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** OPINION
------------------------------------------------------------

More heartbreaking stories and coverage from the Texas floods
A volunteer aids in search and rescue operations on Monday near the Guadalupe River in Ingram, Texas, after a flash flood swept through the area. (AP Photo/Eli Hartman)

There is plenty going on in the media world, including controversial coverage of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and the latest involving the Jeffrey Epstein files.

But it feels wrong to start with anything other than what is happening in Texas.

The nation continues to be gripped by horrific stories and images coming from central Texas, where massive rains led to flooding that has, so far, claimed the lives of at least 100. That includes 27 from Camp Mystic, a century old Christian summer camp that was hosting approximately 750 children when the flooding started.

In a moment, I’ll link to more important coverage of this story, but on the topic of Camp Mystic, here’s a report from CNN’s Pamela Brown ([link removed]) , who was a camper there 30 years ago.

Brown called the camp a “magical place,” adding, “For me coming back, I’m overwhelmed with emotion, and I’m overwhelmed with memories. And I can’t get over looking at those cabins right next to the Guadalupe River — that that river was the source of so much joy and fun for us. … To think that river is the source of so much devastation, it’s just hard to wrap my head around.”

That’s a sentiment that is being expressed by much of the nation as news organizations, including the major networks, continue their around-the-clock coverage.

Here is some more of the notable coverage from Texas:
* The Dallas Morning News’ Jamie Landers with “What was lost when parts of Camp Mystic, a beloved summer destination, washed away.” ([link removed])
* “CBS Mornings” with “Young boys detail survival from devastating Texas flooding.” ([link removed])
* NBC News’ Morgan Chesky with “Texas flood in my hometown is a once-in-a-lifetime tragedy.” ([link removed])
* The New York Times’ Leanne Abraham with “See How Fast the Floodwaters Rose Along the Guadalupe River.” ([link removed])
* The Washington Post’s Brianna Sacks, Scott Dance and Arelis R. Hernández with “Texas Hill Country is no stranger to flash floods. Why were so many caught off guard?” ([link removed])
* The Houston Chronicle’s Nicole Villalpando with “How to talk to kids about Texas floods and other natural disasters.” ([link removed])
* Also in the Chronicle, Andrea Ball with “Houston man helped his family escape Guadalupe River floods — then vanished.” ([link removed])
* The Texas Tribune photo team with “After Texas Hill Country flood, grief and recovery take hold.” ([link removed])
* ABC News’ Alexandra Hutzler with “White House pushes back on criticism of weather service around Texas flooding.” ([link removed])
* The Associated Press’ Michael Biesecker and Brian Slodysko with “Debate erupts over role job cuts played in weather forecasts ahead of deadly Texas floods.” ([link removed])


** A fake story
------------------------------------------------------------

I also wanted to call special attention to this story about Texas from Poynter’s Loreben Tuquero and Angela Fu: “Thousands saw a story that two girls were rescued from a tree in the Texas flood. It was fake.” ([link removed])

The subhead on the story points out something important: “The story of a local news site's retracted report offers warnings about the need for vigilance against misinformation during disasters.”

Sadly, misinformation does spread in stories such as these. In this particular case, Tuquero and Fu write that, “The initial story, just five paragraphs long, cited nameless ‘witnesses’ and ‘sources on the ground.’”

Kelly McBride, Poynter senior vice president and chair of the Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership, told Tuquero and Fu that it is important that reporters make clear to their sources that they plan to name and quote them in their stories.

McBride said, “It puts the people on notice that they are actually going to be held accountable for the information that they’re telling you. So if they are trying to inflate their role in something, that may cause them to think twice about that. If they are exaggerating something or suggesting that they saw something firsthand that they only heard about second- or third-hand, it brings a little bit of accountability.”

