Media
“Rupert Murdoch Is in My Book, and He’s Not the Villain”: Tricia Romano Revisits the Storied Past and Tragic Demise of The Village Voice
The author and Voice veteran chats with Vanity Fair about her acclaimed new oral history of America’s OG alternative newsweekly. “It had a hold on political and cultural movements that other publications didn’t,” she says.
Media
How Jimmy Finkelstein Wooed Me to The Messenger—And Left Me High and Dry
I have yet to receive a promised severance following the media start-up’s abrupt collapse, which left hundreds of us without jobs.
Media
“A New Voice for the Times”: Is “The Morning” the Future?
The New York Times’ flagship newsletter is hugely popular with readers, a source of tension among some reporters, and, for top leaders, more of what the traditional paper needs.
Sports Media
“The Taylor Swift Season”: How Football Writers Made Peace With Covering Travis Kelce’s Love Life
Chiefs scribes entered the season expecting the team’s defense of a Super Bowl title to dominate headlines; instead, they found themselves swept up by a modern-day version of DiMaggio and Monroe. “You have to cater to what the public craves and wants,” says one.
Media
Washington Post Newsroom Is Rattled by Buyouts
Top reporters have urged executive editor Sally Buzbee and publisher Will Lewis to address the gutted research department, a casualty of the paper’s roughly 10% staff reduction. The buyouts, they say, have “left us at a real disadvantage both in experience and sheer numbers.”
LEVIN REPORT
Mark Cuban Explains to Elon Musk Why Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Is Not “Racism”
It’s not clear if Cuban has changed hearts and minds.
Media
“The Worst That It’s Ever Been”: Inside Sports Illustrated’s Winter of Discontent
Staffers are eyeing the exits after a year that began with layoffs and is closing with an AI scandal and the firing of top executives. Can the iconic magazine regain its footing?
Media
The Year in Media: 7 Cliff-Hangers as We Close out 2023
What will the New Year bring for CNN, Fox, The Washington Post, Paramount, The Telegraph, and more?
On The Scene
Walter Isaacson: Elon Musk Is a Genius When It Comes to Engineering, Not Human Emotion
The storied biographer sat down with Richard Stengel at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York to discuss his time with one of the most divisive people for his latest book, Elon Musk.
Media
“People Are Disgusted”: Why Washington Post Staff Walked Out
With contract negotiations stalled and layoffs looming, employees took to the streets Thursday to voice their grievances and urge owner Jeff Bezos to send management back to the bargaining table.
Media
How Jessica Lessin’s The Information Has Survived a Decade of Media Tumult
As the tech website turns 10 this week, its editor in chief reflects on building a sustainable subscription business off Silicon Valley scoops and rigorous reporting aimed at a niche class of readers. “I read it all the time,” gushes Jeff Bezos.
Sports
Creed Revels in Becoming 2023’s Sports Soundtrack: “The Fans Have Spoken”
Vanity Fair catches up with front man Scott Stapp and guitarist Mark Tremonti about the World Series champion Texas Rangers and surging Minnesota Vikings seizing on their songs, next year’s reunion tour, and that iconic Thanksgiving Day halftime performance.
Tech
The Sam Altman Soap Opera Reflects Silicon Valley at Its Worst
Silicon Valley’s court of public opinion found the ousted OpenAI chief innocent until proven innocent, exposing the cult of personality that surrounds the tech world’s star CEOs.
Power Breakfast Club
Obama, Bezos, and Mr. Wonderful: Inside the Hash House of Harvard’s Elite
Henrietta’s Table might not look like a three-star restaurant—but its clientele would have you guessing otherwise. “There’s no telling who you’re going to see,” says one patron, while another dubs it “a global nexus.”
Sports Media
Are YouTube TV and the NFL Back on Track?
The streaming giant got off to a strong start with Sunday Ticket, before some midseason glitches left star athletes grumbling. The NFL has expressed confidence in YouTube, which says its “working to future-proof our systems.”
Media
“There Has Never Been Less Tolerance for This”: Inside a New York Times Magazine Writer’s Exit Over Gaza Letter
The paper’s guild has objected to the handling of award-winning journalist Jazmine Hughes’s resignation, an episode that comes as newsrooms contend with staff speaking out on the Israel-Hamas war.
Two Sides of the Same Con
Donald Trump and Sam Bankman-Fried Pulled the Same Trial Tricks
They may not be dead ringers. But from watching SBF’s courtroom shenanigans up close, they looked awfully similar.
Media
Will Lewis Introduces Himself to The Washington Post: “We’re Not in a Place That We Want to Be”
The incoming publisher charmed the newsroom with his candor and British wit, though stopped short of unveiling a detailed turnaround plan and backed the buyouts underway. “They are painful,” he said, “but I’m supportive of it.”
Sports
Dawn Staley on Women’s Basketball’s Rise: “It Is a Long Time Coming”
Ahead of a highly anticipated season opener in Paris, the Gamecocks coach talks to Vanity Fair about her career, the sport's soaring popularity, and whether the NBA is ready for a woman head coach.
Excerpt
Inside James Comey’s Bizarre $7M Job as a Top Hedge Fund’s In-House Inquisitor
A few years before his unforgettable cameo in the 2016 presidential election, the future FBI director worked at Ray Dalio’s Bridgewater Associates, where he pursued the firm’s goal of “radical transparency” with prosecutorial zeal.
Media Moves
“What Do We Want to Be?”: The Washington Post at a Crossroads
Staffers are seeking clarity about long-term strategy, with the paper set to lose $100 million this year, offering buyouts, and hiring a new CEO—all while the newsroom gears up for a consequential election. Owner Jeff Bezos, says one employee, “took his eye off the ball.”