List 03.10.09

Christine — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:09:03 +0000

Good Morning FishbowlDC!

Got a blind item, interesting link, funny note, comment, birthday, anniversary or anything of the sort for Morning Reading List? Drop us a line or let us know in the tips box below.

Its day 50 covering the Obama administration and week six for us. Today is TVNewser’s Summit in NYC. What we know and what we’re reading this Tuesday morning…

NEWPAPERS

Media Matters takes a look at the NYT’s interview with President Obama here. “But now I’m not so sure Obama wasn’t right to ignore the Times. Not after its third question put to him last week: ‘Are you a socialists, as some people have said?’” Greg Sargent at blog The Plum Line actually challenged NYT reporter Peter Baker‘s socialist question and got this response.

WaPo Metro columnist John Kelly imagines America’s last two journalists flipping a coin for the last good assignment.

In “United, Newspapers May Stand,” David Carr suggests “a rump caucus could form where the newspaper industry would decide to hold hands and jump off the following cliffs together on the following actions,” no more free content, no more free ride to aggregators, no more commoditized ads and throw out the Newspaper Preservation Act.

NYT has raised $225 million through the sale and leaseback of part of its headquarters building.

In local news, a DC councilmember, Harry Thomas, threatens to squash a tiny paper, the Brookland Heartbeat.

CNBC thrives on the attitude and personalities of its hosts, from NYT’s Brian Stelter. “Whether the attention is positive or negative, it is certain that this tumultuous financial season is CNBCâ€™s reason for being. One month shy of its 20th anniversary, CNBC is being jokingly called ‘the recession network’ within the halls of its headquarters in New Jersey.”

More on NBC, NYT takes a look at the networks first placed programming here.

ONLINE

Some pre-Summit Twitter chatter from today’s panelists Tammy Haddad, Rick Klein, Jim Long, Rachel Sterne and Michael Meyers on TVNewser.

MAGAZINES

First Lady Michelle Obama graces the cover of The New Yorker.

NEWS NOTES

A look at “How Obama plays the pundits” from Politico. “But the White House knows that what gets written in Washington and New York filters out into the country- and that it needs support from those who are most likely to get their news from the inside-the-Beltway press, members of Congress, policy wonks and, of course, other journalists.”

“Ever wondered what would happen if a hapless reporter from The New York Times attempted to interview Ann Coulter, the writer, columnist and conservative firebrand?” HERE’S YOUR ANSWER.

More on Coulter from Meghan McCain on the Daily Beast, “My Beef with Ann Coulter.”

JOBS

National Geographic is looking for a manager of strategic development.

HAT TIPS: Mediabistro

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Morning Reading List, 10.21.08

Patrick — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 09:05:16 +0000

Good morning Washington.

Got a blind item, interesting link, funny note, comment, birthday, anniversary or anything of the sort for Morning Reading List? Drop us a line or let us know in the tips box below.

We’ve got your morning mix of media Muesli after the jump…

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Morning Reading List, 10.07.08

Patrick — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:16:16 +0000

Good morning Washington.

Got a blind item, interesting link, funny note, comment, birthday, anniversary or anything of the sort for Morning Reading List? Drop us a line or let us know in the tips box below.

We’ve got your morning mix of media Muesli after the jump…

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Morning Reading List, 11.09.07

Patrick — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 09:26:09 +0000

Good morning Washington.

Pricey shampoos are your thing.

Can you answer this week’s CQ Political Trivia?

The Associated Press reports, “Newspaper publisher Lee Enterprises Inc. said Thursday its fourth-quarter profit nearly doubled versus a year ago with much of the gain attributed to one-time benefits of tax changes and other issues.”

We knew we were forgetting something. John Kelly tells us that yesterday was Journalist Day.

McClatchy again hit by setbacks.

The 2007 Weblog Awards announced…with the Extreme-ness taking a bronze!

Wonkette: “WaPo Repressing Horrible Headline Word Choice”

“FEMA Press Secretary Directed Fake News Briefing, Inquiry Finds”

According to the Hollywood Reporter, “Time Warner must focus on being ‘the most profitable, not the biggest’ entertainment company, and his team must concentrate on boosting the stock ‘now,’ CEO designate Jeffrey Bewkes said here Wednesday in his first public appearance since being tapped for the promotion.”

Rachel Sklar says, “Goodbye my Finger Bowl.”

“Digital Drives Discovery Results”

“David Westin’s ABC News Re-Org Continues”

Stars and Stripes Ombudsman: “ASY arrangement threatened Stripesâ€™ objectivity”

Confederate Yankee reports, “At least two of the leading advertisers for The New Republic are reconsidering their advertising relationships with the magazine in the wake of the magazines handling of the Scott Beauchamp “Shock Troop” scandal.”

FT.com reports, “Warner Bros has signalled its intention of expanding more aggressively into the video games industry with the acquisition of TT Games, the UK publisher of the LEGO Star Wars series which has sold 12m copies around the world.”

Portfolio’s Mixed Media reports, “You might expect a former studio chief like Michael Eisner to side with the studios over the current writers strike, and you would be very right. Speaking at the Dow Jones/Nielsen Media and Money conference this morning, the ex-Disney honcho called the Writers Guild work stoppage ‘stupid,’ ‘misguided’ and ‘insanity.’

“Another FEMA Official Leaves In Wake of Scandal”

The Hollywood Reporter reports, “Three days in, the writers strike is hitting television hard as schedules are being juggled, overall deals suspended, production on series shut down and layoffs kick in.”

New York Post reports, “NBC may be trying to claw its way out of the prime-time TV ratings cellar, but that’s not stopping the network’s party-hearty new savior, Ben Silverman, from praising himself and bashing the top dogs at rivals ABC and FOX.”

Bloomberg reports, “News Corp., the media company controlled by Rupert Murdoch, said first-quarter profit fell 13 percent from a year earlier, when a gain from the sale of investments boosted results. Sales topped analysts’ estimates.”

RumorMonger reports, “Digg is close to announcing its sale to a major media player for $300 million to $400 million, according to sources close to the company, I hear.”

Reuters reports, “Digital video recorder company TiVo Inc is offering a new service giving advertisers detailed profiles of its users, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday in its online edition.”

B&C reports, “On the News Corp. earnings conference call Wednesday, president and chief operating officer Peter Chernin said, ‘A strike is probably a positive for the company.’”

Jobs

International Justice Mission is looking for a Director of Media Relations.

The Wall Street Journal is looking for a part time News Assistant.

Hat Tips: DCRTV, TVNewser, IWantMedia, Romenesko, MediaBistro, JournalismJobs, JournalismNext

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Taking Out The Trash, 03.22.07

Patrick — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 08:55:41 +0000

An ABC release announces that “World News with Charles Gibson” will air a special series — “Key to the World” — reported by ABC News’ Bill Weir. “The series will take Weir on reporting assignments around the globe, and in conjunction, ‘World News’ will have a single commercial sponsor the first four Mondays in April — April 2, 9, 16, and 23.”

John Kelly uncovers “some surprises” at the Radio & Television Museum in Bowie, “a labor of love by members of the Radio History Society that opened in 1999.”

Charles Babington reports, “The proposed merger of the nation’s two satellite radio companies came under sharp criticism” Tuesday from Sen. Herb Kohl.

From The Hill:

Reporters have a lot of access on Capitol Hill, but the Standing Committee of Correspondents made it clear this week that such access has its limits.

Following an incident in which a reporter mistakenly walked onto the House floor, the standing committee issued a memo Tuesday stating, “Reporters are not allowed on the floor of the House or the Senate.”

“1M Comcast Subs Face C-SPAN2 Cutback”

Tom Friedman celebrates 100 weeks of his book’s success.

In Memoriam: Catherine Seipp.

DCRTV reports, “XM Satellite Radio will launch a special radio channel featuring a mix of music and vintage audio dedicated to the sport. Play Ball will air from 3/30 through the end of opening day on 4/2 on XM-200.”

Politico’s Jonathan Martin reports how advances in media technology advances could make Sen. John McCain’s second bid for president a bumpier ride than his first run.

New York Times looks at how Iraq has changed the face of television “since the early, heady days of shock and awe.”

A tipster tells us about PBS: “You should know that there’s been some moving and shaking there. They hired a new SVP of Interactive — Jason Seiken, formerly executive editor of washingtonpost.com and something or other at AOL. Also, they hired Angela Morgenstern as new director of interactive. She used to head MTV News interactive (and before that produced for PBS).”

The International Center for Journalists announced that it is naming its internship program after former Vice President Whayne Dillehay, “in honor of more than 15 years of dedication and passion.”

Today at Nathan’s, Mark Plotkin will give an update on all things political before DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier.

Did the Edwards / Fox flap backfire? Either way, Paul Begala says it’s time to go Fox hunting…

Michele McLellan and Tim Porter, authors of the new book News, Improved: How America’s Newsrooms Are Learning to Change, will present the findings from new national survey on training for U.S. midcareer journalists. Check it out at the news conference at the J.W. Marriott Tuesday, March 27 at 9 a.m. Eric Newton, Vice President/Journalism Program, of the Knight Foundation, will also be present.

The Northern Virginia Daily in Strasburg, Va., “needs a copy editor who knows the basics and is ready to take the next step.”

CQPolitics.com probably having a ton of fun with the Congress-March Madness nexus. Check out this, this, and this.

Don’t forget to check out the 2007 Reel Journalism: Screenings and Symposia which starts tonight. Check out the full schedule here.

GW announced the creation of a master’s degree program in strategic public relations through the Graduate School of Political Management. The program begins fal 2007.

Josh Gerstein discovers how a “New Technique Lets Bloggers Tackle Late-Night News Dumps.”

David Brooks got the shaft from Rudy Giuliani, who instead gave some love to Nicholas Kristof.

Sign the petition to make The Colbert Report a full hour.

John Hughes makes his pitch to keep Voice of America’s budget in tact.

The staff of the forth coming Portfolio have been given a gag order on Conde Nast’s new business magazine.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Taking Out The Trash, 03.07.07

Patrick — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 08:55:36 +0000

Most of you think highly of your direct editor.

