Power Grid Update: Fox News Vs. The White House? ABC’s Jake Tapper Wins!

by Joe Coscarelli | 11:55 am, October 26th, 2009

Last week, Jake Tapper’s potential facial hair (and high profile interviews) made him a big gain on the Power Grid — all the way up to the #2 spot behind MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell. Poised to strike, Tapper made the most of an increased profile this week, challenging White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and the White House’s attack on Fox News.

Tapper was quick to show public solidarity with his fellow network, asking Gibbs pointedly, “I’m not talking about their opinion programming or issues you have with certain reports. I’m talking about saying thousands of individuals who work for a media organization, do not work for a ‘news organization’ – why is that appropriate for the White House to say?” His news-making gall was enough to take the #1 spot among TV Reporters while Mitchell fell four spots to #5.

With buzz for The September Issue finally dying down, and layoffs sweeping Condé Nast, Anna Wintour was unseated this week at #1 among Magazine Editors by Jon Meacham, whose Newsweek is enjoying a burst of rejuvenation after it took a different editorial direction this summer.

Elsewhere, eternal Power Grid mover and shaker, ESPN’s Erin Andrews, made another power play, moving from the #21 slot all the way up to #4 among TV Reporters. Andrews has been in and out of the news with her nude video scandal and subsequent lawsuit and that has done well for her Power Grid standings, with her blog and news buzz holding steady. Her stalker’s first date in court is this week.

Ann Coulter went from #8 right to #3 among TV Pundits this week, on the heels of her always controversial television appearances (this week on Fox News) including this stop by Joy Behar’s show. Elsewhere among pundits, Andrew Sullivan continued his climb, moving from #7 to #5, and aided by some noticeable blog buzz doubtlessly aided by his day job as a blogger for the Atlantic. Sullivan also sits at #16 among Online Editors.

NBC’s Jim Bell moved from #3 to #1 among TV Executives, while a re-run for Saturday Night Live and a lag in momentum since the beginning of the season sent Lorne Michaels falling from #2 to #5. We’ll see how he bounces back when the show returns with Taylor Swift as host on November 7th.

Check out the rest of the rankings here.

share this post

filed under

Andrea Mitchell, Andrew Sullivan, Ann Coulter, Anna Wintour, Erin Andrews, Jim Bell, Jon Meacham, Lorne Michaels, Power Grid, Power Grid Update, Robert Gibbs, SNL

4 comments

hadashito says:

October 26, 2009 at 5:21 pm

It is evident that Jake Tapper hasn’t got the news that Fox “News” considers itself to be a real news organization, not just a commentary venue. Their posturing as a news channel apparently has Tapper convinced, when just about everyone else sees through the charade quite clearly. Even devoted Fox “News” viewers tune in to view the invective and lunacy; It is very doubtful that their faithful viewers are hoping to hear unbiased, real news reports. Given the actual circumstances, Tapper’s comment is simply irrevelant.
Maybe Tapper should have a friendly talk with his colleague, Howard Kurtz, who had the courage to leave Fox “News” because of the insane antics of Glenn Beck and the rest of the lunatics on that fake news channel. EVEN what is purported to be straight news reports are frequently distorted or biased.
Note that Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow on MSNBC DO NOT pretend to be perveyors of news, but are clearly commentators, not news reporters, AND they label their hours on TV each week day as “SHOWS” not news reports. MSNBC is a real news channel the rest of the day when it is presenting news reports rather than other sorts of TV shows – - and without ideological biases. And, not incidentally, Olbermann and especially Maddow display some of the very best journalistic standards on any venue, TV or print.
It is very disappointing when the major TV news organizations assert that Fox “News” is “one of [their] own” in reponse to President OBama’s criticisms of Fox “News” as NOT NEWS. GIven the current low state of approval of TV and print news media, according to several polls of public opinion, our news media community do themselves no honor identifying themselves with Fox “News” and Rupert Murdoch’s right wing commentary and sleaze “journalism”. They had better wake up soon or they may find themselves in an even deeper hole than they are already with the continuing loss of advertisers and dwindling viewers and readers.

TfT says:

October 26, 2009 at 5:30 pm

Good for Jake and good for Chip Reid too.

FNC – 3 (ACORN, VanJones, NEA)
The rest of the media – 0

straitshooter says:

October 26, 2009 at 6:03 pm

hadashito, I was willing to take your opinion seriously until you dropped this little steaming nugget:

“MSNBC is a real news channel the rest of the day when it is presenting news reports rather than other sorts of TV shows – – and without ideological biases. And, not incidentally, Olbermann and especially Maddow display some of the very best journalistic standards on any venue, TV or print.”

If you wish to be a moonbat, hadashito, I wish you well in your travels to fantasy land, but no one on this site or any other (except maybe Media Matters and the Daily Kos) would consider MSNBC absent of bias, and even Olbermann’s dead mother, ailing father and bedridden uncle wouldn’t argue that he abides by any standard of professional decency.

Unless…

Keith? Is that you?

marigrace says:

October 26, 2009 at 9:28 pm

Olbermann and Maddow are the equivalent to the “left” as what Hannity and Beck are to the “right”. Olbermann and Maddow, however, lack the level of intellectual common sense Hannity and Beck possess.

If you would like to comment, please login or register:

» Login » Register

» Or connect with your Facebook account:

Creepy George W. Bush Billboard Asks Minnesotans: “Miss Me Yet?”

2:19 pm, Tuesday

video

Minnesota got a special treat recently when a billboard depicting a jolly-looking former Pres. George W. Bush appeared over Interstate 35 asking, "Miss me yet?" The idea was too surreal to actually exist for many people who called "Photoshop" at first sight, but NPR confirmed yesterday that it was, in fact, looming over the Minnesota landscape, waving uncomfortably to drivers on their way to work.

» 41 comments

Jenny Sanford is All Things to All Pundits

1:59 pm, Tuesday

video

The story of embattled political soon-to-be ex-wife Jenny Sanford is one of the rarest incidents in American politics: a story that both sides can spin to fit their narrative. Sanford went on a media tour to promote her new book, Staying True, that hit all three major cable news channels and the unofficial fourth power in journalism, The Daily Show. And despite the vast ideological gaps among the mediums, every interviewer wanted her on their team.

» 3 comments

More Online headlines: