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** OPINION
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** Today is MSNBC’s first day apart from NBC. Here is its new code of principles.
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MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, shown here earlier this year. (Courtesy: MSNBC)

Today is a groundbreaking day at MSNBC. After more than 29 years of association with NBC News, the network is splitting off to establish its own independent newsgathering operation.

Starting today, outside of Washington, D.C., operations, MSNBC will no longer rely on NBC News correspondents or crews for coverage. Beginning on Oct. 20, MSNBC will no longer rely on NBC News correspondents or crews for Washington, D.C.-based coverage. And by the end of the month, MSNBC will no longer participate in NBC News-led editorial calls and meetings. It will be fully independent.

Eventually, the network will change names to MS NOW, which stands for My Source for News, Opinion and the World. But, already, it’s a new day for a new newsroom.

And with the new newsroom comes new guidance for standards.

Today, Brian Carovillano, MSNBC’s senior vice president of standards and editorial partnerships for news, sent a note to staff laying out these standards.

Carovillano wrote, “As a starting point, we have established 10 core principles for our journalists and our journalism — a set of guidelines that will guide our decision-making and reinforce trust with our audience. We operate in a world and an industry that is undergoing rapid change, and our broader standards manual will be an organic document that reflects this reality by adapting and changing with the times. But our principles will be enduring. The intent is that, for years to come, we will be able to point to these and say this is what we stand for. Or, better yet, This Is Who We Are.”

Here are MSNBC’s official 10 principles as assembled by MSNBC leadership:
* Integrity: We uphold the highest ethical standards. We respect the law when reporting the news. We advocate for journalists’ rights. We protect and defend press freedom and the First Amendment. We respect our colleagues, our sources and the communities we cover.
* Accuracy: We aim to be accurate in our reporting 100 percent of the time. If we establish that our reporting is flawed, we take prompt action to correct or clarify the mistake.
* Fairness: We report the news with an open mind. We aim to give the subject(s) of our original reporting an opportunity to comment before publication.
* Opinion: The views expressed by our opinion journalists and contributors are based on accurate, reported facts.
* Our Sources: Our objective is to rely on sources we can identify, by name, in our reporting. When anonymity is the only way to report critical information, we aim to have sources with firsthand knowledge and to be transparent about why we granted them anonymity.
* Emerging Technologies: We use generative AI and other technology tools when they can improve our journalism, but we will not publish content created solely by AI, and we disclose any public-facing use of AI.
* Perspectives: We believe our audience is best served when our journalism reflects a variety of perspectives on the world we cover.
* Transparency: We disclose to our audience any commercial initiatives that may intersect with our editorial content.
* Independence: We avoid any real or perceived conflicts of interest. We do not accept gifts or favors that could appear to influence news judgment.
* Who We Are: Our journalists hold themselves to the same high standards of professional and journalistic integrity in their outside appearances and on their personal social media.

Late last week, I had a chance to ask Carovillano a few questions via email about the principles. Here is our exchange:

Tom Jones: These principles are being announced just as a recent Gallup poll showed trust in media being at an all-time low. Can this transparent code of principles help regain the trust of audiences?

Brian Carovillano: There is plenty of research showing that core journalism values like fairness, transparency and accuracy are all critical to maintaining trust between news organizations and their audiences. MSNBC is fortunate to have an incredibly loyal and dedicated audience, and some of the most impressive engagement levels of any media organization. Today, we’re stating our commitment to these core values as we step into a new era for our organization, but in many ways it’s a restatement of the principles we've always followed.

Jones: Your very first principle specifically states, “We advocate for journalists’ rights. We protect and defend press freedom and the First Amendment.” In light of recent events, how important was it to make this a point of emphasis, not only to your journalists but to the world?

Carovillano: We believe journalism and journalists play an essential role in a healthy democracy. This idea was so important to the founders of our country that it was enshrined in our Constitution, and borrowed and replicated by other democracies around the world for centuries. It’s not something we should take for granted, so there has never been a more important time to stand up for what we do and why it matters to everyone.

Jones: You have a principle when it comes to AI and other emerging technologies, which is something new that all newsrooms are having to deal with these days. You mention that you will disclose the use of AI when it is used. How are you looking at AI these days and how it might be used in your reporting?

Carovillano: While we’re already using AI in limited ways, to bolster and improve our audience experience, for example, we also are interested in exploring more opportunities where it can help supercharge our journalism in new and innovative ways. At the same time, it’s important in this moment of transformative change to state our commitment that there would never be a substitute for authentic journalism produced by real journalists.”

