Is The New York Times right about the right?
The Brand Brief 8.4.26: Francesca Hong, Sophie Cunningham, Anthony Fauci, RFK Jr., Zac Brown, Zohran Mamdani, and Jay Inslee
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…
1,434 words | 6 minute read | Written to be skimmable (13+ hours of media covered in The Brand Brief)
What Matters: Decline? Shift? Or something else?
New Media Voices: Sophie Cunningham, Francesca Hong, and RFK Jr.
Leading FOX: WNBA, DSA, and the RFK Jr.
Trending: Jay Inslee, Francesca Hong, and chickens
What the Right is Writing: Cracker Barrel, In-N-Out, and El-Sayed
✍️ WHAT MATTERS AND WHERE WE’RE GOING…
Nathan’s quick take on where we’re headed…
The New York Times just analyzed audience data for 12 right-leaning podcasts and declared: “The MAGA Media Machine Is Fracturing.”
Yes, YouTube views are down from their 2024 election highs (a normal post-election slump). But rather than a fracture, it’s a shift.
We built a tool to track about 150 center-right podcasts daily, and here is what is really driving the right’s YouTube decline (and some growth):
Too many shows: There are now alternatives to the alternatives. Whether you want your conservative politics mixed with humor, faith, history, or health, there is a show for you.
Clips and platforms: There’s a reason many of the NYT-featured shows are pointing to TikTok and Instagram metrics. Short-form clips are driving engagement and replacing full-episode views.
Craving something deeper: The NYT focused on daily political shows. Meanwhile, the center-right YouTube channels experiencing subscriber growth over the last three months are ones having extended conversations around faith (Josh Howerton +26.5%, Matt Fradd +5.9%), health (Jillian Michaels +9.1%, Alex Clark +4.8%), or deeper topics (Shawn Ryan +4.7%, Victor David Hanson +14.8%).
News Fatigue: The last decade has been exhausting. The days of CNN spending two months on a missing airplane are gone; today, that’s a two-hour story.
Bottom line: The conservative media space isn’t fracturing; it’s expanding and diversifying. Views are simply spreading across more shows, platforms, and niche interests. - NRB
What do you think of The Brand Brief? Let us know.
🎙️ NEW MEDIA VOICES
The Megyn Kelly Show - 8/3
Kelly criticizes the WNBA for its failure to protect women’s sports, highlighting the backlash faced by player Sophie Cunningham
Guest podcaster Stu Burguiere calls out Caitlin Clark for her silence, arguing her refusal to engage reflects on athletes prioritizing their careers over women’s rights
Kelly thanks HHS Sec. RFK, Jr. for calling out Dana Bash for CNN’s biased coverage of COVID-19 and vaccine discussions
She contrasts RFK’s view on public health to Anthony Fauci, emphasizing the need for skepticism toward authorities
The Ben Shapiro Show - 8/3
Shapiro argues the dinner gathering at Tucker Carlson’s cabin exemplifies the embrace of conspiracy theories on the “horseshoe right”
He criticizes Joe Kent’s actions as a case study in political ineptitude
Shapiro argues “common good conservatism” undermines individual rights, a theory created by Patrick Deneen in his view of postliberalism
He reacts to an Oxford University debate on Islam that implodes on itself
Shapiro says the WNBA is eating its own, after Sophie Cunningham had a foul against her after she was elbowed in the face
The Michael Knowles Show - 8/3
Knowles criticizes radical candidates in Wisconsin, particularly Francesca Hong for her views on race, Thanksgiving, and socialism
He celebrates RFK, Jr. calling out CNN live for promoting fear during the pandemic
Knowles thanks Sophie Cunningham for staying strong, arguing allowing men to compete in the WNBA diminishes women’s sports
He gives his thoughts, positive and negative, on the Iran strikes
Knowles points out the implications of government-run grocery stores threatening local businesses
The Riley Gaines Show - 8/4
Gaines calls out Celeste Keaton, co-owner of the Seattle Storm, for yelling at teen girls supporting Sophie Cunningham
Guest Ahnaleigh Wilson explains how the dispute went down, and how as a student athlete she wanted to show support for women’s sports
Wilson says she has received both support and backlash from teachers, peers, and fellow athletes at her school
