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** OPINION
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** How journalists covered a weekend of mass shootings across two continents
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Women place flowers at a memorial outside Bondi Pavilion at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Monday, a day after a shooting. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

The horrors continue.

This past weekend was marred by two mass shootings — one in Australia and one in the U.S.

In what Australian authorities called an act of antisemitic terrorism, at least 16 people were killed and dozens more were injured after two gunmen opened fire Sunday during a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach.

One of the suspected gunmen, a 50-year-old man, was shot and killed by police. His 24-year-old son was shot by police and has been hospitalized with “critical injuries.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, “What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil, an act of antisemitism, an act of terrorism on our shores in an iconic Australian location, Bondi Beach, that is associated with joy, associated with families gathering, associated with celebrations. It is forever tarnished by what has occurred.”

In a posting on X, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote ([link removed]) , “The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Australia targeting a Jewish celebration. Antisemitism has no place in this world. Our prayers are with the victims of this horrific attack, the Jewish community, and the people of Australia.”

In another tweet ([link removed]) , Rubio wrote, “Tonight we stand with the Australian Jewish community as we light the Hanukkah candles and honor the enduring strength of the Jewish people. Such horrific antisemitic attacks must be universally condemned.”

For more, here’s The New York Times’ Jin Yu Young with “What We Know About the Shooting at Bondi Beach.” ([link removed])

Dramatic video ([link removed]) showed an unarmed civilian sneaking up and attacking one of the suspected shooters, disarming him in the process.

The Washington Post editorial board wrote ([link removed]) , “Important questions remain. Why was an unarmed hero needed to restrain a gunman? Were Australian police adequately prepared for such an event? What has the Australian government done to rein in antisemitism? Has the country effectively screened immigrants and facilitated their assimilation? And, most importantly, what is being done to prevent this from happening again — in Australia and around the world?”

Here is some of the notable journalism from Australia:
* The Sydney Morning Herald’s Jordan Baker and Charlotte Grieve with “‘This is not the Australia I know’: How brave victims saved those around them.” ([link removed])
* Elias Visontay, national consumer affairs reporter for the Morning Herald, with “I was 100m away when the shots rang out. It has changed Sydney forever.” ([link removed])
* From Sky News Australia, Max Melzer with “‘You've saved my daughter's life’: Parents relive horror moment child went missing in Bondi terror attack. ([link removed]) ”


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** Back in the US …
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A bouquet of flowers rests on snow on Sunday on the campus of Brown University not far from where a shooting took place, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

On Saturday, two students at Brown University were killed and nine others were wounded in a shooting on the Providence, Rhode Island, campus. A suspect — being called a “person of interest” by authorities — is being held in connection with the shooting. A motive wasn’t known as of Sunday evening. The Washington Post identified ([link removed]) the person of interest as a 24-year-old from Wisconsin.

In an interesting moment, CNN’s John Berman interviewed his son, Joe ([link removed]) , who sheltered in place on the Brown University campus during the shooting. Berman told viewers, “Joe doesn’t go to Brown, but happened to pick last night to visit one of his best friends who does go here.”

Mediaite’s Sean James has more ([link removed]) on that interview.

Also, from The Washington Post, it’s Gaya Gupta, Todd Wallack and Joanna Slater with “What happened inside the Brown University classroom the gunman stormed.” ([link removed])

And one more from the Post: Daniel Wu with “She survived a school shooting in high school. It happened again at Brown.” ([link removed])

During a Christmas event at the White House on Sunday, President Donald Trump said, “I want to just pay my respects to the people, unfortunately, two are no longer with us, Brown University, nine injured, and two are looking down on us right now from heaven. And likewise, in Australia, that was a terrible attack — 11 dead, 29 badly wounded, and that was an antisemitic attack, obviously. And I just want to pay my respects to everybody. It was a rough day.”


** One more column
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Xochitl Gonzalez — a Brown graduate and a current trustee at the school — has a powerful piece in The Atlantic: “America Is Failing Its Children.” ([link removed])

Gonzalez writes, “Every mass shooting in America fills me with sorrow, but this particular incident has been coupled with a dose of nihilism. Across the nation this week, students will be opening emails announcing their early-decision college acceptances. For many of America’s children, it’s the culmination of the zero-sum game of elite college admissions. They have been trained from their earliest years to pass exams and write essays so that they may one day be lucky enough to study for their finals in an Ivy League classroom where, randomly, at any moment, a shooter might open fire.”


