Scoops: MSNBC-John Heilemann/Fox News/The Atlantic Writers
Scoop: John Heilemann Is in Talks to Host MSNBC Show
Journalist John Heilemann, a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC and co-author of the presidential campaign books “Game Change” and “Double Down,” is in talks to host his own MSNBC show on Saturday evenings, two sources familiar with the matter tell me. The deal, as I understand it, is not yet finalized.
Heilemann is a ubiquitous presence on the network, appearing often on “Morning Joe,” Nicolle Wallace’s afternoon show and Lawrence O’Donnell’s evening program. For the past three years, he has also co-hosted Showtime’s “The Circus,” a docuseries about the 2016 presidential campaign that morphed into a docuseries about the Trump White House and the 2018 midterms, among other topics in the political arena.
Heilemann had been set to write a juicy, behind-the-scenes book about the 2016 campaign with the co-author of his other books, Mark Halperin. But the book, and a movie deal with HBO linked to it, were canceled when allegations of sexual misconduct against Halperin were revealed in late 2017.
If the deal is finalized, Heilemann’s program is expected to air on the same evenings as MSNBC’s newly announced program “Saturday Night Politics” with Donny Deutsch.
Scoop: Guy Benson to Solo Host Fox News Radio Show
Fox News contributor and Fox News Radio host Marie Harf is leaving the network to join the presidential campaign of Congressman Seth Moulton, a source familiar with the matter tells me. Harf is expected to announce the decision on her Fox News Radio show, Benson & Harf, later today.
Guy Benson, Harf’s co-host, who is also a Fox News contributor, will take over the show as the solo host starting Thursday, my source said.
It’s unclear what position Harf has accepted on Moulton’s presidential campaign. Before joining Fox News, she served as senior adviser for strategic communications to then-Secretary of State John Kerry. Earlier in her career, she held communications roles at the State Department and was an analyst at the CIA.
The Fabulous Amanda Mull and Taylor Lorenz
Something very interesting happens on Twitter when stories by Amanda Mull or Taylor Lorenz, staff writers at The Atlantic, are published. First, other writers and Twitter users will tweet the story out. Then, usually hours later and sometimes days later, people will start tweeting about the subject of the story without mentioning the writer or linking to the piece.
While most writers would appreciate having their name and story link attached to conversations about their work, it is a testament to the job they do that what they’ve written about transcends into an open dialogue online.
Amanda and Taylor write stories that are Twitter conversation starters, whether you like what they write about or not (and I love it).
Taylor writes about internet culture. What’s great about her work is that she writes about stuff you probably don’t know anything about, stuff that on the surface may seem trivial but is actually important when it comes to media and culture. If you have children of any age and want to understand internet culture, her stories are a must-read. But even if you don’t, her understanding of internet culture is so deep and nuanced, you can learn a lot by reading her stories.
Have you ever been talking with friends about something that moves you, annoys you or fascinates you and someone says, “Someone should write about that”? Well, that is one of the things that Amanda does so well—she writes about the stuff that inhabits our lives and writes about them in a way that’s intellectual and thoughtful without sacrificing readability.
I’ve included links to some of my favorite stories by Taylor and Amanda below. I hope you’ll take a look. Once you start reading their work, you won’t be able to stop.
Taylor Lorenz: The Instagram Aesthetic Is Over
Taylor Lorenz: Momo Is Not Trying To Kill Children
Amanda Mull: Workers Love AirPods Because Employers Stole Their Walls
Amanda Mull: Hot People Are Stressful
Amanda Mull: How To Like Food You Hate
Amanda Mull: Why Do Smart People Send Nudes?
Taylor Lorenz: Instagram Has A Massive Harassment Problem
Taylor Lorenz: The Hottest Chat App for Teens Is … Google Docs
Amanda Mull: Why Most of America Is Terrible at Making Biscuits
Amanda Mull: Millennials Are Sick Of Drinking
Taylor Lorenz: Rising Instagram Stars Are Posting Fake Sponsored Content