Also, check out this story from PolitiFact’s Grace Abels: “Some viral videos of Texas flooding might be fake. Here’s how to spot them.” ([link removed])

A NOTE FROM POYNTER


** A new editor's guide to leveling up
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Join Edit to Elevate, a four-week, craft-intensive course designed to meet the moment and help new editors move beyond the basics to focus on the mission, mindset and roadmap required to make them indispensable to their newsrooms.

Read more and register now ([link removed]) .


** In New York, a question of coverage
------------------------------------------------------------
New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks at a rally on June 28. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

A bit of controversy has been kicked up over a recent New York Times story about New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. On July 3, the Times’ Benjamin Ryan, Nicholas Fandos and Dana Rubinstein wrote, “Mamdani Identified as Asian and African American on College Application.” ([link removed])

The Times reported that on application to Columbia University in 2009, Mamdani checked a box that he was “Asian,” as well as “Black or African American.”

The Times wrote, “In an interview on Thursday, Mr. Mamdani, 33, said he did not consider himself either Black or African American, but rather ‘an American who was born in Africa.’ He said his answers on the college application were an attempt to represent his complex background given the limited choices before him, not to gain an upper hand in the admissions process. (He was not accepted at Columbia.)”

There are a couple of issues that have come up.

For starters, some questioned if what Mamdani put on a college application as a high school teenager 16 years ago is even a story to begin with.

The other issue is how the Times learned of the application.

Semafor’s Max Tani wrote ([link removed]) that the story, “came as the result of the release of hacked Columbia University records that were then shared with the Times. The paper believed it had reason to push the story out quickly: It did not want to be scooped by the independent journalist Christopher Rufo. Two people familiar with the reporting process told Semafor that the paper was aware that other journalists were working on the admissions story, including Rufo, a conservative best known for his crusade against critical race theory.”

The Columbia Journalism Review’s Liam Scott wrote ([link removed]) , “As initially published, the article indicated that the hacked materials had been provided, under the condition of anonymity, by an intermediary known on Substack and X as Crémieux, who was described only as ‘an academic and an opponent of affirmative action.’ But there’s more to that source: As The Guardian reported in March, Crémieux is the social media alias of Jordan Lasker, a promoter of white supremacist views. The Times updated its article to note that Crémieux ‘writes often about IQ and race.’”

The Times acknowledged in the story where the information came from. Patrick Healy, the assistant managing editor for standards and trust at the Times, told CJR, “Your question suggests that the ethical issue is based on whether the story was important and newsworthy enough to justify using this material. I would ask, important and newsworthy enough to whom? What is the basis on which these media critics decide whether a story about any particular politician is important? Mr. Mamdani confirmed it and spoke openly and thoughtfully about his experience on a subject that voters had not previously heard from him on.” He added, “What matters most here is whether the information was true and factual — it was, confirmed by Mr. Mamdani; that it was independently confirmed; and that it is relevant to the public.”

Tani wrote for Semafor, “The piece also seemed to divide staff, and reignited years-old internal tensions between some younger, more left-leaning members of staff and management.”

One Times journalist told Tani, “People are really upset.”

I should mention that the Times’ Dodai Stewart wrote a story with the headline, “Mamdani Once Claimed to Be Asian and African American. Should It Matter?” ([link removed])

Tani went on to write, “The Times story on Mamdani touches on a lot of the trickiest issues many newsrooms face today: whether and how to report on hacked documents, whether scoop-chasing can blow up relatively inconsequential stories, and how to write about many modern Americans’ complex racial identities. I did not find the admissions story to be particularly compelling (I’m mixed race and have on occasion found these kinds of forms to be somewhat reductive), though as a journalist who covers media inside baseball, I’ve often been on the receiving end of questions about the newsworthiness of my work. Clearly some people were interested in the story, even if others found it to be a complete nothingburger.”

Tani added, “The more interesting question revolves around Mamdani’s relationship with the Times, and how the Democratic nominee will treat the hometown paper of record if he is elected mayor in the fall.”