TimcastIRL - 8/3
Pool says the growing influence of the DSA is pushing prominent Democrats like Bill Maher to distance themselves from the party
The panel argues Gen Z is increasingly receptive to socialist ideas due to growing up in a recession and starting work in a poor job market
Pool argues unless Democrats find new party leadership, the DSA divide will only grow more powerful
Guest Jon Root claims “woke” culture has hurt the entertainment industry, but celebrates Spider-Man’s box office success
📺 LEADING FOX NEWS
The Five
Michigan and Wisconsin will decide in the upcoming days if they’ll stick with establishment Democrats or embrace the DSA
HHS Sec. RFK, Jr. calls out Dana Bash live on CNN for stoking fear during the pandemic
WNBA coach Cheryl Reeve wears a “trans kids belong” shirt in protest against player Sophie Cunningham
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani says IDs will be needed to use the socialist grocery store, stands by no IDs to vote
FOX & Friends
Multiple Midwest Democrats face DSA candidates today, such as Rep. Haley Stevens battling it out against Abdul El-Sayed for the Michigan Senate seat
Kamala Harris calls for “revisiting” the electoral college, despite also losing the popular vote
President Trump says the current peace talks are Iran’s last chance at a deal, Qatar confirms negotiations
AI companies are coming to negotiate at the White House, while the president visits California and Nevada
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s city-run grocery stores will require a “library card-esque system”
Helicopter parents are following their adult children to job interviews
The EU is meeting to address the 60,000 migrants that stormed Ceuta, Spain
The family of 12-year-old Jacob Freytes is interviewed on how lax law enforcement in New York City caused his murder
Zac Brown is interviewed on his sold-out Fenway Park concert
Nine candidates are running to replace Sen. Lindsey Graham’s seat in August, with sister Darline Graham endorsed by the president
Multiple people were killed in a shooting at a Twin Falls, ID In-N-Out
Wildfires in Spokane, WA destroy more than 700 buildings
Riley Gaines interviews Ella Frei, a teen girl who spoke out against trans bathroom policies
🍿 TRENDING AND POUNCING
Tomorrow’s news today…
Yesterday, Governor Inslee (D-WA) said the fire in Spokane was from “climate change.” An arson suspect was just arrested. [X, End Wokeness]
Abdul’s wife can’t show her hair but he can pool party with they/them leftists women at a pool party. [X, Yimby]
The vice president started raising chickens, so the Washington Post: Called the city of DC on him and tried to get him cited for a zoning infraction. They called a “chicken expert”: a they/them who has a chicken as an emotional support animal because of long COVID. [X, Rosiak]
🗞️ WHAT THE RIGHT IS WRITING
FOX News Digital
Michigan primary puts the Democratic Party divide to the test [FOX News]
Historian unloads on what he saw at the Smithsonian [FOX News]
Cracker Barrel enrages its loyal customers once again [FOX News]
Breitbart
Socialist Francesca Hong Doesn’t Take Back Call to Abolish Thanksgiving [Breitbart]
El-Sayed Ends Michigan Campaign at Detroit Pool Party with Hasan Piker [Breitbart]
Wall Street Journal Editorials
Can the U.S. Treasury Save the Yen? [WSJ Ed]
California Democrats Run Over Newsom on the Wealth Tax [WSJ Ed]
Todd Blanche Bends on the $1.776 Billion Fund [WSJ Ed]
Gilead Beats the Plaintiff Bar [WSJ Ed]
New York Post
Nancy Guthrie investigation failures are ‘shocking and disturbing’ — FBI must take control to catch killer: sources [NYP]
In-N-Out gunman Chad Williams railed against crime in chilling posts before Idaho mass shooting [NYP]
Washington Free Beacon
Extremist Michigan Imam Who Hosted El-Sayed Urges Followers To Turn Out To Vote and ‘Deal the Zionist a Blow,’ Frames Primary as Epic Fight Against ‘Puppet’ of Israel [WFB]
Washington Reporter
Dems polling Steve Bullock for Senate in Montana; source says plan underway to push Bodnar and Bankhead out of the race [Reporter]
NEED HELP NAVIGATING CONSERVATIVE MEDIA?
On Brand Strategies can assist you in getting booked on shows, placing op-eds, and navigating the conservative media. Learn more at OnBrandStrategies.com.