Poynter is reporting on several key developments in the media landscape, including speculation about the next White House press secretary, potential changes at "60 Minutes" and a sports columnist's resignation.
CNN commentator Scott Jennings has emerged as an early favorite to replace Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary, according to Poynter. Leavitt announced her departure last week. Politico's Dasha Burns reported that Jennings is "making a push" for the role. Jennings, known for defending President Donald Trump on CNN, has reportedly met with Trump's chief of staff, Susie Wiles. While Jennings has been coy about his interest, CNN's Brian Stelter questioned if he would give up his current salaries for the press secretary job. NOTUS's Jasmine Wright and Kadia Goba reported that Trump is "not quite sold on the idea" of hiring Jennings, though he is interested in hiring a man for the position. The New York Post's Emily Goodin reported that some of Trump's allies are attempting to derail Jennings' candidacy due to his close ties to Sen. Mitch McConnell.
Poynter also reported that "60 Minutes" is considering bringing back a short commentary segment, reminiscent of Andy Rooney's "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney." Breaker Media's Lachlan Cartwright mentioned ESPN's Stephen A. Smith and comedians Jerry Seinfeld and John Cleese as possibilities, though Seinfeld reportedly declined and Smith is "unlikely." New York magazine's Charlotte Klein reported that tennis broadcaster John McEnroe is also a consideration. The segment is expected to feature a rotating lineup of commentators.
In other news, Matt Calkins, a sports columnist for The Seattle Times for 11 years, resigned in protest after the paper allegedly refused to publish a column he wrote about transgender participation in women's sports. Calkins stated on Substack that his column's thesis was that supporting the separation of biological females and males does not automatically equate to transphobia. He claimed the paper cited his failure to discuss the column with his editor beforehand as the reason for not running it, an excuse he said he did not believe. Calkins also noted this was not the first time a column of his had been spiked for challenging "prevailing newsroom narratives."
Additionally, The Washington Post reported that the publisher of Stars and Stripes announced his departure with criticism of the Pentagon. The Wrap reported that Azerbaijan is suing CNN for defamation over its Iran war coverage. Media Matters' Matt Gertz highlighted that Sean Hannity's Fox News show largely abandoned discussions of the Iran war in recent weeks, focusing instead on the WNBA. LateNighter's Jed Rosenzweig reported that Rosie O'Donnell's guest hosting stint on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" drew 1.87 million total viewers, the biggest audience for any guest host this summer. Former tennis star Genie Bouchard will join ESPN for its 2026 U.S. Open coverage.