** Nothing to see here
------------------------------------------------------------

Turns out, when it comes to the so-called “Jeffrey Epstein Files,” the Justice Department says it's much ado about nothing. The documents that were supposed to expose embarrassing and potentially illegal activity of some powerful names in politics, business and entertainment in association with the convicted sex offender do no such thing, according to a DOJ memo ([link removed]) released Monday.

The memo said, “This systematic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list.’ There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions. We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”

The memo said, “No further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.”

It also concluded what the medical examiner and authories have said all along — that Epstein died by suicide in prison.

All of this came as surprising and disappointing news to some.

The New York Times’ Devlin Barrett and Matthew Goldstein wrote ([link removed]) , “For months, Attorney General Pam Bondi promised the release of documents on the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein that could reveal damaging details, drumming up anticipation over the files, long a source of speculation and conspiracy theories.”

But the DOJ memo, as the Times appropriately put it, “undercut her own statements, pouring cold water on baseless claims.”

It made for a provocative moment during a White House press briefing when Fox News’ Peter Doocy did a good job pressing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

Back in February, Bondi went on Fox News and was asked about the DOJ releasing the list of Epstein’s clients. Bondi responded by saying, “It’s sitting on my desk right now to review.”

So Doocy asked Leavitt about it on Monday.

Doocy said, “The FBI looked at the circumstances surrounding the death of Jeffrey Epstein. According to the report, this systematic review revealed no incriminating client list. So what happened to the Epstein client list that the attorney general said she had on her desk?”

Leavitt tried to wriggle out of the situation by saying, “I think if you go back and look at what the attorney general said in that interview, which was on your network on Fox News … .”

But before she could finish, Doocy cut her off to say what Bondi’s exact quote was: “It’s sitting on my desk right now to review.”

Leavitt said, “She was saying the entirety of all of the paperwork — all of the paper — in relation to Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes. That’s what the attorney general was referring to. And I’ll let her speak for that.”

Leavitt said during the press conference, “The Trump administration is committed to truth and transparency.”

The Times noted, “In the six years since his death in 2019, the case of Mr. Epstein has become a public obsession for a segment of Trump supporters, some of whom have accused two of his most senior advisers, Ms. Bondi and the F.B.I. director Kash Patel, of slow-walking the review and release of the case file.”

And it has been a constant topic in the MAGA media world. Matt Gertz wrote about that in his latest piece: “MAGA media eat their own after Trump administration denies their Epstein conspiracy theories.” ([link removed])

Gertz wrote, “While the Epstein saga is a bit of a sideshow in the grand scheme of things, what it highlights about the underlying dynamics of the MAGA movement is deeply unsettling. It demonstrates that the Trump administration is in hock to some of the most deranged conspiracy theorists imaginable, treating them as among its closest allies and devoting substantial resources to their care and feeding.”


** Tweet of the day
------------------------------------------------------------

OK, check out this tweet on X that rips into social media and, in particular, X:

Ok I've basically been entirely off social media and returning here it is overwhelmingly abundantly and profoundly clear that this place - and all of these places - are a poison - a prison of utterly short form deep sounding nonsense attached to no one that ur brain will discard imaging its learning. The entire thing is a theatre. A (expletive) pale simulacra of a life.

Wow, calling it “poison” among other critical things.

And who wrote this? The ex-girlfriend of X owner Elon Musk. Grimes, a 37-year-old singer, is the mother of three of Musk’s children.

For more on this, and the background of Musk-Grimes relationship, check out this story from People’s Meredith Kile ([link removed]) .


** Good sports
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ESPN's Malika Andrews in May 2024. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Malika Andrews and Joe Buck are best known for their work on ESPN. Andrews is the host of “NBA Today” and “NBA Countdown.” Buck is the play-by-play announcer for “Monday Night Football.”

But both will stretch their legs with co-hosting stints on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Front Office Sports Ryan Glasspiegel reports ([link removed]) that Andrews will co-host “GMA” this upcoming Saturday and Sunday, while Buck is scheduled to co-host from Wednesday, July 23 to Friday, July 25.

