Television

Chris Licht, Chairman and CEO, CNN Worldwide, speaks onstage

How CNN Went From Bad to Worse How CNN Went From Bad to Worse

Chris Licht’s disastrous reign is governed by reactionary centrism.

Jun 5, 2023 / Jeet Heer

A visitor takes a picture with his mobile phone of an image designed with artificial intelligence inspired by Johannes Vermeer’s painting “Girl With a Pearl Earring.”

Truth in the Age of the Deepfake Truth in the Age of the Deepfake

Could our interest in true-crime podcasts and celebrity biopics be telling us something about our collective discomfort with faking it?

Jun 2, 2023 / Highlights / Marianela D’Aprile

Jeremy Strong in the finale of “Succession.”

The Janus-Faced End of “Succession” The Janus-Faced End of “Succession”

At once cruel and compassionate, the finale of the much-loved HBO show revels in the space between tragedy and comedy.

May 31, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Vikram Murthi

The character Shiv Roy sitting at a conference table with a resigned and frustrated look on her face.

Soul-Crushing Misogyny Made “Succession” the Perfect Show for Our Time Soul-Crushing Misogyny Made “Succession” the Perfect Show for Our Time

It was clear from the start: Siobhan Roy could never win. But toxic masculinity made the men losers too.

May 30, 2023 / Editorial / Joan Walsh

President Barack Obama visits a Solyandra manufacturing facility in Fremont, Calif., in 2010.

Why Barack Obama’s “Working” Isn’t Quite… Working Why Barack Obama’s “Working” Isn’t Quite… Working

The former president explores what we do all day in a Netflix series that says little about what is to be done. 

May 25, 2023 / Ben Schwartz

Former president Donald Trump speaks at his Mar-a-Lago estate on Tuesday, April 4, 2023.

The Suits at CNN Have Always Loved Trump The Suits at CNN Have Always Loved Trump

Despite a recent fake public fight, the network is happy to continue profiting from promoting Trump.

May 12, 2023 / Jeet Heer

Then-FCC chair Newton Minow appearing before a Senate subcommittee in 1961

Newton Minow Sought to Lead Us Out of the Vast Wasteland Newton Minow Sought to Lead Us Out of the Vast Wasteland

The Kennedy-era FCC chair who inspired reformers to demand media that served the public interest has died at age 97.

May 9, 2023 / John Nichols

Striking writers outside the set for the Showtime series

AI and the Hollywood Writers’ Strike AI and the Hollywood Writers’ Strike

Creative workers are fighting to preserve the human factor in the entertainment industry. 

May 8, 2023 / Ben Schwartz

Members of the Writers Guild of America East on the picket line outside of the Peacock NewFront on May 2, 2023, in New York City.

Writers Like Me Have Shut Down Hollywood. Here’s Why. Writers Like Me Have Shut Down Hollywood. Here’s Why.

The Writers Guild of America is on strike because Hollywood bosses have treated our demands for fair and sustainable working conditions with contempt.

May 4, 2023 / Editorial / Josh Gondelman

In the naughty chair: former Fox News host Tucker Carlson

No, You Absolutely Do Not Have to Hand It to Tucker Carlson No, You Absolutely Do Not Have to Hand It to Tucker Carlson

Contra some of his leftist stans, the ousted Fox News host was not actually anti-war or an economic populist.

Apr 28, 2023 / Jeet Heer

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