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** OPINION
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Today’s newsletter features a couple of interesting items about press credentials for sports teams. But first, the big question for those who cover the White House:


** Who will hold the next White House press briefing?
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The White House podium is seen before a briefing in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, March 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Who will be the next White House press secretary?

NBC News chief White House correspondent Garrett Haake reported ([link removed]) Tuesday that the White House will hold a press briefing Thursday.

What we don’t know is who will hold the briefing.

Karoline Leavitt is officially gone as White House press secretary and has yet to be replaced.

Haake noted that while Leavitt was on parental leave, several Cabinet secretaries and even Vice President JD Vance filled in at the podium. So we shall see who steps in Thursday.

Heck, it might even be the president.

This is likely to be a question until President Donald Trump can replace Leavitt.

As soon as Leavitt announced she was leaving, the early favorite to replace her was CNN contributor Scott Jennings. Despite reports that Jennings had expressed interest in the job, it now appears unlikely that he will become press secretary.

Heather Miller, a digital content creator for Fox TV Stations, floated some names ([link removed]) that might make sense as press secretary: White House adviser Stephen Miller; his wife, Katie Miller, a former press secretary for former Vice President Mike Pence; White House communications director Steven Cheung; and Anna Kelly, Trump's principal deputy press secretary.

It’s possible Leavitt’s sudden and unexpected departure after returning from parental leave following the birth of her second child led to a delay in naming a new press secretary. Trump also saw Leavitt as a highly effective press secretary, and he might have trouble seeing anyone else in that position at the moment.

Then again, maybe Trump has his mind on a million other things and figures that replacing Leavitt isn’t a priority, particularly when he is often available to talk to the press.

A MESSAGE FROM POYNTER
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** Calling out a conflict
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The Ringer’s Sean Fennessey appeared on a recent podcast and did not hide his disagreements with business decisions made by The Ringer and founder Bill Simmons.

Along with his Ringer colleague Amanda Dobbins, Fennessey appeared on the “Talk Easy With Sam Fragoso” podcast earlier this week. Fennessey is the former head of content for The Ringer and, along with Dobbins, co-hosts the popular “The Big Picture” podcast, which covers and reviews movies.

Variety’s William Earl noted ([link removed]) the podcast "touched on several topics — including that Ringer shows like ‘Big Picture’ have been licensed by Spotify to Netflix, despite the fact that the podcast’s participants discuss films that might appear on the streamer.”

Fennessey told Fragoso, “I think there’s an inherent conflict with the work that we’re doing. I don’t think it totally makes sense for a show that’s covering films released by Netflix to be licensed nonexclusively to Netflix — but it wasn’t my decision, so we’re working within that reality.”

Earl pointed out, “Fennessey has been with Simmons’ company since it launched in 2016. The Netflix licensing deal was announced in October 2025. The Ringer is owned by Spotify, which acquired the media business in 2020 in a $250 million deal with Simmons.”

Fennessey was also asked about ChatGPT sponsoring The Ringer’s “The Rewatchables” movie podcast. Simmons, who usually co-hosts “The Rewatchables,” also occasionally asks the AI tool what Roger Ebert might have thought about a movie released after his death in 2013.

Dobbins appeared surprised that ChatGPT was a sponsor.

Fennessey, talking about ChatGPT and Ebert, said, “I don’t like it. I’ve told Bill I don’t like it. It’s not my decision. It’s something that he’s done. I think (fellow Ringer podcaster) Chris (Ryan) and I have both, when presented with ChatGPT Ebert, we’ve said, ‘Eh, that’s not cool,’ you know. I wouldn’t want that done for me after I died, and I wouldn’t want to be represented in that way, and I revere Roger Ebert. I’m thinking very critically about AI and trying to not be an alarmist and trying to be thoughtful about what’s coming, while also having a clearer moral view of what it means and how it’s going to impact us.”

Simmons and Fennessey go way back, and it sounds as if Fennessey didn’t say anything on the podcast that he hasn’t already discussed with Simmons. So while it’s interesting to hear Fennessey’s comments, it’s not a reason to believe he and Simmons are on the outs. Both are smart and good at what they do, and occasionally having a different perspective on business is not only common, but usually healthy.

