Get access to Brad Slager's "Riffed From the Headlines," a daily VIP feature where he looks to bring accountability to the mainstream media. Use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership!
Reporting on the Mirror – THE NEW YORK TIMES
Interesting to see that internally, the complaints are mirroring those heard externally.
It is now Week #2 of the Nicholas Kristof fallout, as it were. The Times is still working out from under the weight of his piece that the paper has steadfastly chosen to stand behind. (As of Friday, The Times has issued its FOURTH official statement responding to criticism.)
Amid all of the questions of the column that alleged systemic Israeli sexual abuse of Palestinian prisoners – including the use of “rape dogs” – one of the glaring indicators is that, as much as The Times insists that Kristof’s reporting in his opinion piece is sound, there has been no follow-up reporting in the news sections of the paper.
Now word has come out, via Puck News, that inside The Times, there are several staffers on the news side of the paper who are very bothered by the column and the fallout.
Now, admittedly, this is all based on comments made by anonymous sources, so the veracity hangs in the ether a bit, but given that the bulk of the Kristof piece was also rooted in nameless accusers, this seems an almost appropriate rebuttal.
Kristof Crisis: Puck News’ Dylan Byers looks at the debate in The New York Times’ newsroom over columnist Nicholas Kristof’s recent opinion piece alleging sadistic human rights violations targeting Palestinian prisoners in Israel. “Nevertheless, many Times journalists told me…
— reuben poupko (@poupko) May 18, 2026
Pre-Written Field Reports – MS NOW
This is an almost unbelievable comment from a network hostess.
When it comes to the most insufferable acts from the press, one that is a combined dose of grating behavior and amusing idiocy is when a journalist displays stark ignorance on a subject, while at the same time delivering condescension on the topic. For a preeminent example of this, we give you Katy Tur.
She heard Speaker Mike Johnson comment on the rights of U.S. citizens being derived not from the government but from our Creator, and this led her to react with a heavy serving of condemnation:
What about this passage from Mike Johnson declaring that our rights do not derive from government? They come from you, our Creator and our heavenly father. Is this him putting God over the Declaration of Independence?"
God talk is SO foreign to MS NOW. Katy Tur: What about this passage from Mike Johnson declaring that our rights do not derive from government? They come from you, our creator and heavenly father. Is this him putting God over the Declaration of Independence?
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) May 18, 2026
McKay Coppins: I… pic.twitter.com/sfpykN5bYc
We cannot love this approach by Katy enough. Yes, Tur actually said that. She is clearly oblivious that Speaker Johnson was actually reading directly from the very document she felt he was diminishing. It is a sterling example of a journalist reacting first and not pausing to consider things, let alone daring to actually research what she is discussing.
Stealth Story Evolution – REUTERS
We’ll gently remove this evidence of our completely fraudulent content.
The news syndicate tried to get in on the hysteria regarding the redistricting efforts, specifically the regions where Democrat efforts have been knocked down. The outlet posted a video that portrayed activists braying about losing their voting rights.
Not until after being alerted to the very basic and obvious detail that not a single person lost their right to vote as a result of district borders being redrawn on a map was it considered that it had put out blatant misinformation.
WITHDRAWAL: We removed a video about Selma activists warning that voting rights are under attack because it lacked necessary context including detail on the Supreme Court's ruling
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 18, 2026
Reporting on the Mirror – CBS NEWS
The turmoil seems to be baked into this cake.
There are conflicting reports coming out about the head of CBS News, Bari Weiss, which seems perfectly suited to her roiled tenure at the network. Dylan Byers comes out with an insider’s report claiming that the upper brass at Skydance-Paramount are kicking around the prospect of scaling back Bari’s influence over the news division.
SCOOP: Paramount leadership has had informal discussions about changing Bari Weiss’s mandate at CBS News (and, eventually, CNN) in ways that would give her less control over TV.
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) May 19, 2026
New tonight at @PuckNews: https://t.co/SRvm2zX4iD
At the same time, the Hollywood Reporter details a list of things that Weiss has planned for the news division, including makeovers for 60 Minutes and the morning news show. And that is before the planned merger with Warner Bros-Discovery is completed in September, which will put her in charge of CNN as well.
Bari Weiss Has Big Plans for CBS News. And That's Before CNN Enters the Picture https://t.co/tjvwNqQke2
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 19, 2026
Reporting on the Mirror 2.0 – CBS NEWS
As for that problematic presence at the network…
There has been talk for months that 60 Minutes reporter Sharyn Alfonsi was primed to be among those fired by Bari Weiss. Alfonsi, as you can recall, was the reporter behind the contested segment on the El Salvador CECOT prison activity with our immigration policy. Ever since that report was held up by Weiss, when she requested more reporting to flesh out the segment (and then was actually broadcast soon after), Alfonsi has been a bitter pill at CBS News.
She recently accepted an award for “courage” from the Washington Press Club, and in her speech, she was somewhat scathing about the impact she sees from “corporate meddling” and insisted that she was about to be fired. Sharyn even hired a known industry lawyer in anticipation of her dismissal and a settlement to be reached with the network.
This may have been a severe miscalculation on her part. Alfonsi’s contract is up at the end of this month, so all CBS needs to do is sit tight and let her current deal expire, with no renewal on the table. That is unlikely to lead to a generous compensatory payout.
Sharyn Alfonsi Lawyered Up As CBS Quietly Moves To Push Her Out Of ‘60 Minutes’ - https://t.co/UrwZfqpc5G
— Norman Firebaugh (@FirebaughNorman) May 10, 2026
