Fahrenthold Gets Well-Deserved Praise. PBR is Super Cringe. New Year’s Eve Was a Hot Mess, As Usual. | Winners & Losers in Today’s Green Room
THE DAILY NEWSLETTER – MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2022
MEDIA WINNER: David Fahrenthold
David Fahrenthold is leaving The Washington Post to join The New York Times’ Washington bureau as an investigative reporter.
His new role was announced Monday morning by the Times with a celebratory note from their Washington bureau chief Elisabeth Bumiller, lauding his 21-year Post career, including a 2017 Pulitzer for his investigation into former President Donald Trump’s charitable foundation and breaking the Access Hollywood tape story in 2016.
Standard stuff for a media company making a marquee hire, but your friendly neighborhood Mediaite newsletter correspondent would like to draw your attention to how the Post reacted.
“Along with his work, we will miss Dave’s sharp humor, good cheer and friendship,” a staff announcement stated. “We wish him well in his new venture.” Fahrenthold was both a “star reporter” and a “newsroom pal,” tweeted Post senior Washington correspondent Philip Rucker. “Our pod won’t be the same without him.”
Professional accomplishments, plus actually being a decent human being? That’s a win every day, and we look forward to reading his new work at the Times.
MEDIA LOSER: Pabst Blue Ribbon’s Social Media Manager
Pabst Blue Ribbon has marked the New Year with a series of NSFW tweets, including kicking off Monday morning by tweeting, “Not drinking this January? Try eating a**!”
That questionable tweet was the culmination of a even-more-questionable marketing campaign PBR unveiled promoting the concept of “Wet January,” posting the image above and making a jab at those who attempt to abstain from alcohol during the first month of the new year.
The tweets received some backlash from users who took issue with a beer company making fun of those who do not drink in order to promote their own brand. PBR was undeterred by the pushback and continued on, retweeting both praise and criticisms.
Brands have to walk a challenging tightrope on social media between getting attention and not being offensive, and we all see through the charade of alcohol companies’ “Enjoy responsibly!” slogans. But this whole escapade just stinks of desperate attention-seeking, and openly mocking people trying to be responsible about alcohol use is just plain gross.
Links We Like:
What It Means to Be a Republican in 2022
– Amanda Carpenter, The Bulwark
In 2021, Qualified Immunity Reform Died a Slow, Painful Death
– Bill Binion, Reason
Rare turtles keep washing up on Cape Cod. “Turtle movers” fly them to Texas.
– Lauren Owens Lambert, Vox
The Sly Sunniness of Betty White
– Megan Garber, The Atlantic
Read the full Mediaite Green Room Newsletter here, including all the wild, wonderful, and just plain weird New Year’s Eve festivities. Sign up for your free subscription here.
