Honored to be among the slate of new speakers announced for the Texas Tribune Festival in September! DETAILS: https://loom.ly/sogNq28

For those who want to see an encouraging story about journalism, YouTube is offering free access to Spotlight, the 2015 film on how investigative journalists at the Boston Globe exposed the Catholic Church's history of covering up instances when priests abused young people. WATCH: loom.ly/ZJk2t2M

My updated Substack has info on a fiery staff meeting at 60 Minutes today and a letter signed by names like Dan Rather and Glenn Close. In a tough time for media - including firings at 60 Minutes - I fear capitulation and opportunism have been dressed up as innovation. READ: https://loom.ly/6VFmvqA

If you missed: My essay on Substack about what turned out to be a terrible seven days for media -- firings at CBS' 60 Minutes, layoffs and buyouts at NPR, the end of CBS Radio and how some opportunists are trying to make capitulation look like reinvention. READ: https://loom.ly/vPShLYI

At the end of a tough seven days for media -- firings at 60 Minutes, layoffs at NPR and the end of both Colbert's Late Show and CBS Radio -- I fear we are seeing capitulation and opportunism dressed up like innovation. READ: https://loom.ly/6VFmvqA

Sad day at NPR today: The network has laid off 10 journalists and accepted buyouts from 18 others to total a 4 percent reduction in its content division. Some amazing colleagues and good friends are leaving, taking a mountain of talent and knowledge with them. DETAILS: https://loom.ly/6oCNIfM

Have to say, I'm blown away by coverage of my appearance tomorrow in my hometown Gary, IN to help kick off the Press Forward initiative aimed at boosting local journalism. Front-page story in my hometown Post-Tribune newspaper and great interview with Lakeshore Public Media. LISTEN: loom.ly/1THm3NE

Word.

Sharyn Alfonsi, journalist who pushed back against attempts to change her 60 Minutes story on a Salvadoran prison, has not had her contract renewed with CBS News. For all the new management's talk about earning audience trust, seems silencing journalists would produce the opposite. loom.ly/-DTYcGg

If you missed: My essay on why the intentional mediocrity of "The Mandalorian and Grogu" isn't just a missed opportunity for Star Wars: It's a failure to make a crucial argument for audiences coming to movie theaters. READ: https://loom.ly/0UbjS9g

By definition, a movie which costs over $150 million and earns twice that has a wider impact on the industry. Denying that is like sticking your head in the sand.

Check it out—-

Also love that other sax players emulated playing outside and bridges, like Cornelius Bumpus.

My favorite story about jazz sax master Sonny Rollins, is that in 1959 he took a sabbatical from the music business, honing his chops by practicing up to 16 hours a day playing alone on the Williamsburg Bridge. RIP to a giant who was also always searching as a musician and artist: loom.ly/hSP333k

After watching the frustratingly limited film "The Mandalorian and Grogu," I wonder if its seemingly intentional drawbacks are a missed opportunity to champion the movie theater experience at a time when the industry desperately needs it. READ: https://loom.ly/giy1Js8

That's a good question.I don't know the answer, but there are email addresses at the bottom of the flyer, where you can reach out and get probably better answers quicker.

Growing up in Gary, Indiana, I wrote for local newspaper Gary INFO, just like my dad, Chuck Deggans. So I'm honored to return to the area on Thursday to deliver a keynote address for the launch of Press Forward Lake County, an initiative to boost local journalism. Join us! DETAILS: loom.ly/Jmk7MOU

For sure! I really appreciated that!

Spent LOTS of time talking on finale of Stephen Colbert's 'The Late Show' on several media outlets. Here's a Substack post pulling together all the commentaries, w/thoughts on why this may be a short-term boost for late night and how Colbert is the most empathetic host: https://loom.ly/Gkk9Mgs

Every so often, Kim Masters and the good folks at KCRW's The Business let me do guest interviews. This time, I spoke w/Courtney Kemp, creator of Netflix's Nemesis and Starz's Power series, on those shows, diversity in Hollywood and whether everyone is keeping pace. LISTEN: loom.ly/s-XP9LY

Thank you so much!

Thank you so much!

This was a fun interview! Thanks so much!

Since everyone is talking about Byron Allen these days for buying BuzzFeed and taking over Stephen Colbert's Late Show timeslot with Comics Unleashed, I figured I'd resurface an interview I did with him three years ago when I guest hosted All Things Considered. LISTEN: https://loom.ly/r0CyUXw

After I wrote this story, was tough for me to care much about Survivor: www.npr.org/2020/07/01/8...

I saw a public appearance by a top CBS News executive a few weeks ago where the guy said they were trying to "expand the apeture" of viewers for their reporting. Yeah, right...

Spent lots of time last week talking about the end of Stephen Colbert's The Late Show; here's the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's story on Colbert, which features quotes from me and my old friend, Robert Thompson from Syracuse University. loom.ly/9xB03Dw

Thanks so much!

