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** OPINION
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** Disney and ABC News cuts include the shutdown of FiveThirtyEight
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The logo for The Walt Disney Company appears above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Feb. 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

As President Donald Trump was giving his State-of-the-Union-type address on Tuesday, there was another breaking political news story.

The Wall Street Journal’s Joe Flint reported ([link removed]) that Disney was cutting about 6% — or 200 people — from ABC News and Disney Entertainment Networks. But here’s where the political drama played out: The cuts include shutting down FiveThirtyEight, the political and data-driven news site known for its focus on election polling and predictions. It employed 15 staffers.

Thus ends a site launched in 2008 by Nate Silver, best known for its near-perfect prediction of Barack Obama’s victory in that year’s presidential election. (The site was correct in 49 of 50 states and nailed every senate race that year.)

Silver took FiveThirtyEight to The New York Times in 2010. The site, which also included sports content, moved over to ESPN in 2013 and then was moved under ABC News in 2018. Silver left his role as the top editor in 2023.

Silver tweeted ([link removed]) late Tuesday night, “Oh geez, I just saw the news about 538. My heart goes out to the people there. They were tremendously hard-working and produced a lot of extremely valuable data and insight for everyone who wants to understand politics better. They deserved much better.”

Then, on Wednesday, Silver took to his Substack ([link removed]) to write a few more thoughts about the end of his creation.

He wrote that “the basic issue is that Disney was never particularly interested in running FiveThirtyEight as a business, even though I think it could have been a good business. Although they were generous in maintaining the site for so long and almost never interfered in our editorial process, the sort of muscle memory a media property builds early in its tenure tends to stick. We had an incredibly talented editorial staff, but we never had enough ‘product’ people or strategy people to help the business grow and sustain itself. It’s always an uphill battle under those conditions, particularly when it comes to recruiting and retaining staff, who were constantly being poached by outlets like the New York Times and the Washington Post.”

Silver also announced some near-term plans for his Silver Bulletin, including the launch of a Trump approval ratings dashboard.

But back to FiveThirtyEight. The Daily Beast’s Liam Archacki noted ([link removed]) , “The site had been in a downturn after Silver departed and took his powerful election forecasting model with him.”

And while it did way more than predicting elections, FiveThirtyEight, like many in the polling business, has taken plenty of hits over the past several election cycles, most notably with how many were off with Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016.

But many still correctly argue FiveThirtyEight’s relevance.

The 19th’s Grace Panetta tweeted ([link removed]) , “This is such a catastrophic loss not only for election journalism but also as an election data resource — can't even count the number of times I've relied on 538's polling averages, redistricting trackers, etc for my reporting.”

The New Yorker’s Clare Malone wrote in a tweet ([link removed]) that “538 closing is a very sad end to a place that was always misunderstood by the companies that owned it.”

Chris Cillizza, the former CNN reporter who just joined NewsNation ([link removed]) this week as a contributor, tweeted ([link removed]) , “Idiotic. 538 is an amazing brand that does GREAT work.”

As far as FiveThirtyEight’s efforts in the sports arena, Awful Announcing’s Drew Lerner wrote ([link removed]) , “For sports fans, even though the site has not served them for some time now, the death of 538 will still hit home. For years, the site was the backbone of any analytics or stats coverage on ESPN, and podcasts like ‘Hot Takedown’ were must-listens for the data-inclined sports enthusiast. A generalist data-driven sports publication hasn’t really been replicated since. Sure, individual sports all have their places where data wonks can go and find advanced analytics and forecasts. But post-538, no site has been able to provide that for all sports — certainly not in as accessible a way as 538 was able to, at least.”

Meanwhile, the news about FiveThirtyEight wasn’t the only notable part of ABC News’ cuts.

The news magazine shows “Nightline” and “20/20” are being moved into one unit, meaning more job cuts. In addition, according to Flint’s story in the Journal, “all three hours of ‘Good Morning America’ branded shows will be consolidated under one person; previously, the third hour had a separate production team.”


** Must-read story of the day
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My favorite, must-read, smart piece of the day is from my colleague, TyLisa Johnson, Poynter’s audience engagement producer.

She writes about a controversial moment during a red carpet event ([link removed]) at the Vanity Fair post-Oscars party last Sunday. Grammy-winning rapper and songwriter Megan Thee Stallion was being interviewed by podcasters Hannah Berner and Paige DeSorbo — both who initially became minor celebrities in reality show circles for appearing on Bravo’s “Summer House.”