My thanks to MSNBC’s Brian Carovillano.

And now for the rest of today’s newsletter …

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** Still pushing the lie
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President Donald Trump, speaking to the Navy on Sunday in Norfolk, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

President Donald Trump spoke Sunday in Norfolk, Virginia, as the Navy celebrated its 250th anniversary. He used the opportunity once again to push the lie that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.

Trump told the sailors ([link removed]) , “I almost thought I wouldn’t get to do that because I was president in 2016. And then they rigged the election on me. And then we caught them, didn’t we? We caught them.”

That was far from the only off-the-rocker thing that Trump said in his Navy speech. Here’s Mediaite’s Jennifer Bowers Bahney with “Trump Boasts He’s the ‘Best Physical Specimen’ Among Recent Presidents — In Wild Speech at Naval Station.” ([link removed])


** Speaking of Trump
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The president was none too happy that Fox News’ Peter Doocy interviewed Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly on his new show, “The Sunday Briefing.” Doocy had Kelly on to talk about the government shutdown.

In a lengthy Truth Social post ([link removed]) , Trump started by writing, “Why is Fox News and Peter Doocy putting on Democrat Senator Mark Kelly to talk about, totally unabated or challenged, Healthcare? The FAKE SPIN is so bad for Republicans that it is hard to believe that we WIN. It will be very unfair, in the future, when they don’t have ‘TRUMP’ to fight for them. Therefore, we should fix it, NOW! I’m watching this Interview. It just doesn’t end. Fox should either get on board, or get off board, NOW, but at this point, it just doesn’t make any difference to me. They suck up the Ratings because of us, and then spin them in the Democrats’ direction.”

Trump then went on air with more grievances about polls. It included more random uses of capital letters and quotation marks and ended with his usual, “Thank you for your attention to this matter.”


** Major announcement
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As I mentioned in Friday’s newsletter, today is expected to be a big day at CBS News as Bari Weiss will reportedly be named editor-in-chief of CBS News. Paramount Skydance will acquire The Free Press, which was founded by Weiss in 2021, for $150 million in cash and stock.

The Washington Post’s Will Oremus, Caroline O'Donovan and Jeremy Barr wrote ([link removed]) , “The move heralds a new era at the 98-year-old broadcast network, whose corporate parents made moves to address the Trump administration’s allegations of liberal bias as they sought approval for an $8 billion merger that was finalized in August. The appointment of Weiss, a staunch advocate of Israel and frequent critic of the mainstream media, to lead the company’s news operation follows its hiring last month of a conservative-leaning ombudsman to field complaints about the network’s editorial coverage.”

But the Post explains why this is a bizarre move that is being met with apprehension among CBS News’ journalists: “​​Weiss, whose background is in opinion journalism and commentary, has no experience working at a broadcast television network.”

The Post added, “Hired by the New York Times’s opinions section in 2017 as part of a push to bring more conservative voices onto its pages after President Donald Trump’s election, she resigned in 2020, saying she had been ‘bullied’ by liberal colleagues for her views.”

The Independent’s Justin Baragona wrote ([link removed]) , “The rising frustration among the network’s journalists has also been compounded by the fact that David Ellison, the chief executive of the newly merged Paramount Skydance, is preparing to implement brutal layoffs and slash up to 10 percent of CBS News’ staff – all while paying Weiss up to $150 million to acquire her digital media outlet The Free Press.”

Baragona wrote that “for the most part, sources stated that morale is extremely low and there is no real appetite among most of the staff to see Weiss take charge of the network and potentially squander its credibility, as well as that of 60 Minutes, its legendary and long-running newsmagazine.”

One unnamed CBS reporter told Baragona, “People are using words like depressing and doomsday – feels like some sort of doomsday.”


** Trump and ‘60 Minutes’
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So to tie all this — Trump and CBS News — together, Semafor’s Max Tani and Shelby Talcott report ([link removed]) that the White House is in talks with “60 Minutes” about conducting an upcoming interview with Trump. What’s interesting, of course, is that Trump sued Paramount and CBS News over a “60 Minutes” interview. Not his, but the interview the TV news magazine did with Vice President Kamala Harris last year. Trump claimed the interview was edited in such a way to help Harris with the election. Paramount eventually settled with Trump, paying him $16 million.


** Bizarre situation
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Fox Sports broadcaster Mark Sanchez, shown here in 2021. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Sports fans were stunned to hear the news on Saturday that former NFL quarterback and current Fox Sports NFL announcer Mark Sanchez had been stabbed and hospitalized after an altercation in Indianapolis a little after midnight on Saturday morning. Colleagues and those around the NFL flooded social media with well-wishes.

