The cable TV company announced this weekend that it will be starting a 24-hour local news channel for Los Angeles, set to debut this November. We examine how they plan on differentiating themselves in an already saturated market. We also conduct our weekly political round table; debate the possible death of the cover letter; and more.
Week in politics: Battles over security clearance continue, what we know about the White House Counsel cooperating with Mueller probe and more
AirTalk’s weekly political roundtable recaps the headlines you might’ve missed over the weekend and looks ahead at the week to come in political news. Here’s what we’re watching this week:
NYT reports White House Counsel Don McGahn has cooperated extensively in Mueller inquiry, Trump says he allowed McGahn to cooperate with the probe, compares it to McCarthyism
Former intel chiefs blast Trump for Brennan security clearance revocation — will the White House revoke others’ clearance? Also, John Brennan says he’s considering legal action to stop security clearance revocations
Report: Michael Cohen could face criminal charges by end of month
Trump to announce plan to allow states to decide whether or how to curb coal emissions
Trump cancels planned military parade, blames local officials for inflating prices
Manafort trial latest
Trump says press is “opposition party” after hundreds of papers come out with editorials denouncing the president’s threats against the press, president
Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan dies at 80
Guests:
Lanhee Chen, research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University; he was an adviser for Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign and served as policy director for the Romney-Ryan 2012 presidential campaign; he tweets
John Iadarola, creator and host of the YouTube TV political talk show ‘The Damage Report,’ part of The Young Turks Network, and co-hosts The Young Turks weekly live show on YouTube; he tweets
Is the cult of Elon Musk on shaky ground?
He went from getting bullied in school to being the CEO of two major companies.
Elon Musk is arguably the most interesting man in the tech industry. As chief executive officer of SpaceX and electric-car maker Tesla, founder of The Boring Company, and cofounder of OpenAI, Musk seems to be behind every incredible idea that surfaces in the news.
But this week, the tech innovator is making headlines for a different reason. Musk gave an interview to The New York Times, where he described this past year as “excruciating,” and that it “has been the most difficult and painful year” of his career. Musk opened up about the personal toll Tesla is taking on him, saying he sometimes takes Ambien in order to go to sleep. But the drug, according to people familiar with the matter, does not help Musk sleep, and rather contributes to late-night Twitter sessions.
Almost two weeks ago, Musk tweeted that he had “funding secured” to take Tesla private at $420 per share, which prompted an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Meanwhile, The New York Times interview didn’t seem to help. Tesla shares dropped more than 8 percent after The Times piece outlined serious struggles for the tech CEO.
So what does that mean for the future of Elon Musk? We look at past CEO’s, who were pushed out of their own companies like Travis Kalanick and Steve Jobs. What pushes corporate restructuring within a company?
Guests:
Jeffrey Pfeffer, professor of organizational behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business; he is author of many books, including “Power: Why Some People Have It—and Others Don't” (Harper Collins, 2010)
Mansour Javidan, distinguished professor of management at Arizona State University
Charter Spectrum to enter crowded field of local TV news in LA
Cable TV giant Charter Communications is planning a 24-hour local news channel for Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday that the first-of-its-kind network will be available in 1.5 million LA-area homes that get the company's Spectrum pay-TV service.
It's set to launch in November. Spectrum executive vice president Mike Bair says the focus will not be on the crime stories and car chases that are the bread and butter of current local news shows. Bair says he hopes the channel will explore community issues and happenings that typically fly below the media radar - such as charity events and high school sports. The Times says the round-the-clock news channel is part of an ambitious expansion for Charter - which includes launching nine other local news channels nationwide.
How will Spectrum’s new service penetrate an already saturated local TV news market and compete with the well-established local news outlets here?
With files from the Associated Press
Guests:
Cater Lee, vice president for news and content at Spectrum News
Cynthia Littleton, managing editor of television for Variety, who has been reporting on Charter Spectrum; she tweets
Gabriel Kahn, professor of professional practice of journalism at USC; his focus includes changing news industry, emerging media, disruption and innovation; he tweets
Dan Shelley, executive director of the Radio Television Digital News Association; he tweets
As wrongful death lawsuit in shooting of Chad Irwin heads to trial, we talk best practices in suicide-by-cop situations
Two years ago, Chad Irwin’s wife called the cops on her husband.
He was behaving erratically, had a knife and had potentially mixed alcohol with pain medications — and his wife was afraid that he was a danger to himself.
According to witness reports, Irwin asked the officers if they were going to shoot him if he ran at them, and then approached the officers with a knife. The officer who shot and killed Irwin was cleared in criminal court, but Irwin’s family is now suing in civil court, with a trial coming up in January.
Irwin’s case of suicide-by-cop is not unheard of, and there are other examples of suicidal individuals threatening officers in order to provoke them into shooting. These situations raise difficult questions for the officers about how to negotiate the situation.
What non-lethal alternatives do officers have to deal with a suicide-by-cop situation? How can an officer recognize when an individual is suicidal? What are the options on the table?
Guests:
Justin Ramsdell, crisis intervention trainer for Arlington and Fairfax Counties’ Sheriff’s and Police Departments; Assistant Professor of Psychology at George Mason University; he is also an expert witness with Robson Forensic
Laurence Miller, clinical, forensic and law enforcement psychologist based in Boca Raton, Florida; he works as a mental health consultant with a variety of law enforcement agencies, including as a police psychologist for the West Palm Beach Police Department
Is there still room for the good old cover letter in the digital age?
Technology has, no doubt, changed the way we live.
It has impacted almost every aspect of our lives, from social interaction to doing business and even job hunting. Human resources managers say recruiters increasingly turn to online platforms, like LinkedIn and personal websites, to find the right candidates for a job. Mobile technology, for instance, offers a simpler and faster way for jobseekers to reach potential employers than the conventional application. Moreover, a 2014 Glassdoor survey found that nine in 10 job seekers use mobile devices when hunting for a job.
The online application process has certainly become the most popular. Restless Bandit, a recruiting platform, is one of many companies that uses algorithms to search the content of CV’s to identify potential job candidates.
While more employers are relying on this technology, we question if the good old cover letter is dead. Some recruiters say yes. Others, however, argue that there is no better way to reveal a candidate’s true personality than reading his or her cover letter. Cover letters give applicants the opportunity to detail their skills when there is no room for them in a resume. Some employers say they learn more about an applicant from a cover letter than they do from a CV. Meanwhile, algorithms don’t give jobseekers a break or a second chance the way people do.
So what do you think, is the cover letter dead or is it still considered an essential tool for jobseekers? Call us at 866-893-5722 and weigh in.