In a poor attempt to show her affection for Megan’s music, Berner said, “Your music has literally made me, like, when I want to fight someone, I listen to your music.”

Even after Megan tried to steer Berner away from that kind of violent thinking, Berner plowed forward and said, “When people are talking (expletive), I go, ‘Turn on Megan Thee Stallion!’”

Berner has since come under heavy criticism for accusations of microaggression.

Not only does my colleague’s commentary dissect Berner’s behavior, but it digs much deeper into an alarming trend that occurs when nonjournalists — such as influencers and content creators — are put in journalist roles.

Johnson writes, “The tension comes when creators are thrust into spaces they may not have the practical training, knowledge or experience to handle. For journalists already in a newsroom, the steady drumbeat of reporting sharpens their skills, making the chaos of a celebrity interview feel like second nature when it arrives. For influencers, there’s clearly a learning curve. While influencers and creators don’t need to attach themselves to an institution to be legitimate, it is important that they develop a foundational knowledge and understanding of how ethical journalism is practiced as they spend more time navigating these spaces.”

This is just a portion of the piece that deserves your attention. Go read it ([link removed]) now.


** Tom Llamas is the next anchor of ‘NBC Nightly News’
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NBC News’ Tom Llamas, shown here in 2021. (Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

As expected, NBC News has named Tom Llamas as Lester Holt’s replacement as anchor and managing editor of the “NBC Nightly News.”

Llamas will assume the roles starting this summer. Holt announced last month that he was stepping away from the anchor desk but will remain at the network with an expanded role on “Dateline.” Llamas becomes the first Latino to anchor a weekday English language broadcast network evening newscast.

Llamas, 45, started his career in journalism as a 15-year-old intern at a local Telemundo station in Miami before later moving on to NBC News as an overnight production assistant. He worked at local news stations before, eventually, serving as ABC News’ chief national affairs correspondent and weekend anchor of “World News Tonight.”

He then returned to NBC News in 2021 as a senior national correspondent and soon after became the anchor of NBC News NOW’s “Top Story,” a one-hour prime-time streaming newscast.

When Holt announced he was leaving the anchor desk, immediate speculation was that Llamas would be his replacement. What’s interesting is that Llamas will continue to anchor “Top Story.”

Janelle Rodriguez, NBC News’ executive vice president for programming, said, “Tom has the winning combination of journalistic excellence, passionate storytelling and unyielding integrity — all characteristics that have long been trademarks of NBC Nightly News. Additionally, he’s been instrumental in growing NBC News NOW into the leading streaming news network, helping to introduce NBC News to a new generation of viewers.”

In a statement, Llamas said, “Anchoring ‘NBC Nightly News’ is a profound honor and one that carries tremendous responsibility. I look forward to working with the world class journalists at ‘Nightly News’ and ‘Top Story’ to bring viewers the most important stories every night. Lester Holt is a great man and one of the most trusted broadcasters of our time. Just like Lester, I promise to be devoted to our viewers and dedicated to the truth.”


** Looking back at Trump’s speech
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OK, so here we are. The morning after the day after President Donald Trump’s speech to the joint session of Congress.

The Atlantic’s David Frum noted ([link removed]) that Trump’s first speech to Congress as president back in 2016 got “generally good reviews” and was “relatively conciliatory, relatively presidential.”

So, how did Trump do this time around? Frum wrote, “Eight years later, not even Trump’s staunchest partisans would describe his 2025 address as conciliatory. He mocked, he insulted, he called names, he appealed only to a MAGA base that does not add up to even half the electorate.”

The Washington Post’s Dan Balz wrote ([link removed]) , “The speech was an echo of the inaugural address delivered in the same Capitol only a few weeks earlier. It was another sharp attack on the status quo, a promise to radically shift course, a pledge to shrink government, secure the border and lower prices while imposing tariffs on other countries. The speech also included false claims and repeated partisan denigration of the Democrats. His supporters loved every minute.”

