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Collins Dictionary 2017 Word of the Year: Fake News

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Photo courtesy Pixabay

British dictionary publisher Collins has announced their 2017 “Word of the Year”: Fake News.

Claiming the term saw and “unprecedented” rise in usage over the past year, the term has also become synonymous with President Donald Trump, who has often utilized the phrase to criticize the media and journalists, especially on stories he perceives to be negative toward his administration.

Collins says the term has been in use for at least a decade, and defines “fake news” as “… false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting.”  Collins stated the word had been ranked top in its annual assessment of the most used words in the English language, with an “unprecedented usage increase 365% since 2016.”  Next year, the phrase will have its own entry in the dictionary.

President Trump recently claimed to have coined the phrase “fake news” as well.  In an interview with Mike Huckabee, he stated that:

“One of the greatest of all [the] terms I’ve come up with is ‘fake.’  I guess other people have used it — the term ‘fake’ in conjunction with ‘media’ — perhaps over the years.  But I’ve never noticed it.  And it’s a shame.  And they really hurt the country.”

Other words that were in competition for “Word of the Year” include “echo chamber,” “gender-fluid,” “gig economy” and “insta.”

You can see a sketch performed by The Free Association in partnership with Collins on “fake news” here.

Netflix Cancels ‘House of Cards’

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Kevin Spacey and the House of Cards team with David Axelrod at the 2013 White House Correspondents Garden Brunch. Photo courtesy Haddad Media

Following the news of unwanted sexual advances in 1986 by actor Kevin Spacey toward then-teenager Anthony Rapp, Netflix quickly decided on Monday to terminate House of Cards after the upcoming sixth season airs next year.

“Media Rights Capital and Netflix are deeply troubled by last night’s news concerning Kevin Spacey,’ said the companies in a joint statement. “In response to last night’s revelations, executives from both of our companies arrived in Baltimore this afternoon to meet with our cast and crew to ensure that they continue to feel safe and supported. As previously scheduled, Kevin Spacey is not working on set at this time.”

Late Sunday, Rapp claimed then-26 year old Spacey drunkenly made advances toward him.  “I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually,” Rapp said.  Both actors were on Broadway at that time in a revival of Long Day’s Journey Into Night and Precious Sons.

Spacey responded by quickly apologizing, issuing a statement on social media stating he “did not remember the encounter” and that he was “horrified” by the actions described by Rapp.  “If I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior.”

The sixth and final season of House of Cards is currently filming in Baltimore, and is expected to air mid-2018 on Netflix.

Reince Priebus Joins Washington Speakers Bureau, Michael Best and Friedrich Law

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Chairman Reince Priebus speaking at the RNC at the DNC opening press conference. Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

Reince Priebus, former White House chief of staff and former chairman of the Republican National Committee, announced that he will both rejoin the Washington D.C. office of the Milwaukee-based law firm Michael Best & Friedrich, LLC and be represented by the Washington Speakers Bureau.

Priebus will serve as president and chief strategist at Michael Best, where he worked more than a dozen years before his election as head of the RNC.  He will also serve as chairman of the advisory board for Michael Best Strategies LLC, the firm’s government relations and public affairs group.

“We are pleased to announce that Reince Priebus is joining Michael Best & Friedrich LLP as President and Chief Strategist in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. After serving the American people under the Trump Administration as Chief of Staff, Reince will bring his wealth of knowledge and unique understanding of federal, state, and local issues to advise and counsel the firm and its clients,” managing partner David Krutz announced via a statement on the firm’s website.

Additionally, Priebus will be represented by the Washington Speakers Bureau, giving speeches on Trump, Capitol Hill and politics in Washington.  He currently has events lined up in New York and London, as well as speaking at a dinner in South Korea last week.

“Reince has a truly 360° view of the current state of affairs in Washington. He offers insight into the inner workings of the Trump White House, forecasts the progress that is possible during the current Administration, and explains not only where the Republican Party has been but also where it’s going in the lead-up to the midterms,” said Washington Speakers Bureau vice president James Schiefer, Jr.

Priebus served as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2011 through January 2017, when he began service as White House chief of staff under President Donald Trump until last July.

FCC Eliminates Rule Requiring TV and Radio Stations to Have Local Studios

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

The Federal Communications Commission voted by a 3-2 margin to eliminate a decades-old rule requiring television and radio stations to maintain studios in the local communities they serve.

The three Republican commissioners said the decision would lead to cost savings for the broadcasters, which could be used to enhance “programming, equipment upgrades, newsgathering, and other services that benefit consumers.”

