Warren Report

The Press Is Lucky to Be in Philadelphia, Not Istanbul

Reporters complaining about the heat and rain surrounding the D.N.C. convention in Philadelphia should turn their attention to Turkey.
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(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)Getty Images

For the 15,000 credentialed media at the Democratic National Convention, the inherent perils are clear:

1. Indecision over where to mooch free food and booze.

2. Briefly losing your Wi-Fi.

3. Getting soaked while dashing between air-conditioned work tents and the arena.

4. Oversleeping a Delaware delegation breakfast.

5. Finding a post-convention party ride home at 2 a.m.

But at least you're allowed to go home.

As The New York Times noted Monday, Turkey has instituted a crackdown on journalists in the wake of a foiled military coup earlier this month, issuing arrest warrants by the dozens.

It seemed timely to track down Joel Simon, who runs the Committee to Protect Journalists, shortly before last night's convention session. He put it simply: “This is the most deadly and dangerous time for media we have documented. There are more journalists in prison and who have been killed than anytime in history.”

Yes, there have been challenges to U.S. journalists of late, notably on the Trump campaign. But that's pretty small potatoes compared to what's going on elsewhere. “In this country,” Simon says, “trouble means you get dumped on by a politician or others and suffer a bit of public criticism. In Turkey, it means you get hauled off to jail, and in Russia it means you get killed.”

In recent years, Turkey led the pack in jailing journalists. What's playing out there now is unprecedented even by its standards, with most dissent equated with “terrorism.” Monday's total of detained journalists appears to be 42. (Reuters)

Simon and a contingent met with President Tayyip Erdogan in 2014. He says Erdogan made clear he tolerated criticism but not “insults.” How did he know the difference between the two? “‘I decide,’ he said.”

Erdogan obviously knows that, in the long run, economic growth depends on pluralism and direct foreign investment. “But the gloves are off now and he's acting in accordance with his mostly deeply held views.”

When you're hot

FanRag Sports, a pretty new network of sports sites, broke a great story Saturday about a Chicago White Sox star pitcher going nuts and intentionally ruining the “retro” uniforms the team was going to wear that night. He was suspended for five games. On Monday, it beat the pack on a huge trade between the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs involving Aroldis Chapman, the relief pitcher who throws a ball 105 miles per hour. (Today's knuckleball)

Al Franken, comic, returns

If you missed it, here's how Sen. Al Franken introduced himself at the DNC Monday night: “I’m Al Franken, Minnesotan, senator and world renowned expert on right-wing megalomaniacs: Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, and now, Donald Trump.” He said he was “a proud alum of Trump U,” where tuition is “10 percent higher” for students. Later on MSNBC, Franken, who's largely dispensed (publicly, at least) with his comedic past, made clear that his marching orders for the night were to be funny.

Live sports deal on Twitter

Jerry Reinsdorf, the owner of the Chicago Bulls and White Sox, two years ago partnered his Silver Chalice digital startup with Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League, the Professional Golfers Association, Nascar, Time and Sports Illustrated. It was aimed at cord-cutters who prefer web-based platforms for their sports.

Now, after laying off 20 people due to a business downturn, it's going into business with Twitter to air a two-hour live sports highlight program, “The Rally.” It will be “the first daily sports highlight program to air on Twitter, featuring analysis and Twitter data to determine live sports trending topics.” (Crain's) It will originate from Oprah Winfrey's old studio headquarters.

The morning line

MSNBC's “Morning Joe” tagged it one of the more memorable convention moments ever, namely comic Sarah Silverman vamping (singer Paul Simon was not ready to get on stage) and chiding Bernie Sanders supporters as “ridiculous” for not moving into the Clinton fold. As for Michelle Obama, the consensus there was that hers was one of the better convention speeches ever, as Mark Halperin put it.

Over at “Fox & Friends,” such adulation was not readily apparent. The Sanders-Clinton divisions were portrayed as Grand Canyon-level, with Brian Kilmeade then conceding that Silverman is funny but “she's ultra leftie.” As for Sanders, Tucker Carlson called him a sellout. “He turned out not to be a revolutionary but an obedient little party guy who's done what he's told. I think he betrayed the ideals of those who supported him.” The Fox gang even derided Michelle Obama as hypocritical, hauling out 2008 tape of her saying “for the first time in my life I am proud of my country.”

Over at CNN’s “New Day,” David Gregory put the Democrats' challenge thus: “Hillary Clinton has to become more likable.” Never-shy co-host Chris Cuomo quickly demurred. “I don't know if likable is going to get it done. The note they have to bang this week for Clinton is 'you have to be able to do this job.'”

O’Reilly’s summary of the GOP convention

One of Fox’s well-chosen liberal pinatas was on Bill O'Reilly’s show last night and mentioned the tumult at the opening of the Republican Convention in Cleveland last week. Responded the host: “I was there. I didn’t see any discord. I just saw a bunch of White people having a good time. That's all I saw.” He's got that right. There were a lot of White people having fun.

Corrections? Tips? Please email me: jwarren@poynter.org. Would you like to get this roundup emailed to you every morning? Sign up here.