“1,000 Journalists Killed in 10 Years While Reporting”

Air America Radio 2.0 begins.

An NBC release announced that “NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams” was “No. 1 in most all demographics including the key demo adults 25-54 during the week of February 26 — March 2, 2007. “Nightly’s” “+132,000 advantage over ABC in the key
demographic represents the program’s best advantage over “World News” since the week of January 15, 2007.”

An ABC release announced that “World News with Charles Gibson” was “the #1 evening newscast among Total Viewers and Households” for the week of February 26 — March 2, marking the second week in a row and the third time in four weeks “World News” has ranked #1 in these top categories.

In his upcoming column, Vanity Fair’ Michael Wolff looks at how through the Scooter Libbyt trial, the Bush administration, “could well have brought one of the greatest marketing and P.R. success stories of the modern era — the rise of conservatism and the Republican Party — to an end.”

Gelf Magazine’s Sarah Raymond looks at how the translation or interpretations of statements that foreign correspondents often rely on can result in some serious confusion.

Vanity Fair Editor Graydon Carter announced that that Bono will serve as Vanity Fair’s “first-ever” guest editor. Bono will edit the magazine’s Africa Issue for July, which he is doing on behalf of (RED).

Mother Jones takes a new look at “25 Years of Media Mergers. From GE-NBC to Google-YouTube.”

The PEJ News Index shows that “tornadoes in the South and a financial plunge on Wall Street” joined two stories that “typically dominate the Index” — the 2008 Presidential campaign and the Iraq debate.

Foreign Policy announced in a release that Lawrence Wright won the 2007 Lionel Gelber Prize for his book The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11, published by Alfred A. Knopf. “The annual prize is awarded to the author of the world’s best book on international affairs.” Other finalists were Robert Kagan’s Dangerous Nation: America’s Place in the World from Its Earliest Days to the Dawn of the Twentieth Century; Margaret MacMillan’s Nixon and Mao: The Week That Changed the World; David Malone’s The International Struggle over Iraq: Politics in the UN Security Council 1980â€“2005; and Thomas E. Ricks’ Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq.

FootNoted.Org expresses surprise upon learning that Gannett’s top execs will no longer have “any allowance” for home security systems or club membership fees. “Whatâ€™s the next perk to go? Could it be the end of the ‘company provided lunch’?”

ABC News’ Brian Ross and Vic Walter report, “Whistle-blower AT&T technician Mark Klein says his effort to reveal alleged government surveillance of domestic Internet traffic was blocked not only by U.S. intelligence officials but also by the top editors of the Los Angeles Times.”

Washington Post’s John Kelly provides a look at “pre-BlackBerry journalism” through the Ralph M. McKenzie’s 1903 “Washington Correspondents Past and Present — Brief Sketches of the Rank and File.”

Al Tompkins takes a look behind the National Press Photographers Association’s judging of the Television Photojournalism contest. “By week’s end, they will have witnessed countless calamities and odd characters of every description.”

A reader asks, “Mike Sniffen wrote the AP Libby story. His wife Laurie Asseo wrote the Bloomberg Libby story. Wonder which one was better.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Taking Out The Trash, 02.28.07

Patrick — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 09:35:28 +0000

Hmm… There seems to be a split verdict on Scooter Libby’s guilt. The innocents have it by a hair.

“Bush Administration FOIA Report Card Hits New Low”

John Kelly loves letters to the editor.

An update to our post yesterday re: beat changes at the Washington Times. Eric Pfeiffer will has been bumped up to the Capitol Hill beat, along with business reporter Sean Langell (they’ll join Christina Bellantoni and S.A. Miller).

After accidentally putting perfume, and not contact lens solution, onto her contact lens (thanks to those lovely TSA “3-oz. bottle” rules), WAMU’s Diane Rehm instantly burned “Ninety percent of Rehm’s epithelium (the layer of cells that covers the cornea’s surface).”

Left-wing bloggers have a beef with the Politico.

And CJR has a beef with John Solomon…

DCRTV has a Kornheiser rant…

More of Bob Woodruff’s conversation with Charlie Gibson from last night.

An ABC release announced that “Nightline” “continued its growth trend in both Total Viewers and the key Adults 25-54 demographic” for the week of February 12. This is the highest post in total viewers since October, 2006.

Another ABC release announced that “World News with Charles Gibson” was the number 1 evening newscast among total viewers, adults and household for the week of February 19-23 for the second time in three weeks. This is also “the fourth consecutive week the broadcast has placed first among Adults 25-54.”

This kind of sourcing confusion could make your head explode.

B&C takes a hard look at new vs. old media. “The cuts reflect a grim reality for these media giants: Staying ahead often means cutting heads. As viewers shift their media-consumption habits, TV operations are forced to take a hard look at how they have been run and staffed for years. And in many cases, they’ve realized, they just don’t need the same people they used to.”

PEJ News Coverage Index shows that the 2008 presidential campaign was the top story (12%) for the week of February 18-23. The Iraq policy debate finished second (11%) followed by the Anna Nicole Smith story (10%).

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.