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…
1,329 words | 6 minute read | Written to be skimmable (11+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: No one is clicking
New Media Voices: Nikole Hannah-Jones, Greenland, and Patrick Clancy
Leading FOX: Ed Sheeran, Zohran Mamdani, and the United Nations
Trending: Marco Rubio, Stanford, and military coups
What the Right is Writing: Abdul El-Sayed, Paramount, and the end of the world
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
Traffic to top news sites is plummeting across the political spectrum, according to SimilarWeb data. Axios attributes this to AI as “tech giants shift users from search and social sites to AI interfaces.”
My take: AI is the main catalyst, but news fatigue is a heavy compounding factor.
Notable: Substack traffic is up as readers seek independent voices outside the daily news cycle. A similar shift is playing out for cultural and faith commentary on YouTube. - NRB
🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 9/21
Kelly criticizes Nikole Hannah-Jones of the 1619 Project for harming her daughter by sending her to failing Brooklyn public schools to virtue signal
She compares Hannah-Jones’ racism excuse for her daughter’s poor academics to manipulate college admissions to actress Lori Loughlin
Kelly reacts to the overdose death of Presley Gerber at 27, blaming mother Cindy Crawford for pushing him into modeling at 15
She defends Patrick Clancy against conspiracy theorists, and reacts to his new wife’s public pregnancy announcement alongside Stu Burguiere
Kelly criticizes defense lawyer Kevin Reddington for harassing the holdout juror, demanding his phone records
The Michael Knowles Show - 9/21
Knowles praises Patrick Clancy for forgiving his wife, comparing authentic Christian suffering to America’s therapeutic grief culture
He argues both sides cannot handle suffering: the left transforms grief into revolution, while Christians replace mourning with “celebrations of life”
Knowles believes President Trump’s Greenland deal with Denmark gives the U.S. veto power over foreign bases and investments
He celebrates the DOJ forcing NYU Langone and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to stop minor sex transitions
Knowles condemns the IVF industry after Brown Fertility Associates used the wrong sperm, arguing IVF commodifies life
After Party with Emily Jashinsky - 9/22
Jashinsky and guest Joe Allen dissect the AI panic ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit, examining the divide between AI “doomers” and accelerationists
She reacts to Nikole Hannah-Jones of the 1619 Project admitting she regrets sending her daughter to an inner-city school
Jashinsky points out how in Patrick Clancy’s 60 Minutes interview, he mentions Lindsay has never asked for his forgiveness
She explains how despite mainstream media’s failures, it’s important to allow CNN, MS Now, and Politico to report at the White House
LARRY with Larry O’Connor - 9/21
O’Connor defends the Trump admin’s revocation of hard passes from CNN, MS Now, and Politico, arguing the First Amendment protects citizens, not corporate media outlets
O’Connor contrasts this to Barack Obama’s criminal investigation of FOX News reporter James Rosen as a co-conspirator
He praises the successful Greenland deal with Denmark involving military bases and rare earth minerals
O’Connor reacts to Kamala Harris weighing a second run for president, and Spencer Pratt’s call for action ahead of the midterms
The Adam Carolla Show - 9/21
Carolla rips into Los Angeles traffic problems, useless electronic freeway signs, and drivers not pulling over after accidents
He makes fun of Colin Kaepernick’s claim he’s ready for an NFL return, and CA Gov. Gavin Newsom’s secret Malibu dinner with liberal actors
Carolla reacts to a Carnival Cruise passenger going overboard between Puerto Vallarta and Long Beach
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
Polling shows 55% of registered voters hold an unfavorable opinion of the DSA
Barack Obama is warning about AI safety concerns at speaking engagements
President Trump concludes with meeting with NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, as they continue to strike up an odd friendship
Ed Sheeran apologizes to pro-Palestine fans amid Macklemore controversy
FOX & Friends
President Trump speaks with NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, saying he wants “what’s best” for his home city
Cindy Crawford mourns the loss of her son Presley Gerber after an alleged drug overdose at 27
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed struggles to distance himself from Hasan Piker ahead of the midterm elections
1619 Project writer Nikole Hannah-Jones is in the hot seat for regretting sending her child to failing inner city schools as a social experiment
Lindsay Clancy’s defense attorney Kevin Reddington is demanding the phone records of the holdout juror
Following his UN speech, Trump plans to meet with Persian Gulf leaders to negotiate peace in the Middle East, Sec. Marco Rubio is interviewed
An accidental circuit cut in New Jersey caused more than 1,000 flights to be canceled across the Atlantic seaboard, Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy calls for updates to FAA systems
Virginia is becoming a sanctuary state under Gov. Abigail Spanberger, as counties refuse to honor hundreds of ICE detainers
AOC accuses stadium owner Robert Kraft of violating Macklemore’s freedom of speech, despite it being a private business
NYU Langone reaches an $8.5M settlement with the DOJ, ending their gender transition treatments for minors
Gym bros are getting humbled by pilates workouts
Young people are using a “Brick” device to break away from their phones
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
Stanford just used AI to race swap a student for their advertisements. [X, Stanford Review]
Citizen journalists just uncovered a massive network of fake daycares in Seattle taking up to $70K a month in taxpayer money with zero kids inside! [X, Fournier]
Sec. Rubio on CNN/MSNOW/Politico’s access to the White House: “They can cover the White House — they just can’t have a desk there.” [X, Rapid Response 47]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
FOX News Digital
Trump to address the United Nations General Assembly [FOX News]
Presley Gerber’s death puts addiction treatment in the spotlight [FOX News]
Tech CEO addresses warnings that AI could end the world by 2030 [FOX News]
Breitbart
Spanish Govt. Admits: Majority of Underage Illegals Will Not Be Returned from Ceuta [Breitbart]
DOJ Crackdown on Illegal Alien Voting Announces Charges in 7 States [Breitbart]
Nikole Hannah-Jones Enrolled Teen in Failing NYC Schools as a ‘Sacrifice’ [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
What Does Trump Want From Xi? [WSJ Ed]
Gavin Newsom’s Finest Hour [WSJ Ed]
Rob Bonta’s Paramount Bounty [WSJ Ed]
The Rise of the German Far Left [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
Meet the US Army vet running a California baby factory for Chinese nationals to have American kids [NYP]
Husband of 1619 Project’s writer claims she belongs next to MLK as civil-rights icon — then bizarrely appears to contradict her [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
Meet the ‘Jews for Abdul’: El-Sayed Ads Feature ‘Social Justice’ Activists Tied to Group That Excused Oct 7 [WFB]
Washington Reporter
Rep. Bill Huizenga gets Democrat Sean McCann a birthday present [Reporter]
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