Speaking of fact checks, here’s PolitiFact’s “13 fact checks of President Donald Trump’s address to Congress.” ([link removed]) And here’s The Washington Post’s Glenn Kessler with “Fact-checking 26 suspect claims in Trump’s address to Congress.” ([link removed])

Here are a few other notable reactions to Tuesday night’s speech:
* The New York Times’ Shawn McCreesh with “During Trump’s Rowdy Speech to Congress, the Quiet Moments Said the Most.” ([link removed])
* Also in the Times, Tyler Pager with “6 Takeaways From Trump’s Address to Congress.” ([link removed])
* The Washington Post’s Shadi Hamid with “Trump didn’t just troll Democrats. He showed the future.” ([link removed])
* Also in the Post, Jim Geraghty with “Trump’s speech justifiably boasted about one big, inarguable success.” ([link removed])
* And one more from the Post. This inventive piece from Dan Keating, Nick Mourtoupalas and Hannah Dormido about words Trump has introduced into the State of the Union-style address lexicon: “You’ve never heard that in a presidential address to Congress before.” ([link removed])
* Karl Rove, the former adviser and deputy chief of staff for George W. Bush, writes in the Wall Street Journal: “Trump’s Speech Is a Deft Victory Dance.” ([link removed])
* Politico Capitol bureau chief and senior Washington columnist Rachael Bade with “Fighting Trump Requires Focus. Democrats Didn’t Show It.” ([link removed])


** Fox News wins the night
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Fox News’ coverage of Trump’s speech delivered 10.7 million viewers, making it the highest-rated TV audience for a president’s address to a joint session of Congress in history.

Fox News easily won the night for viewers. It was followed by ABC (6.3 million), CBS (4 million), NBC (3.9 million), the regular Fox Network (2.6 million) and MSNBC (1.9 million).


** Slate’s cool offer
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Starting today, Slate is offering six months of Slate Plus free for any current federal employee or any federal employee who has been recently laid off. Here’s ([link removed]) how to sign up.

In marketing the offer, Slate says, “In recent weeks, thousands of federal workers have been affected by extensive layoffs throughout the government, with more cuts anticipated in the coming months. There’s also been a crackdown in access to media subscriptions at a time when it’s more important than ever for government workers to have access to news (particularly the stories that concern their jobs).”


** Media tidbits
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* The latest media column from Margaret Sullivan in the the US Guardian: “The LA Times’ AI ‘bias meter’ looks like a bid to please Donald Trump.” ([link removed])
* The Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Weprin with “Inside MSNBC’s ‘The Weekend’ Reboot.” ([link removed])
* The New York Times’ Mike Isaac with “The Return of Digg, a Star of an Earlier Internet Era.” ([link removed])
* The Guardian’s Anna Betts with “LA Times reportedly removes new AI tool from story after it downplayed KKK.” ([link removed])
* Adrienne LaFrance, executive editor of The Atlantic, writes about Reddit in “The Nicest Swamp on the Internet.” ([link removed])
* Awful Announcing’s Ben Axelrod with “5 candidates to replace Jimmy Johnson on ‘Fox NFL Sunday.’” ([link removed])
* My Poynter colleague, Tony Elkins, with “As websites disappear, link rot threatens journalism. One Stanford fellow is working on a fix.” ([link removed])
* As I mentioned above, former CNN staffer Chris Cillizza is joining NewsNation as a contributor. Deadline’s Ted Johnson has more ([link removed]) .
* The Birmingham Times’ Barnett Wright with “Hollis R. Towns Resigns as Vice President of Content, Top Editor of Alabama Media Group: ‘It Wasn’t The Right Fit.’” ([link removed])


** Hot type
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Hockey icon Wayne Gretzky is one of the most famous Canadians ever, but these days, Gretzy’s reputation in the Great White North is tattered, as detailed in this fascinating story by The New York Times’ John Branch and Vjosa Isai: “Canadians and Wayne Gretzky: Anatomy of a Relationship on Thin Ice.” ([link removed]) So what’s going on? Branch and Isai write, “It is a case of guilt by association. Mr. Gretzky’s close ties with President Trump, and the perception that he is not standing up for his native country as Canadians feel attacked by their southern neighbor, has altered the way Mr. Gretzky is viewed across the nation.”


** More resources for journalists
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* Gain a deeper understanding of Immigration policy with Poynter’s Beat Academy training. Enroll now ([link removed]) .
* Elevate your editing expertise with the Poynter ACES Advanced Certificate. Enroll now ([link removed]) .
* Ditch work-life balance for a more sustainable approach. Sign up for this six-week email course ([link removed]) to discover the unique formula that helps you thrive.

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