Glasspiegel added that ESPN personalities Elle Duncan and Laura Rutledge have also had discussions to “potentially set up dates for later this summer.”

While this might be nothing more than guest spots, going from sports to morning news shows is far from rare. “Good Morning America’s” Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan both came from sports. Roberts was a longtime ESPN “SportsCenter” anchor, while Strahan was a star NFL player for the New York Giants. In addition, Nate Burleson is co-host of “CBS Mornings” after an 11-year career in the NFL and a stint as co-host on the NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football.”

Keep an eye out for Andrews. Glasspiegel reported back in February ([link removed]) that Andrews’ contract was up in the fall, and that she was well thought of (as she should be) inside Disney. Glasspiegel wrote back in February, “Several sports media insiders have independently told FOS that Andrews could eventually follow the Robin Roberts model and flourish on a daytime news and entertainment program within the Disney empire, such as ABC’s ‘Good Morning America.’”


** Meanwhile …
------------------------------------------------------------

Speaking of “Good Morning America,” changes are coming to “GMA3” — the third hour of “Good Morning America.”

It was announced Monday that current “GMA3” co-host Eva Pilgrim is leaving to become the anchor of the CBS-syndicated news magazine show “Inside Edition.” Pilgrim will take over this fall, becoming just the fourth anchor of a show that started in 1989. She replaces Deborah Norville, who recently departed after 30 years.

Pilgrim said in a statement, “Anchoring ‘Inside Edition’ is truly a dream job. I have been an avid viewer and fan of the show for many years. I’m pinching myself that I get to work with this amazing team. It’s truly an honor to join a show with such a long, rich history.”

Oliver Darcy, in his Status media newsletter, reported that Pilgrim’s “GMA3” co-anchor, DeMarco Morgan, is also leaving the show, and the company.

So what does that mean for “GMA3?”

Variety’s Brian Steinberg writes ([link removed]) , “The Disney-backed news outlet is overhauling — yet again — the anchor lineup for the afternoon hour, this time likely giving more air time to various anchors and correspondents from “Good Morning America,” including weekend hosts such as Gio Benitez or the weekday broadcast’s Ginger Zee.”

Steinberg added, “In recent weeks, viewers have seen ‘GMA3’ broadcasts led by (Lara) Spencer, (Sam) Champion, Benitez, Whit Johnson, Janai Norman and Will Reeves as well as ABC News correspondents like James Longman and Rachel Scott. The network sees new opportunity to bring the afternoon program closer to the morning show, according to three people familiar with the matter, and it’s possible that Roberts, Strahan and Stephanopoulos could turn up in the afternoons where such appearances make sense, like if they are reporting live from a news scene.”

The show will once again be looking to recapture the formula of a few years ago when the show thrived with co-anchors Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes. But that iteration of the show came to an abrupt end when the network cut ties with Robach and Holmes after their personal relationship made headlines.


** Media tidbits
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* Alexander Burns, Politico's senior executive editor, North America, with “How Elon Musk’s Third Party Gamble Could Succeed.” ([link removed])
* From Gannett: “Gannett and AddressUSA announce national real estate agreement.” ([link removed])
* For The Washington Post, Yvonne Condes with “Once it was mostly a taco website. Now it’s covering L.A. ICE raids.” ([link removed])
* IndyStar opinion fellow Sadia Khatri with “Purdue, IU abandon student newspapers, diminishing campus voices.” ([link removed])


** Hot type
------------------------------------------------------------

The New York Times’ Dani Blum with “I Can’t Sleep. Now What?” ([link removed])

The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman with “Ranking college football’s 100 best rivalries. Who earned the top spot?” ([link removed])


** More resources for journalists
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* Learn how to uncover public records and hard-to-find facts in The 5 Ws of Research ([link removed]) , an on-demand course taught by veteran journalist Caryn Baird — free for a limited time.
* Access ([link removed]) Poynter’s comprehensive mental health reporting resources.

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