He’ll only be back on Mondays. And for a limited time. But fans of the show couldn’t be happier. Email not displaying correctly?
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** OPINION
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Just a quick note before we get started today: There will not be a new edition of The Poynter Report on Friday. We will return on Monday. And now, let’s get to today’s media news.


** Look who’s back: Jon Stewart returns to ‘The Daily Show’
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Jon Stewart, shown here in September of last year. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Meet the new host. Same as the old host. And fans of “The Daily Show” couldn’t be happier.

Jon Stewart, who hosted Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” from 1999 to 2015, is returning as host. At least part time. And just for a little while.

But it still is a big deal.

Comedy Central announced Wednesday that Stewart will return to host each Monday through the 2024 election. He also will serve as the show’s executive producer, perhaps setting the tone for the future of the show. A rotating group of guest hosts will host Tuesdays through Fridays. Stewart will start Feb. 12.

The show has aired with guest hosts since Trevor Noah, who replaced Stewart, stepped down in 2022.

Chris McCarthy, chief executive of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios, said in a statement, “Stewart is the voice of our generation, and we are honored to have him return to Comedy Central’s ‘The Daily Show’ to help us all make sense of the insanity and division roiling the country as we enter the election season. In our age of staggering hypocrisy and performative politics, Jon is the perfect person to puncture the empty rhetoric and provide much-needed clarity with his brilliant wit.”

On social media, Stewart joked ([link removed]) :

Friends. After much reflection I have decided to enter the transfer portal for my last year of eligibility. Excited for the future!

5’7” ish
165
14.8 second 40

With this figuring to be a dizzying and tumultuous political year, Stewart’s return will be welcomed by most who delight in late-night commentary on our politics.

The New York Times’ John Koblin and Matt Stevens wrote ([link removed]) , “Mr. Stewart’s relentless focus on politics over his 16-year ‘Daily Show’ run, unusual for late night at the time, transformed him from a promising comedian into one of the nation’s foremost political and media critics. Mr. Stewart had his detractors, and the viewership of ‘The Daily Show’ lagged others at the time but his influence was outsize — and long lasting.”

Koblin and Stevens also wrote, “Mr. Stewart’s return to cable television — albeit, just on Monday nights — will send a jolt to the late-night world, which in recent years has been rapidly losing viewers and cultural relevance. The comedic talk show format has also been difficult to replicate in an on-demand, streaming world.”

NPR TV critic Eric Deggans wrote ([link removed]) , “It seems that Stewart is back in the driver's seat to find the next iteration of ‘The Daily Show’ — which might include finding another host as impactful as Noah, (John) Oliver and (Stephen) Colbert. Watching him tackle that task is bound to make fascinating television. And who knows? Stewart might just decide to come back to his old job full-time, once the election dust clears.”

Oliver, who worked as a correspondent on “The Daily Show” when Stewart was host and now has his own news commentary show on HBO, told NBC’s “Today” show ([link removed]) that he was surprised by Stewart’s return.

“That’s a show that needs a host,” Oliver said. “He certainly is a very, very good one. So yeah, it’ll be exciting to see what he does.”

Oliver thinks “The Daily Show” should have a permanent host, and he said that if it had been up to him, he would have named Roy Wood Jr. as the show’s host. Wood was a longtime correspondent on the show and filled in as guest host last year. He left the show last year after he wasn’t offered the job as permanent host.

“I do think after 2025 they should appoint a permanent host,” Oliver said.

For now, however, he is looking forward to Stewart’s return, saying, “It’s going to be very exciting to see Jon again in an election year, as well. That is watchable.”

Oliver was being interviewed by “Today’s” Willie Geist when the Stewart news broke. That interview is not scheduled to air until Feb. 18.

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** Looking back at a classic journalism movie
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In April 2019, I wrote what remains my most-read story for Poynter: “There are a lot of great journalism movies. Here are our top 25.” ([link removed])

The movie “Shattered Glass” — about former hot-shot New Republic reporter Stephen Glass, who was discovered to have made up parts or all of at least 36 stories — was No. 6 on my list.

Last year was the 20th anniversary of the near-flawless film, and Pete Croatto has a terrific story for Poynter: “Why ‘Shattered Glass’ endures.” ([link removed])

If you’re a fan of the film, you’ll thoroughly enjoy this look back at it, which includes a conversation with Billy Ray, who directed and wrote the screenplay.


** Media fight: Phillip vs. Olbermann
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It has been a minute since we’ve seen a good media feud. We might have one now.

Former MSNBC and ESPN personality Keith Olbermann vs. CNN’s Abby Phillip.

It started Tuesday night, during CNN’s prime-time coverage of the New Hampshire primary, when Phillip said on air ([link removed]) , “As Nikki Haley put it — I think it’s actually such a smart way to put it — maybe the first party to let go of their 80-year-old (candidate) might be the victor, but who’s gonna be the one to move first? … Nobody wants Trump, nobody wants Biden, but nobody wants to be the first to walk away from either.”

Olbermann tweeted ([link removed]) the clip of Phillip saying that and wrote, “CNN has to address the reality that @abbydphillip has been an absolute disaster and that this foot-in-mouth editorial is the first thing she's gotten noticed for since her show debuted.”

Phillip responded by tweeting ([link removed]) , “Or, you can come to terms with the reality of your irrelevance and stop being a nasty social media troll. But that’s entirely up to you.”

There was more, as others weighed in on social media with many defending and criticizing Phillip, and Olbermann continuing his criticism.

OK, so let’s go to this judge’s scorecard. Olbermann can be nasty at times on social media. And for Olbermann to suggest that Phillip is an “absolute disaster” is not true.

But I will also say this: Phillip’s comment that “nobody wants Trump, nobody wants Biden” is simply not true and deserved to be called out as such. Both have tons of support.

I do get what she was getting at. Would many Americans prefer other candidates? Yes, many would. Maybe she was using hyperbole to make a point, but it came off more as lazy commentary than anything else.


** Showing solidarity with journalists
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Actress Anne Hathaway, shown here last November. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

As my colleague Angela Fu briefly noted in Wednesday's edition of The Poynter Report, an A-list celebrity showed her support for the Condé Nast union this week.

On Tuesday, nearly 400 union members who work at Condé Nast held a 24-hour work stoppage to protest negotiation practices they claim are unlawful. That included workers at Condé Nast publications such as Vanity Fair, Vogue, GQ, Allure, Architectural Digest, Glamour, Self, Teen Vogue, and others.

Oscar-winning actress Anne Hathaway arrived at Vanity Fair’s offices Tuesday morning for a photo shoot. While getting ready, Hathaway was advised by a staffer from SAG-AFTRA (the actors’ guild) that she should support the walkout.

A source told Variety’s Marc Malkin ([link removed]) , “They hadn’t even started taking photos yet. Once Anne was made aware of what was going on, she just got up from hair and makeup and left.”


** A new boss at NPR
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NPR has a new boss. Katherine Maher, the former chief of the Wikimedia Foundation, has been named CEO.

There was a curious line in David Folkenflik’s story ([link removed]) for NPR about the announcement. He wrote, “Maher has never worked directly in journalism or at a news organization.”

The Wikimedia Foundation, as described by The New York Times’ Benjamin Mullin ([link removed]) , is “a nonprofit that supports the popular online resource Wikipedia by raising money and providing technology infrastructure, among other services.”

Folkenflik wrote, “In an interview ahead of the announcement of her appointment, Maher said her experience at the foundation underscores the importance of NPR's mission to serve the public independently of commercial interest. ‘There is a strong alignment in both of those organizations around integrity and autonomy,’ Maher said.”

Maher said she wants to build on the loyalty NPR listeners have for the network, adding, “It's about matching need and delight so people have a real desire to keep coming back, to engage with what it is that we offer.”

Folkenflik’s story has more details of the hiring and Maher’s career.


** Well, that didn’t work out for ESPN
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NBA coach and now former ESPN broadcast Doc Rivers. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

You could say ESPN’s past awful decision has come back to bite them.

Last summer, as it was undergoing a significant layoff of talent, ESPN let go of NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy, considered by many (including me) to be the best basketball analyst on TV.

