Poynter is reporting on several media-related developments, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's absence from Fox News, the Pentagon's restriction of classified information, and the NBA's historic punishment of the Los Angeles Clippers.
It said Media Matters' Matt Gertz observed that Hegseth has not appeared on Fox News in 11 months, a surprising development given his past role as a co-host on "Fox & Friends" and the network's typical platform for Trump administration officials. Hegseth's last interview on Fox News was in October, shortly before the network joined others in condemning his new restrictions on Pentagon reporters. Hegseth has, however, appeared on CBS News.
Poynter also highlighted a Washington Post exclusive detailing the Pentagon's decision to remove decades of classified documents from a secret computer system. The Post reported this action followed its story about senior military officers' concerns regarding the Iran war. The documents, associated with the Secretary of Defense Orders Book, were pulled from the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network, according to three anonymous sources.
In sports media, Poynter noted that The Ringer founder Bill Simmons admitted on his podcast to having his daughter's boyfriend place sports bets for him in Massachusetts, where Simmons was not present. Simmons later stated the bets were voided and he learned that proxy betting is illegal in Massachusetts and violates FanDuel's rules.
The NBA handed down its largest punishment in history to the Los Angeles Clippers and owner Steve Ballmer, Poynter reported. The league found the team circumvented salary cap rules by arranging millions of dollars in off-court income for star player Kawhi Leonard. The team will lose five first-round draft picks and pay a $30 million fine, while Ballmer and other executives received suspensions. This investigation was prompted by a report on journalist Pablo Torre's podcast, "Pablo Torre Finds Out," for which Torre won a Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting.
Poynter also reported that CNN contributor Scott Jennings, whose name has been floated as a potential White House press secretary, received a disclaimer from host Kasie Hunt during a recent appearance on her show. Hunt informed viewers that Jennings was reportedly being considered for the role.
Finally, Poynter confirmed that Peter Schrager will launch his own hourlong ESPN show, "Big Day with Peter Schrager," on Sept. 10. The show will focus primarily on the NFL and will air Monday through Thursday during college football season, then five days a week afterward, replacing "SportsCenter" in its time slot.