Then came even more stunning news on Saturday afternoon when Indianapolis police announced ([link removed]) Sanchez was being arrested on allegations of battery with injury, unlawful entry of a motor vehicle and public intoxication, all of which are misdemeanors. He reportedly was released from the hospital Sunday and reported to law enforcement.

So what happened?

Michaela Springer of WISH-TV in Indianapolis reported ([link removed]) that, according to an affidavit, the truck driver of a company that disposes and recycles commercial cooking oil parked his truck outside the Westin Hotel. Sanchez, for a reason that is unknown, told the man he wasn’t allowed to park there. An argument began with Sanchez climbing into the man’s box truck and then later blocking the man from getting around the truck. The 69-year-old truck driver claimed the 38-year-old Sanchez smelled of alcohol and was slurring his speech. Reportedly, there was security footage showing the driver being thrown into a wall and then onto the ground. The driver reportedly suffered lacerations. Feeling threatened, the driver sprayed Sanchez with pepper spray. When Sanchez continued to come after him, the man said he then stabbed Sanchez “two or three” times in the chest with a knife.

Sanchez reportedly told police he didn’t remember what had happened or who had stabbed him.

Another former quarterback, Brady Quinn, was called in to replace Sanchez on Sunday’s broadcast of the Indianapolis Colts-Las Vegas Raiders game. Play-by-play announcer Chris Myers told viewers, “Obviously, we all want to send out our thoughts and prayers to Mark and those involved in Friday’s incident, as we get ready for today’s game.”

Sanchez played in the NFL from 2009 to 2018 and is best known for his time with the New York Jets. He has been a Fox Sports broadcaster since 2021.

On the “Fox NFL Sunday” pregame show ([link removed]) , host Curt Menefee said, “Friday night in Indianapolis, one of our team members, Mark Sanchez, was involved in an incident that, to be honest, we’re all trying to wrap our heads around. At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with Mark, his family, and all those involved.”

That statement was nearly identical to the one issued by Charissa Thompson ([link removed]) on the “Fox NFL Kickoff” pregame show.


** Media tidbits
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* Mediaite’s Jennifer Bowers Bahney with “Pete Hegseth Defends Pentagon Press Restrictions in Fox News Interview: They ‘Can SQUEAL All They Want!’” ([link removed])
* Former Washington Post opinion columnist Catherine Rampell is joining The xxxxxx, where she will write a weekly economics and policy-focused newsletter. Semafor’s Max Tani has more ([link removed]) .
* Bad Bunny hosted the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live” and had some fun with all those upset that he will perform at this season’s Super Bowl during his monologue ([link removed]) .
* The Wall Street Journal’s Natalie Andrews, Joel Schectman and Brett Forrest with “Laura Loomer Is Turning Against MAGA Stalwarts.” ([link removed])
* The Los Angeles Times’ Wendy Lee with “Fake actor deepens anxiety over AI in Hollywood.” ([link removed])


** Sad news
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Finally, today, we have sad news to share. Rick Edmonds, Poynter’s media business analyst, passed away suddenly over the weekend. He was 78.

Rick started his career as an assistant to the legendary New York Times journalist James Reston. He went on to be a reporter and editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer and was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. He then spent 11 years with the St. Petersburg Times in various editor and publisher roles, including two years as managing editor of the paper’s Tampa edition.

Rick eventually moved to Poynter and became among the industry's best-known and most respected analysts on the economics of journalism. His deep knowledge of the media and the media business was invaluable to not only those inside of Poynter, but throughout the media industry. He was a go-to source and was constantly quoted by major media outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. Just a couple of weeks ago, Rick was a source for CNN’s reporting on the FCC and press freedom.

He has been a frequent and sharp contributor to this newsletter.

Poynter president Neil Brown wrote in a note to staff, “Be it the economics or the ethics of the news business, Rick's writing was accessible and his sources were deep. His approach to his work and to his colleagues was gracious and joyful.”

On a personal level, I will add that Rick was as kind and considerate as he was knowledgeable and insightful. For me, he was not only an invaluable resource to discuss media topics, but a friend to share our latest thoughts on the Tampa Bay sports scene, what we were binge-watching on TV and even the music of Taylor Swift. His presence, wisdom and humor in our daily editorial meetings at Poynter were a highlight for all of us in the Poynter newsroom.

I’ll share more in the coming days here in the newsletter. In the meantime, our condolences to his wife of nearly 53 years, Marianne, his two daughters, Leslie and Jenny, and his grandson. Rick will be greatly missed.


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