Overview of The Powers That Be — Media Monday: "Media Monday: A Politico Sea Change & Advanced Bari-ology"
This episode of Puck's The Powers That Be (Media Monday, Jan 19) — hosted by Peter Hamby with guest John Kelly — breaks down two media leadership stories: a leadership shakeup at Politico (John Harris moving to a chairman role amid layoffs and a search for a new editor-in-chief) and rapid, controversial changes at CBS News under newly empowered editor Bari Weiss and incoming evening-anchor Tony Dokoupil. The conversation focuses on the strategic, cultural and product consequences at both outlets and what to watch next.
Key topics discussed
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Politico leadership change
- John Harris (longtime Politico leader/OG founder figure) will move into a new chairman role while Politico searches for a new global editor-in-chief.
- The move accompanies small layoffs and buyout offers.
- Axel Springer (owner) appears to be pushing for stronger consumer-facing performance and stability.
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Problems at Politico Playbook and editorial decisions
- Recent Playbook revamps (including hiring a UK editor to retool the product) are described as unsuccessful and damaging to a major recurring revenue product.
- Anecdotal lapses (e.g., Playbook misspelling Hamby’s name) used as emblematic signs of sloppiness.
- Internal cultural issues: John Harris has been criticized for empowering certain executives (e.g., Alex Burns) who, according to sources cited, presented management/bedside-manner problems.
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CBS News shakeup and strategy under Bari Weiss
- Bari Weiss’s arrival is portrayed as a mandate to shake up CBS quickly and create “viral moments.”
- Tony Dokoupil was installed as anchor of the CBS Evening News; reviewers on the show say his execution has felt underprepared and deferential.
- Notable booking: a factory-floor interview with Donald Trump in Dearborn that produced poor audio, awkward staging, and a viral moment in which Trump mocked Dokoupil — illustrating production and editorial missteps.
- Internal marketing mock-ups (e.g., a mock sponsorship called “Bari on the Rocks” tied to Jack Daniels) were mocked externally and seen as tone-deaf.
- Ratings for the evening broadcast have declined since Dokoupil started; the hosts note that the bigger test will be the revenue impact.
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Industry context and management lessons
- Both stories are framed as examples of the challenges in steering legacy news organizations: balancing product innovation with institutional stewardship, and the risks of rapid, high-profile change.
Main takeaways
- Politico is in a transition phase: moving a founding, stabilizing figure upstairs while signaling a desire to strengthen consumer-facing performance; this includes layoffs and a live search for new editorial leadership.
- Playbook’s misfires (product reboots, perceived management errors) have been a key factor in Axel Springer and Politico leadership’s dissatisfaction.
- Bari Weiss’s approach at CBS is intentionally disruptive and rapid, but there are visible execution problems (production quality, tone, staff buy-in) that have produced negative publicity and declining ratings.
- Short-term viral stunts and sponsorship experiments are not substitutes for steady newsroom management; long-term commercial metrics (revenue declines) will determine whether these strategies are sustainable.
- Media leadership changes often expose cultural and product vulnerabilities — people and process issues matter as much as high-profile hires.
Notable quotes / characterizations
- John Kelly: Bari Weiss is a “blunt force instrument” — she was “dropped into this and given a mandate to shake things up quickly.”
- John Kelly: Steering large news organizations are “Titanic-sized ships” — you need time and gradual steering rather than sudden turns.
- John Kelly (on Playbook changes): The hire “nuked the product” — a summary judgment about the unsuccessful revamp of Politico Playbook.
- Peter Hamby (personal): Called John Harris a contemplative, “wise man” figure and said it’s “sad” to see him moved upstairs.
Action items / recommendations (for media watchers)
- Read the reporting referenced in the episode:
- Dylan Byers’ piece about the CBS changes (search for “Barry/Bari on the Rocks” coverage) for specific reporting on internal reactions.
- Axios piece by Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei (mentioned in the episode) for context on Politico founders’ perspective.
- Watch the CBS Evening News interview with Donald Trump (Dearborn/factory floor) to evaluate production choices and how they affected the interview’s reception.
- Track Politico’s Playbook editions over the next few months for signs of a course correction and monitor announcements about the editor-in-chief search.
- Monitor ratings and revenue reports for CBS News: viewership dips are notable, but the revenue picture will be decisive for whether the changes stick.
Context and potential transcript corrections
- Corrected names and clarifications used in this summary:
- Bari Weiss (not “Barry Weiss”).
- Tony Dokoupil (anchor; appears in the transcript as “Tony DeCoupol”/“Tony DeCupo”).
- Axel Springer is the owner that purchased Politico.
- The hosts note some proper-noun slip-ups in the original Playbook product (e.g., misspelling of Hamby) as symbolic of broader quality control issues.
Bottom line
The episode frames both Politico and CBS as organizations at inflection points: Politico is trying to rebalance after years of founder-era leadership and a Playbook stumble, while CBS is undergoing high-profile, top-down change under Bari Weiss that has produced visible production and cultural problems. Both situations underscore that leadership changes in legacy media are a mix of editorial strategy, product stewardship, and commercial risk — and messy public moments often reveal deeper organizational friction.