The big winners of Election 2016 — in media and entertainment

Andrew Kaczynski, Buzzfeed/CNN: In a world of 140-character reporting and quantity over quality on online media, the 26-year-old political reporter went about his business in a forgotten way: Simple, good old-fashioned digging for unique, compelling, relevant content. 

{mosads}In Kaczynski’s case, that meant simply going through whatever written archives or YouTube video was available on Donald Trump, who was a very public figure who often did the kind of interviews one usually does not when remotely seriously considering a run for the White House. 

Most notably, Kacyzinski dug up a 2002 interview that Trump did with his friend Howard Stern. The popular radio veteran is known for doing long-form interviews on his morning show (sometimes going an hour without a break if the conversation is good, and it often is) and tends to just ask whatever is on his mind based on where the discussion goes. It brings authenticity to the discussion rarely seen anymore. 

In the case of the 2002 interview, Stern decided to randomly ask Trump — a businessman and entertainer at the time — if he agreed with invading Iraq. 

Trump’s answer was one that clearly showed he hadn’t given the topic any real previous thought, saying slowly with no conviction: “Yeah … I guess … so.” 

Trump would say to Fox’s Neil Cavuto a few months later before the war started that waiting for the United Nations was the prudent thing to do before going in, muddying the waters around his “support” for the war even further. 

One week into the war with the U.S. not facing much resistance and polls still well in favor of supporting the invasion, Trump was quoted as saying, “The war’s a mess.” 

But Kaczynski’s discovery of the 2002 interview — which beat everyone to the punch by months — was the only bite that mattered to Politifact, who unequivocally stated Trump’s claim of being against the war was outright “false” with no wiggle room whatsoever. 

In the first presidential debate, Trump challenged Lester Holt on the moderator’s declaration that “the record shows” he supported the war. The Republican then went on to ramble, in what was arguably his worst moment of the three debates, about having said to Fox’s Sean Hannity privately and repeatedly that he was against the war. 

Instead, “the record” belonged to Kaczynski. And not by doing anything more than taking the time to find an audio clip that none of the thousands of others covering the campaign even thought of doing. He would find other clips and interviews throughout the campaign nobody else did and was rewarded nicely for it. 

A few weeks before the election, CNN hired Kaczynski and his team of three others away from Buzzfeed. For the network, it was one of the smarter moves it has made recently. 

Chris Wallace, Fox News: Debate moderators mostly took a beating during this campaign season extending all the way back to the primaries. And when the last presidential debate was on tap and some eyebrows were raised among those with preconceived notions that a Fox News anchor was moderating a big event, it appeared Wallace was at risk of being another piñata for the partisans to knock around if perceived of showing favoritism to either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. 

But Wallace has been in the broadcast business for 50 years. His first job was to work under Walter Cronkite at CBS News. His father, Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes fame, had won 21 Emmys. The DNA and experience was there. 

“This is a debate and, you know, they’re both going to be on the stage. If I think there’s a need for me to intervene, I will. But I would prefer not to,” Wallace explained the day before the debate. 

“Basically, you’re there as a timekeeper,” Wallace said. “But you’re not a participant. You’re there just to make sure that they engage in the most interesting and fairest way possible.

“And I take it very seriously. It’s not a TV show that we’re doing.”

And after he event was over, the reviews were glowing in a way never quite seen for a debate moderator before. 

Chris Wallace did Fox proud (Politico)

Why Fox’s Chris Wallace was a debate night winner (USA Today)

Focused and insistent, Chris Wallace plays role of America’s hall monitor (Washington Post)

Chris Wallace, Mixing Humor With Scolding, Guides Final Debate (New York Times)

Chris Wallace Just Brought Us The Closest Thing We’ve Seen To A Normal Debate  (Huffington Post)

Chris Wallace delivers sterling performance as debate moderator (CNN)

Imagine That—a Fox News Anchor Moderated the Best Debate of the Election (Slate)