Bombshell stories spur news war with a twist
NEW YORK — Print outlets like The New York Times and Washington Post have developed a mutually beneficial relationship with cable television news over a string of bombshell stories about the Trump administration. It’s a news war with a twist.
Prime-time lineups on CNN and MSNBC are repeatedly thrown into chaos by late-breaking stories that, while nerve-wracking, nonetheless provide the sort of compelling, can’t-turn-away programming that producers dream about.
“It’s hyper-unpredictable,” said Charles Moore, executive producer of “Anderson Cooper 360” on CNN. “The unpredictability has become the norm and that is very unique.”
Last Wednesday saw a succession of stories breaking after 6:30 p.m.: News about another effort to repeal President Barack Obama’s health care law, President Trump’s son and son-in-law compelled to testify before Congress and Sen. John McCain diagnosed with cancer. Into this, the Times dropped its startling interview with the president expressing regret at appointing his attorney general. So much for the show that Denis Horgan, executive producer of MSNBC’s “All In with Chris Hayes,” had spent hours preparing.