Enacted over 80 years ago, the rule was established to “facilitate input from community members and the station’s participation in community activities.” In today’s modern age, that rule is no longer needed because residents “can interact directly [with stations] through alternative means such as e-mail, social media, and the telephone,” the FCC said in a release announcing the decision.

“Getting rid of the rule will help broadcasters serve viewers and listeners, especially those in small towns and rural areas where the cost of compliance dissuades broadcasters from even launching stations,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai stated.

Local stations will still have an “obligation to air programming responsive to the interests of the community,” according to commissioner Michael O’Rielly. Residents will still be able to contact their local stations, because “it is more efficient and effective to call or e-mail a broadcast station, especially in times of an emergency, rather than visit the actual studio.”

The Democratic minority commissioners argued that eliminating the rule would exacerbate the problem around the shortage of stations with strong community ties.

“There are many broadcasters who do an extraordinary job serving communities during disaster,” said commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. “But let’s be honest – they can only do so when they have a real presence in their area of license.” She continued that removing the main station rule “will hollow out the unique role broadcasters play in local communities.”

Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy predicted that because of the rule change, “local news production could be moved to places such as New York and Washington as the big networks buy up local stations.”

Attorney General Refuses To Rule Out Jailing Journalists

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By U.S. Customs and Border Protection (160120-H-NI589-0103) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

During a hearing at the Senate Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Jeff Sessions stated he could not make a “blanket commitment” against jailing journalists for reporting the news.

In response to a question posed from Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) asking him to pledge not to put “reporters in jail for doing their jobs,” the Attorney General responded:

“Well, I don’t know that I can make a blanket commitment to that effect.  But I will say this, we have not taken any aggressive action against the media at this point.”

Sen. Klobuchar commented that the president’s recent tweets suggesting the administration could look into revoking broadcast licenses for networks prompted her to ask the Attorney General for clarification.

“We always try to find an alternative way, as you probably know, Sen. Klobuchar, to directly confronting media persons.  But that’s not a total blanket protection,” Sessions told the committee.

 

FCC Extends Deadline for Public Input on Sinclair-Tribune Merger

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced it is extending the timeline allowing members of the public to comment on the Sinclair Broadcast Group’s proposed takeover of Tribune Media.

“Today we permit interested parties to submit additional comments in the proceeding for the transfer of control of Tribune Media Company to Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.  We are also pausing the Commission’s 180-day transaction shot clock in this proceeding for 15 days, until November 2, 2017,” the agency said via release.  “[W]e believe that this action will contribute to a more efficient review of the proposed transaction.”

The FCC usually attempts to complete transfer reviews within 180 days, but the Sinclair acquisition has prompted opposition from consumer groups and rival conservative media outlets.

In September, the agency requested Sinclair provide more information on the acquisition, including their plans on staying in compliance with federal restrictions regarding media ownership limits.

The announcement is intended to provide interested parties more time to communicate their concerns to Sinclair’s response, filed earlier this month.  “The Commission has a strong interest in ensuring a full and complete record upon which to base its decision in this proceeding.  Pausing the clock will ensure that commenters have additional time to review and comment on this new information,” the FCC stated.

Judge Dismisses Russian Billionaire’s Libel Lawsuit Against AP

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Photo courtesy Michael Wuertenberg via Wikipedia.

A libel suit against the Associated Press by Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, who has close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, was dismissed by a federal judge Tuesday.

In a 21-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle said Deripaska’s lawsuit over a March story about his business relationship with former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort had “cherry-picked” statements from the story that he wrongly claimed were defamatory.

“Deripaska has cherry-picked sentences and strung them together to give the AP’s article an effect it does not have when read in full,” the judge wrote. “But whole context is how courts determine whether there is defamation.”

Huvelle wrote that the lawsuit failed to show the AP story was written with disregard for the truth or published maliciously, a legal standard Deripaska would have to meet for the case to move forward.  Instead, the suit complained that the story ignored background information Deripaska considered critical.

“As the AP points out,” Huvelle wrote in her decision, “this simply is not enough to make out a plausible case of actual malice.”

The story in question reported on how Manafort had proposed a business strategy to Deripaska a decade ago, supporting pro-Russian political parties and influencing politics and news coverage in the United States and Europe.

The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, meaning Deripaska cannot file it in court again.

 

White House Reporters: “Thank God We Have His Tweets”

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

Four notable journalists talked about the positives and negatives of covering the current White House during a wide-ranging panel discussion at SVA Theater during the annual New Yorker Festival.

Titled “All the President’s Reporters,” New York Times’ Jo Becker, CNN’s Carl Bernstein, The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer and Washington Post’s Greg Miller talked about the unique aspects covering Donald Trump’s presidency.