Either way, it was refreshing to hear Fennessey’s honest thoughts on such topics.

Here’s the entire “Talk Easy” podcast interview ([link removed]) with Fennessey and Dobbins.


** Disturbing report
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Last week, Texas Christian University rescinded the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s media credentials over its reporting on a locker room fight involving two TCU football players. The incident resulted in one of the players, Jacob Fields, being kicked off the team.

The Star-Telegram reported on the decision ([link removed]) and wrote that “a TCU athletics spokesman said the Star-Telegram’s credentials were being pulled because the coverage resulted in threats to the victim.”

However, the Star-Telegram added that it “did not identify the player, junior wide receiver Dozie Ezukanma, until three days after the initial report, when he identified himself in a now-deleted Instagram video.”

Despite national calls for TCU to reinstate the Star-Telegram’s credentials, including from the Football Writers Association of America, TCU has upheld the ban.

But that didn’t stop the Star-Telegram from continuing to diligently cover TCU. Earlier this week, it published another story about the locker room incident, and this one painted a rather disturbing picture.

The Star-Telegram’s Shambhavi Rimal reported ([link removed]) , “TCU wide receiver Dozie Ezukanma was in the hospital for three days with injuries including a brain bleed and a concussion after teammate Jacob Fields punched and kicked him in the head, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.”

The Star-Telegram story also reported that Ezukanma told TCU police that he was knocked unconscious after Fields allegedly attacked him. Ezukanma was driven to the Harris Hospital emergency room by an assistant athletic trainer for the football team.

Rimal wrote, “Ezukanma was given an urgent CT scan and the ER doctor read the results stating it was a brain bleed. He was then transferred to the ICU, where he received a second CT scan. The results indicated the hematoma had grown, so he was given blood pressure and pain control medications. Ezukanma was said to be in a stable condition after a third CT scan was conducted, Talley told police.”

Meanwhile, Star-Telegram columnist Bud Kennedy tweeted ([link removed]) the story and wrote, “TCU football player Dozie Ezukanma was not sent to the ER for nearly two hours after he was attacked by a teammate in the locker room and suffered a concussion and brain bleed, according to TCU police.”

It’s still unclear why TCU felt the need to ban the Star-Telegram. But the decision, combined with this latest disturbing report, doesn’t paint TCU’s athletic department and football program in a positive light.


** Another credential pull
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Here’s another case of a football team pulling someone’s media credential. This time it’s an NFL team. The Tennessee Titans revoked the credential for Jared Stillman, a YouTuber and podcaster who recently had what was described as a testy exchange ([link removed]) with Titans quarterback Cam Ward about Ward’s preseason play.

Paul Kuharsky, an independent reporter who has covered the Titans since 1996, broke the story ([link removed]) . Kuharsky described Stillman as a “controversial social media broadcast host.”

Kuharsky wrote that Stillman “more often pops in for periodic, often performative, appearances at press conferences. Stillman's irregular presence around the team distinguishes him from most credentialed media who cover it regularly.” He continued, “Most credentialed media are with the team on a regular basis. Stillman typically arrives for selected press conferences and is gone quickly afterward.”

Perhaps most damning, Kuharsky wrote, “Stillman habitually advances conspiracy theories without factual support.”

Awful Announcing’s Drew Lerner wrote ([link removed]) , “All of this would seem to be grounds for getting your credential revoked. But, as Kuharsky notes, there is a more consequential issue at play. The Titans have not issued a formal statement as to why the team revoked Stillman’s access. While the team could very well be justified in its decision in this instance, there has been no explanation as for exactly why Stillman no longer has credentials.”

Then, later Tuesday, Stillman posted a video ([link removed]) from his podcast in which he talked about being banned from practices and press conferences. He said the team told him that what he does as a YouTuber does not require media access and that he is not comparable to a beat reporter who shows up every day. According to Stillman, the team also told him the decision wasn’t about any one incident, such as his exchange with Ward.