For those wondering what I’ve been up to since I started at Washington and Lee University, we’ve updated the Journalism Ethics program’s webpage w/photos and info from our recent events, including talks w/The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg and Bobby Carter from NPR’s Tiny Desk. https://loom.ly/a-c_NB8

One of my favorite late night TV stories for NPR was when I visited the Late Show w/Stephen Colbert in 2016 to see how Colbert was doing after hiring as showrunner producer Chris Licht -- who would have a short, controversial tenure as chairman and CEO of CNN. LISTEN: https://loom.ly/EqrXl08

As Stephen Colbert’s last episode of The Late Show airs tonight, I had a wonderful time talking about this moment with Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast host Linda Holmes, revealing why Colbert seemed the most earnest of all the hosts. LISTEN: https://loom.ly/RayEB5s

I’m spending the day talking about Stephen Colbert’s legacy, appearing on outlets like Boston’s WGBH and CNN. As his final episode of The Late Show airs tonight, I’m also re-posting some of the columns I’ve written about him over the years. Here’s my take on his legacy from Substack: loom.ly/ccmVnUU

Stephen Colbert’s last episode of The Late Shiw is tonight. This morning, NPR aired my story on his legacy as a performer and host, with commentary from Roy Wood Jr and Hasan Minhaj. Read and listen here: https://loom.ly/bQGGsVU

I will admit to a love/hate - mostly hate - relationship w/Survivor, which contained troubling racial dynamics from the start. Amid the avalanche of coverage for its 50th season finale tonight, I offer this story I did in 2020 w/Black contestants from the show telling their stories. loom.ly/uHDHS70

As Stephen Colbert airs the final episodes of The Late Show this week, I'm counting down his last days with capsule reviews of each installment this week for NPR. Here's my take on last night's show, which felt uncomfortably like sitting in on their final office party. READ: https://loom.ly/Dd1P2W4

I thought this was spam or a joke. But apparently, it's real? https://loom.ly/PIyYXmM

Honored to join TV Critics Association's new bundle of 14 online newsletters, which also features Obsessed by Daily Beast's Kevin Fallon, reality TV-focused Reality Blurred by TCA prez Andy Dehnart and Something Mo, from Vanity Fair's Mo Ryan. CLICK HERE to access us all: loom.ly/E4CCCh4

As Stephen Colbert begins his final week as host of CBS' Late Show, I offer a look at his decades-long legacy in late night TV as a performer and host, w/thoughts from experts like Roy Wood Jr., Hasan Minhaj and Bill Carter. READ: https://loom.ly/OKpiFCk

Have to say, I really like the new trailer for HBO Max's Lanterns - partly because it features lots more ring super heroics. But also because it will likely tweak all the paranoid fanboys who always (falsely) believe prominently casting Black people means erasing white folks. WATCH: loom.ly/hQfAvew

My NPR colleague Bobby Allyn has a tough piece on plagiarism allegations against a writer at New York magazine quoting one of my predecessors as Knight Chair at Washington and Lee University, Ed Wasserman. Small journalism world indeed. READ: https://loom.ly/BCozRxY

CORRECTION: This fight SHOULD have been an Insta reel. LOL.

To say nothing of the Paul/Tyson fight.

If you missed, my new vertical video for NPR: As film stars take over TV, can middle class actors still earn a living in Hollywood? WATCH: https://loom.ly/-CdfteM

So...after months of hype and hours of preliminary bouts and empty-headed commentary Saturday, Ronda Rousey pins Gina Carano 17 SECONDS into their fight on NETFLIX, ensuring Carano's glam looks wouldn't get pulverized by Rousey. NETFLIX needs to stop w/gimmicks like this fight and Jake Paul.

WEIU-TV, a PBS affiliate at Eastern Illinois University shut down Friday due to the loss of federal funding for public media. As experts have noted, smaller rural TV and radio stations have suffered most, located where residents already have limited news sources. READ: https://loom.ly/aT-pX4w

Wow. The Atlantic reports Katie Miller, MAGA podcaster and wife of top Trump aide Stephen Miller has been in talks to sell her poorly-viewed podcast to Paramount, just as it seeks to finalize proposed purchase of Warner Bros Discovery. Looks nothing like a payoff, I'm sure. https://loom.ly/OP1COXQ

Surprised. Not.

My first vertical video for NPR asks: Can middle class actors still earn a living in Hollywood? READ and WATCH my Substack entry HERE: https://loom.ly/-CdfteM

My first vertical video for NPR - about the plight of middle class actors… www.instagram.com/reel/DYXNGRI...

The podcast Strike Force Five has returned, w/late night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, John Oliver, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and Stephen Colbert gathered, just after reuniting on Colbert's Late Show. Click here to see the video podcast, along w/my piece on why their alliance matters. loom.ly/iPFrGXk