Why Van Gundy was let go isn’t exactly clear. Maybe it had to do with salary. Maybe it was because the NBA leaned on the network because Van Gundy was often critical of the league and its officiating. Maybe someone with juice at the network just didn’t like him.

Either way, it felt like a horrible mistake, compounded when they also let go of his fellow analyst Mark Jackson. Van Gundy and Jackson, along with superb play-by-play announcer Mike Breen, had called the past 15 NBA Finals.

But then ESPN made up for it a little by hiring longtime NBA coach (and former player) Doc Rivers, who had recently left the Philadelphia 76ers, as its lead NBA analyst. Rivers had done broadcasting work before, and is really good at it. This season’s NBA Finals were supposed to be called by Breen, Rivers and Doris Burke.

I say supposed to be because that plan blew up in ESPN’s face on Wednesday when Rivers was named the new head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, replacing the fired Adrian Griffin.

So, to review, ESPN blew out Van Gundy for Rivers, and now it has neither.

David Roberts, ESPN’s head of event and studio production, said in a statement, “We wish Doc well and we look forward to documenting the next chapter of his coaching career. We have a deep roster of supremely talented commentators who will continue to serve NBA fans with tremendous skill, passion and expertise.”

This happens all the time in the sports TV business. Coaches often spend time broadcasting in between their coaching gigs. And ESPN has plenty of options for replacements. But this could not have gone down the way ESPN wanted. Perhaps it’s karma for its dumb decision to get rid of Van Gundy in the first place.

Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina wrote ([link removed]) , “But what shouldn’t have been lost here is that ESPN had the most stable lead booth in sports with Breen, Van Gundy and Jackson and decided to blow it up and didn’t even get the chance to have its new No. 1 crew call one NBA Finals.”

So what does the network do now? It could just stick with Breen and Burke has its top broadcasting team. Or it can move up another analyst already at ESPN to join Breen and Burke. That list includes Hubie Brown, JJ Redick and Richard Jefferson.

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** ENTER NOW! The 2024 Poynter Journalism Prizes are open
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You have until Feb. 16 to enter your work or nominate others for these prestigious awards, formerly run by the News Leaders Association and ASNE. The prizes honor distinguished writing, local accountability reporting, innovation, and more.

Enter now ([link removed]) to get the Early Bird entry fee.


** Media tidbits
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* Poynter’s Angela Fu with “Texas Tribune staff unionize, five months after first-ever layoffs.” ([link removed])
* The New York Times’ Michael M. Grynbaum, John Koblin, Benjamin Mullin and Katie Robertson with “The News About the News Business Is Getting Grimmer.” ([link removed])
* Business Insider’s Peter Kafka with “Peacock reportedly signed up 2.8 million subscribers for its NFL playoff game.” ([link removed])
* Wired’s Kate Knibbs with “Most Top News Sites Block AI Bots. Right-Wing Media Welcomes Them.” ([link removed])
* With the future of Sports Illustrated very much up in the air, The New York Times’ Kevin Draper and Benjamin Mullin write about what used to be one of the most coveted pieces of real estate in all of sports: “The Sports Illustrated Cover, a Faded Canvas That Once Defined Sports.” ([link removed])
* The Washington Post’s Erik Wemple with “ESPN’s problem? It won’t shut up.” ([link removed])


** Hot type
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* The Washington Post’s Jada Yuan with “My first Sundance: Stars recall tales of couch surfing, bidding wars.” ([link removed])
* For The New York Times, Malia Wollan with “The Great Freight-Train Heists of the 21st Century.” ([link removed])


** More resources for journalists
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* The 2024 Poynter Journalism Prizes ([link removed]) are now open for entries. To enter, go to the contest website. ([link removed]) The deadline for entries is Feb. 16.
* Transforming Local Crime Reporting Into Public Safety Journalism (Seminar) — Apply by Jan. 30. ([link removed])
* Empower your storytelling skills with Beat Academy 2024 ([link removed]) (Webinar series) — Feb. 1-Sept. 26. Enroll now. ([link removed])
* Essential Skills for Rising Newsroom Leaders (Seminar) (May) — Apply by March 26 ([link removed]) .

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .
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