Actionable media intel: The Brand Brief delivers a daily snapshot of the conservative media ecosystem - FOX News, podcasts, and more. | Brought to you by On Brand Strategies | Written by Carly Moran and Nathan Brand

📣 Driving the Conversation…

1,269 words | 6 minute read | Written to be skimmable (11+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)

What Matters: Leveling the playing field?
New Media Voices: Nickelodeon and Lindsay Clancy
Leading FOX: Lifeguards and Tuesday elections
Trending: Influencers, Clancy, and the DSA
What the Right is Writing: Kim Jong Un, Josh Turek, and Harvard

✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…

Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…

YouTube is the center of new media, so even minor tweaks create a major ripple effect.

On Monday, the platform announced a shift in how it counts long-form views. Historically, a view only registered after 30 seconds of watch time (a metric that will now be rebranded as an “engaged view”). Starting August 24, a view counts the moment a video begins playing.

This brings YouTube in line with X and TikTok. While comparing long-form videos to short clips isn’t an exact science, this update bridges the gap. Of course, critics will argue that none of this should count as views, and should just be called impressions. Either way, view counts will start soaring. - NRB

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🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES

The Megyn Kelly Show - 8/17

Kelly condemns Hollywood as a predatory industry that discarded actresses like Hayden Panettiere and Judy Garland
She calls Nickelodeon a “disgusting cesspool of child abuse” and criticized “parent managers” like Panettiere’s mother for enabling it
Kelly says Cambridge University’s DEI initiatives are to blame for the rise of Professor Jason Arday, whose fabricated biography included claims of muteness and brain tumors
She criticizes Karen Attiah for her inflammatory social media posts and her subsequent victim narrative on Jim Acosta and Don Lemon’s shows

The Ben Shapiro Show - 8/17

Shapiro argues the debate between Candace Owens and Andrew Wilson regarding Charlie Kirk’s death was a disastrous spectacle
He says Owens used the tactic of making outrageous claims, then backtracking to vague assertions to rely on “vibes” over facts
Shapiro reports Owens both demanded the benefit of the doubt for her own unsubstantiated beliefs while simultaneously accusing Erika Kirk of outright lying
He expresses skepticism about the value of online debates, suggesting figures like Josh Hammer and Megyn Kelly should be wary of engaging with individuals who prioritize sensationalism over integrity

The Michael Knowles Show - 8/17

Knowles condemns the embrace of figures like Luigi Mangioni, accused of murdering the United Healthcare CEO, and Hasan Piker, who claims America deserved 9/11
He argues the Republican establishment is misreading the electorate, claims the public favors JD Vance for 2028 over Marco Rubio, while warning foreign bot accounts can skew popularity perceptions
Knowles looks into a disturbing case where assisted suicide was used for organ harvesting in Australia, expresses concerns about medical ethics being subverted in the name of mental health and autonomy
He emphasizes the need for Republicans to address current economic realities and the affordability crisis to win the midterm elections

The John Doyle Show - 8/17

Doyle argues some women’s reaction to the Lindsay Clancy case exemplifies a self-centered “empathy” that absolves women of responsibility, especially evident by the creation of a GoFundMe
He argues true crime TikTok has rotted the brains of outside viewers, causing people to accuse husband Patrick Clancy of murder despite Lindsay already pleading guilty by insanity
Doyle questions the validity of postpartum depression versus the extreme postpartum psychosis

Timcast IRL - 8/17

Pool argues President Trump’s threat to bomb Oman exposes the GOP’s vulnerability in the upcoming midterms
The panel argues declining viewership across platforms, from YouTube to sports like the NFL, is not just about content quality but also a result of USAID allegedly astroturfing a global media empire
Pool argues Democrats’ shift toward the DSA is a sort of new colonialism that projects progressive policies without real benefits
They discuss the irony of Democrat influencer Dean Withers echoing the “believe all victims” until being accused of sexual assault
Pool expresses concern over the weaponization of the mentally ill by those seeking power, while also criticizing the push for digital ID and age verification, which he calls a pretext to eliminate anonymous speech online

📺 LEADING FOX NEWS

The Five

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries dismisses DSA concerns by saying Democrats have a “broad caucus”
President Trump threatens to “bomb the sh– out of Oman,” and calls for Iran to surrender as the memorandum of understanding expires
LA Mayor Karen Bass’ attempt to fix potholes backfires
Sen. Bernie Sanders calls data centers “ugly,” “disgusting”
More than half of Americans don’t take a lunch break, polling reports

FOX & Friends

In the Lindsay Clancy murder trial, a mental health diagnosis is at stake
President Trump invites heroic lifeguard Ryder Williams to the White House
Penn State suspends the Delta Upsilon fraternity chapter for running a drug trafficking ring
Actress Hayden Panettiere dies of a reported overdose
DSA-backed Florida House candidate Oliver Larkin pushes to abolish ICE, as the state holds its primaries alongside Alaska and Wyoming
Trump threatens to bomb Oman, as the 60 day ceasefire expires
OpenAI launches a new version of ChatGPT for teens
The WNBA admits it was wrong for security to force fans to cover their XX-XY shirts in favor of women’s-only sports
IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood is interviewed in Times Square ahead of the Freedom250 race this weekend in Washington, DC
The same company that put out false polls on the Los Angeles mayoral race also did for the Wisconsin primary

🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING

Tomorrow’s news today…

DSA member says the Constitution is an “obstacle.” “Hatred of the Constitution… the program gives us a roadmap to revolution and the obstacle we have to get over to have a revolution— the U.S. Constitution.” [X, LibsofTikTok]
Lindsay Clancy fans have now raised nearly $1 Million after she admitted to killing her 3 children. [X, LibsofTikTok]

🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING

FOX News Digital

Democrat Party’s civil war heads to Florida, Alaska and Wyoming [FOX News]
Hayden Panettiere wrote a haunting line about her ‘last breath’ [FOX News]
Neonatologist sounds the alarm after state eliminates abortion limit [FOX News]

Breitbart

Trump Doubles Down on Hormuz Territory Claim as Iran Threatens [Breitbart]
Report: Iranians Facing 400% Inflation as U.S. Blockade Crushes Economy [Breitbart]
Reddit Bans Sophie Cunningham’s Name from WNBA Forum over LGBT Controversy [Breitbart]

Wall Street Journal Editorials

Trump Romances Kim Jong Un Again [WSJ Ed]
Woke 2 Was Craaazy, Says the Judge [WSJ Ed]
A Senate Food Fight on SNAP Welfare Waste [WSJ Ed]
Michigan Prosecutes Five Noncitizen Voters [WSJ Ed]

New York Post

Hayden Panettiere planned to see daughter Kaya, 11, in Ukraine before star’s death [NYP]
Why male Gen Zers are dropping out of the US job market in droves [NYP]

Washington Free Beacon

Judge in Harvard Antisemitism Case Was Anti-Israel, Anti-War Activist, McGovern Campaign Aide [WFB]

Washington Reporter

Iowa Democrat Josh Turek criticizes billionaires while accepting their donations [Reporter]

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Changing the rules