His habit of engaging in tweet-storms several times a week was noted as an important pathway to understand the president’s thoughts on issues of the day.

“Thank God we have his tweets,” said Carl Bernstein.  “It’s like a road map to the mind of Donald Trump.”

Greg Miller agreed, calling the president’s tweets “footage” recording the turbulent first period of the administration.

Jo Becker brought up the divisions across different media organizations, with the landscape starkly different from outlet to outlet that things can play out as dramatically and surprisingly as the 2016 campaign coverage showed.  She pointed out much of today’s discourse happens within media outlets, in stark difference to Bernstein’s coverage of Watergate, where CBS News’ Walter Cronkite would laud the reporting of the Washington Post in its coverage, putting the issue on the national agenda.

“It would be [MSNBC’s] Rachel Maddow preaching to the converted, and then Fox News would go after you and Bob [Woodward],” Becker made the point to Bernstein.

Jane Mayer emphasized her belief that regardless of stonewalling and “fake news,” the truth always comes out eventually.

“The truth comes out.  It sometimes takes a while, but it comes out.  There’s a strong public-service streak that people in public office have when they see power being abused.”

Following the panel discussion, questions turned to the division between media outlets and the hyper-partisan viewpoint of readers.  “I have my friends from school and I have my friends from Washington,” Miller said while describing growing up in a remote California town of 500 residents.  “My school friends all think I’m fake news.  They didn’t think I was fake in 5th grade but now I do.”

Bernstein wrapped up the panel noting that individuals no longer tune into national news broadcasts nightly, but rely on outlets portraying a specific political viewpoint with which they agree.  “We’re losing a large part of the country [which ignores mainstream media].  And I don’t think they’re coming back.”

FCC Chair: No Authority to Revoke Licenses Over Content

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Photo courtesy FCC.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said his agency doesn’t have the authority to revoke a broadcast network’s license based on content, in response to a recent tweet by President Donald Trump.

“Under the law, the FCC does not have the authority to revoke a license of a broadcast station based on the content of a particular newscast,” Pai said at an event sponsored by AT&T.  “I believe in the First Amendment.  The FCC under my leadership will stand for the First Amendment.”

President Trump tweeted last week that the FCC should investigate revoking NBC’s broadcasting license after NBC News published a story that said he had called for a ten-fold increase in the nation’s nuclear stockpile.


FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel also tweeted “Not how it works,” in response to the president.

Pai was also asked if the FCC had a role in determining what constitutes “fake news.”

“Traditionally, that has not been within the FCC jurisdiction,” the chairman replied.

Lawmakers Press FCC To Keep Timeline For Airwaves Transfers

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Photo courtesy Pixabay.

Several members of Congress have written the Federal Communications Commission urging the agency to keep to the scheduled timeline for handing over airwaves from local broadcasters to wireless providers.

Cellular service providers such as T-Mobile, along with Dish Network and Comcast, have been seeking access to frequencies purchased in recent auctions from local broadcasters, although broadcasters had historically slowed down transfers in the past.  Providers point to the advancement of cellular service over 5G networks needing signals capable of handling data-intensive applications on a larger magnitude than today’s 4G systems.

“By encouraging a rapid, reasonable, and cost-effective transition of the 600 MHz spectrum, the FCC can help ensure that citizens in rural America enjoy the benefits that reliable, high-speed internet connectivity promise,” the lawmakers wrote to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.

The letter was signed by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, such as Republican conference chair Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and former ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s tech subcommittee Rep. Anna Eshooo.

Several organizations point at a proposed merger between broadcasting company Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media as a problem in completing the terms of the auction, with the merger posing “significant risks to the success of the post incentive auction repack.”  Several stations involved in the merger will have to vacate channels auctioned by the FCC, whereas the merger may delay that transition.

“The ‘New’ Sinclair will have over 110 stations slated for repacking and over 50 stations vacating the newly created 600 MHz band—making it by far the largest broadcaster engaged in repacking,” T-Mobile told the FCC. “In addition to broadcast stations, Sinclair also controls Dielectric, the nation’s largest television antenna manufacturer, and Acrodyne Services, a television equipment servicing company; and owns numerous broadcasting tower and transmission sites. This massive portfolio of stations and vertically integrated businesses will provide New Sinclair with multiple means to thwart the repacking process in practically every region of the country.”

The FCC’s 600MHz spectrum action resulted in over 1,000 television stations needing to move their channel position or go off-air within the next three years, with the first deadline for many stations set for November 30, 2018.  The auction granted several smaller cellular carriers new farmable bandwidth across the nation, allowing for increased development and deployment of a 5G network, especially in rural areas.