** Prayers … and action
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On NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock discussed the Brown University shooting with moderator Kristen Welker.

Warnock said, “I can tell you that as a pastor who has presided over many funerals, I don't think that there's any pain deeper than when nature is violently reversed and rather than children burying their parents, the parent has to bury the child. And so we pray for these families. But we have to pray not only with our lips, but with our actions. Any nation that tolerates this kind of violence year after year, decade after decade in random places on our college and school campuses without doing all that we can to stop it is broken and in need of moral repair.”


** CBS town hall with Erika Kirk
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CBS News aired a town hall Saturday night with new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss interviewing Erika Kirk, the widow of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk. It was Erika Kirk’s first non-cable interview since her husband was shot and killed at a campus event in September.

Salon’s CK Smith noted ([link removed]) that the town hall was framed as a national conversation on political violence and antisemitism, adding, “While the town hall included moments of challenge, including references to controversial rhetoric associated with President Donald Trump, critics argue the broadcast leaned heavily into a singular ideological and religious framework. The discussion repeatedly invoked Christian faith, spiritual revival, and moral decline, language that went largely uncontextualized or unchallenged despite the program’s CBS News branding.”

Smith added, “That editorial approach has unsettled some advertisers, according to industry reporting, who expressed concern that the town hall blurred the line between journalism and advocacy. Several media critics questioned whether the format reflected traditional news standards or represented a shift toward values-driven programming under Weiss’s leadership.”

Puck’s Dylan Byers wrote last week ([link removed]) , “Sources say Bari’s forthcoming vision for the network will put an emphasis on more town hall events and debates, which she hopes will be must-see TV.”

Maybe Saturday’s town hall with Erika Kirk is an example of that, although it should be noted that the town hall aired on a Saturday night — typically the worst night for TV ratings.

Variety’s Brian Steinberg wrote, “Big Advertisers Appear Wary of CBS News’ Bari Weiss Town Hall Format.” ([link removed])

Meanwhile, well before the town hall aired, The Guardian’s Justin Baragona wrote, “CBS News staffers rip ‘shallow’ Bari Weiss for moderating ‘absurd’ network town hall with Erika Kirk.” ([link removed])


** A noticeable absence
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes clutches his knee after suffering an injury in Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

The National Football League playoffs without the Kansas City Chiefs is like Christmas without Santa Claus. It just ain’t right.

But that’s what will happen this season. The Chiefs were eliminated from the postseason on Sunday, marking the first time in 11 years they will miss the playoffs.

And the NFL and TV networks surely are a little bummed.

Now look, the NFL is going to be just fine. It is the most popular sports league in America, by far, and easily the most-watched television programming. That won’t change.

But the Chiefs are a massive TV draw for the NFL. In the previous six seasons, they have won three Super Bowls and appeared in two others. They have, arguably, the best player in football in quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has never missed the postseason. And, of course, there’s the Taylor Swift effect. Swift is engaged to popular Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce — who could retire after this season.

It could be the end of an era for the Chiefs, and for the NFL, which has benefited nicely from the Chiefs’ massive popularity.


** Media tidbits
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* The Los Angeles Times’ Stephen Battaglio with “What happens to CNN if President Trump gets his way?” ([link removed])
* Mediaite’s Colby Hall with “CNN Isn’t Afraid of Stephen Miller — They Just Know Bad TV When They See It.” ([link removed])
* The Atlantic’s Ali Breland with “I Watched 12 Hours of Nick Fuentes.” ([link removed])
* In what has become a common theme, the latest episode of “Saturday Night Live” was mostly a dud except for a cold open that perfectly roasted President Donald Trump. Here’s the open ([link removed]) featuring James Austin Johnson, whose Trump impression is spot on.


** Hot type
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* “CBS News Sunday Morning” and correspondent David Pogue with “What makes for a great Christmas song?” ([link removed])
* For The Ringer, Steven Hyden writes about the iconic Bob Dylan with “The Rough and Rowdy Way of Life.” ([link removed])


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

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