Stillman said, “I understand their position, but I disagree with it.”

This is an interesting case as more and more independent content creators — podcasters, bloggers, etc. — cover sports teams. It likely won’t be the last time we hear of something like this.


** Tony Romo’s first statement since his arrest
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Tony Romo, right in the black baseball cap, shown here attending an NBA game in 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Tony Romo, CBS’s top NFL game analyst, has made his first public comments since his arrest in Wisconsin in July on suspicion of operating while intoxicated. Right after the arrest, CBS suspended Romo indefinitely and announced J.J. Watt would move to the network’s top NFL announcing team alongside play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz.

In a lengthy Instagram post ([link removed]) Tuesday, Romo talked about having a problem with alcohol while also saying he hopes to return to CBS.

The former NFL quarterback wrote that he pleaded no contest to the charge. He then added, “Multiple back surgeries ended my career earlier than I expected and left me with constant, debilitating pain. That pain led to a dependence on pain medication, and my efforts to get off those medications led to an over-reliance on alcohol.”

He later added, “The past month has been difficult, but it has also been personally significant. It has required me to confront and own my mistakes fully — to the Lord, to myself, to my family, and now to the public.”

He closed the post by writing, “As I turn my attention to my health, my family, and, in time, my return to CBS, I kindly ask for privacy during this period.”

Will he eventually return to CBS? Well, that’s the tricky part.

When Romo became a broadcaster for CBS in 2017, he was a breath of fresh air and was immediately lauded by fans and critics as one of the best TV analysts in all of sports. In 2020, CBS awarded Romo’s work with a massive 10-year, $180 million contract.

But in recent years, Romo has come under increased scrutiny, with critics claiming his work has slipped because of a lack of preparation. And that led some to wonder if CBS might use Romo’s arrest as a way to demote him and perhaps get out from that massive contract.

As far as Romo’s legal situation, USA Today’s Nick Brinkerhoff wrote ([link removed]) , “Court records show that Romo's plea of no contest resulted in his driving privileges being revoked for six months. He will also have to complete the ‘Alcohol Assessment Program,’ while paying a total of $834 in fines. If he fails to pay, his license suspension can be extended for up to one year.”


** Media tidbits
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* The Atlantic’s David A. Graham with “Trump’s Hatred of Free Speech Is Intensifying.” ([link removed])
* Media Matters’ Matt Gertz with “Trump has denounced so-called fake polls at least 39 times since returning to the White House.” ([link removed]) According to a Media Matters review of Trump’s statements on social media and transcripts of his public events compiled by Roll Call, the president has complained about polls at least 39 times since he returned to the White House — and at least nine times in August 2026 alone, more than any other month.
* Nieman Lab’s Joshua Benton with “Go west: With a new operation in California, ProPublica continues its expansion outside Manhattan.” ([link removed])
* SFGate’s Olivia Hebert with “Stanford student journalists win First Amendment victory over free speech.” ([link removed])
* Madison Czopek of Poynter’s PolitiFact with “A story about the US and vaccines in 5 charts.” ([link removed])
* I mentioned The Ringer’s Bill Simmons earlier in the newsletter. I’ll also point you to this piece from Awful Announcing’s Drew Lerner: “Massachusetts Gaming Commission reportedly ‘reviewing’ Bill Simmons for potential proxy betting.” ([link removed])


** Hot type
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* The New York Times’ Jodi Kantor with “How the Supreme Court Locks Away Its Own History.” ([link removed])
* Rolling Stone’s ​​CT Jones and Elisabeth Garber-Paul with “25 Most Influential Creators of 2026.” ([link removed])


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* Leadership Academy for Women ([link removed]) : Advanced leadership development centered on the experiences of women; 3+ years of leadership/management experience

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

The Poynter Report is your daily dive into the world of media, packed with the latest news and insights. Get it delivered to your inbox Monday through Friday by signing up here ([link removed]) . And don’t forget to tune into our biweekly podcast ([link removed]) for even more.
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