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Bad Calls

Marty Baron vs. the media

Moving the Market: Washington Post Executive Editor Marty Baron is drawing fire from staffers, journalists and media critics after the paper suspended a reporter who tweeted a link to a news report about a previous sexual assault allegation against the late Kobe Bryant.

• The big picture: Baron's handling of the issue, particularly a curt email to the reporter (see below), is a black mark on Jeff Bezos' paper and Baron's mostly illustrative career in journalism. It is also a sign that legacy media organizations have yet to fully adapt to the social media age.

The backstory: In the wake of Bryant's death on Sunday, reporter Felicia Sonmez tweeted a link to a Daily Beast report from 2016 titled, "Kobe Bryant’s Disturbing Rape Case," about a 2003 complaint against the NBA star. (Bryant maintained the sex was consensual and the charge was dropped in 2004. He settled a civil lawsuit with his accuser out of court.)

• Sonmez's tweet was widely criticized by other Twitter users as being insensitive. Sonmez said she received abuse and death threats and checked into a hotel that night fearing for her safety.

• At 5:38 p.m., Baron sent Sonmez an email, obtained by The New York Times and confirmed by NBC News: "Felicia. A real lack of judgment to tweet this. Please stop. You’re hurting this institution by doing this."

• Sonmez was then placed on administrative leave. In a statement, Tracy Grant, the newspaper’s managing editor, said “the tweets displayed poor judgment that undermined the work of her colleagues."

• Baron and Post spokespeople did not respond to emails requesting additional comment.

How it's playing: The Washington Post's own media critic Erik Wemple called Baron's decision "misguided." He also noted that Sonmez’s tweet was completely in line with the Post's standards on social media.

• Recode's Peter Kafka says "it’s ridiculous that the Post penalized its reporter for acknowledging that Bryant, in addition to being beloved by many people, was credibly accused of rape."

• Daily Beast's Max Tani: "WaPo’s only explanation was she was tweeting off her beat (everyone does that) and making it hard for other WaPo reporters to do their jobs (but they won’t explain how tweeting a factual article made others lives harder). Pretty weak stuff!"

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Bad Blood

Mike Pompeo vs. NPR

Big in the Beltway: The State Department "has removed an NPR reporter from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's upcoming trip abroad after a days-long spat with a different NPR reporter, who said Pompeo berated her and cursed after an interview," my colleague Dartunorro Clark reports.

• "The State Department Correspondents' Association confirmed the decision to remove NPR correspondent Michele Kelemen from Pompeo's plane on his upcoming trip to Europe and Central Asia, calling the move 'retaliation' after Pompeo's public attack on NPR's Mary Louise Kelly."

"The State Department did not give Kelemen a reason she would not be traveling, a spokesperson for NPR said."

🏀 Kobe Watch 🏀

Adam Silver has postponed tonight's Lakers-Clippers game at Staples Center "out of respect for the Lakers organization, which is deeply grieving from the tragic loss" of Kobe Bryant and his daughter.

• Bonus: WSJ's Emily Glazer and I were on CNBC's Squawk Box yesterday discussing Bryant's second act as a businessman, investor and producer. Watch here.

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Apple Earnings

Tim Cook vs. the skeptics

Big in the Bay: Tim Cook reports Apple's first-quarter earnings today after the bell. The company has been experiencing one of its biggest rallies ever amid new anticipation for 5G-enabled iPhones and after overcoming concerns about slowing sales, particularly in China.

• The big picture: The earnings will provide the first look at how Apple did during the all-important holiday sales period. It’ll also give a picture of how well the iPhone 11 line has sold since launching in September. Analysts expect there to be a big focus on how well Apple Watch and AirPods sales and the services side of the business are doing.

The China factor: Analysts expect an emphasis on China. With trade tensions lightening, iPhone price drops and strong sales, the forecast in the country is expected to be positive — a reversal from 2019, when Cook was forced to put out revised guidance because of slumping sales there.

Market Links

• Susan Wojcicki will host Holocaust remembrance day (JW)

• MacKenzie Bezos reduces Amazon stake by $400m (CNBC)

• Kathryn Murdoch backs new women and politics site (WaPo)

• Robert Allbritton launches B2B subscription product (Digiday)

• Eddy Cue and A24 grab rights to "Boys State" doc (THR)

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Second Screen

Jimmy Pitaro gets social

Big in Bristol: "This year ESPN plans to air more than 500 live original shows across its own digital properties and platforms including YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook," Digiday's Tim Peterson reports.

• The network has also hired House of Highlights founder Omar Raja, as previously reported, and given the digital programming unit its own, 2,750-square-foot home in the former "First Take" studio.

The big picture: ESPN is making an aggressive push to "to develop its voice online and grow its audience" as it competes with new online media companies like Bleacher Report and Barstool Sports for user engagement.

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Acquisition Targets

Who wants to buy MGM?

Talk of Tinseltown: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer may be Hollywood's next big acquisition target. The studio that owns the James Bond franchise is shopping itself to the major tech and media firms in a sign that it is finally ready for a sale, CNBC's Alex Sherman reports.

• The big picture: Consolidation by top dogs like Disney and AT&T has put smaller companies like MGM, Lions Gate, Sony Pictures and Discovery "at a severe disadvantage to their peers," writes Sherman.

• The price tag: "MGM would be looking for a $7 billion price, but many people think its valuation is closer to $4.5-$5 billion," The Information's Jessica Toonkel reports.

Who's interested?: Sherman initially reported that MGM had held preliminary talks with Apple and Netflix, but sources at both companies told us any indication of interest on their part was way overblown.

• What's next: It's just as likely that MGM gets picked up by another small studio like ViacomCBS or Sony, and that the combined properties get acquired by one of the big fish later down the line. Alternatively, it could be picked up by a foreign buyer.

🎶 What's next: The Grammys have hit a 12-year ratings low. As NYT's Brooks Barnes notes, that does not bode well for the Oscars.

See you tomorrow.