Media Navel Gaze: February 18, 2014
The Week Unpeeled
Big Media was the big topic last week on news that Comcast was acquiring Time Warner Cable for $45.2 billion in stock, pending what is expected to be tough regulatory hurdles and amid debate on the impact for consumers.
Elsewhere:
- The House approved raising the borrowing limit, a move that usually dominates the news cycle for days if not weeks; Interesting note that a clever PR move (initiated by a PR firm) to change the word in the debate to "default" from "debt" changed the conversation to one more of catastrophe and less of bad credit, a good example of wordplay brinksmanship - and a story that seemed to get as much play as the actual news in recent days;
- Bill Keller, a New York Times columnist and former executive editor, is leaving to become editor in chief of a nonprofit start up called The Marshall Project, which focuses on the US criminal justice system;
- The Dow sent a big Valentine to investors on Friday and soared to end 2.3 percent higher for the week, closing at 16,154 (still down more than 2 percent for year, however);
- Michael Sam, NFL prospect, comes out and makes front-page headlines; and
- Shirley Temple Black dies.
