Michael Grynbaum

Donald J. Trump’s former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, resigned from his role as a CNN political commentator, ending a television deal that had attracted scrutiny and harsh criticism about the cable channel’s journalistic ethics.

Lewandowski, who joined CNN as a paid contributor days after being fired by Trump in June, has expressed interest in a senior adviser role in the White House, apparently. His name has also been mentioned as a potential chairman of the Republican National Committee. Lewandowski has been frequently spotted this week at Trump Tower in Manhattan, chatting with senior aides and attending meetings. Even as he defended Trump in front of millions of viewers on CNN talk shows, Lewandowski stayed in regular contact with the candidate and flew on the Trump campaign jet. He also received tens of thousands of dollars in severance from the Trump campaign, payments that were set to continue through the end of 2016. The arrangement raised concerns about whether CNN was effectively paying a Trump campaign strategist to spin its viewers.

There is talk of Breitbart bureaus opening in Paris, Berlin and Cairo, spots where the populist right is on the rise. A bigger newsroom is coming in Washington, the better to cover a president-elect whose candidacy it embraced.

Mainstream news outlets are soul-searching in the wake of being shocked by Donald Trump’s election. But the team at Breitbart News, the right-wing opinion and news website that some critics have denounced as a hate site, is elated — and eager to expand on a victory that it views as a profound validation of its cause. “So much of the media mocked us, laughed at us, called us all sorts of names,” said Alexander Marlow, the site’s editor in chief. “And then for us to be seen as integral to the election of a president, despite all of that hatred, is something that we certainly enjoy, and savor.”

As television news gears up for 2016’s big finale, an intense public distrust in the media is threatening the networks’ traditional role as election night scorekeeper. There is a divided electorate, big segments of which are poised to question the veracity of Nov 8’s results. Donald J. Trump has refused to say if he will concede in the event of a projected defeat. And new digital competitors plan to break the usual election-night rules and issue real-time predictions long before polls close.

The era of Tim Russert’s famed whiteboard — when network anchors could serve as the ultimate authority on election results — has faded. And scrutiny on big media organizations on Tuesday, when 70 million people might tune in, is likely to be harsher than ever. In interviews, network executives said that credibility was their first concern, and that they hoped to tune out competing chatter and focus on what they can control: getting it right.

In its 130-year history, AT&T has transitioned from a telegraph service to a wireless provider to a global communications behemoth. Now, one of America’s oldest corporations is about to take on what may be its trickiest identity yet: journalist.

Assuming its $85 billion merger with Time Warner is cleared, AT&T will soon find itself in charge of CNN, the cable news stalwart whose profitability — itself a crucial lure for suitors of Time Warner — relies on an international reputation for legitimate reporting. The difficulties of defending tough reporting and shielding journalists from powerful antagonists can be hard for any corporation to stomach. And while AT&T gained a foothold in the television industry by acquiring DirecTV in 2015, the company has no journalistic lineage, meaning its executives will have to face these challenges on the fly.

The parent company of Fox News said that it had settled a lawsuit with its former anchor Gretchen Carlson, who said that Roger Ailes had sexually harassed her when he was chairman of the network. A 21st Century Fox Corporation news release did not specify a settlement amount, but a person briefed on the settlement said that it amounted to $20 million, and that Ailes was responsible for a portion of the payment. The person also said Fox News was in settlement talks with other women at the network. The company apologized for the behavior, saying, “We sincerely regret and apologize for the fact that Gretchen was not treated with the respect and dignity that she and all of our colleagues deserve.”

Will Fox News’s prime-time lineup remain intact? Will the network’s ratings fall back to earth after this wild presidential election? Who could possibly replace Roger Ailes?

Breathless, yes, but Fox News’s seemingly unassailable position as the most powerful cable news channel was rocked this week by the news that Ailes, the only leader the network has ever known, was negotiating his exit as chairman after accusations of sexual harassment. No matter how unseemly his departure, Ailes will leave Fox News in strong shape. Thanks to an election year that has been a boon for all cable news channels, the network has never had higher ratings. And on July 20, as confusion swirled about the leadership of the network, many financial analysts told investors that the huge profits it delivers for 21st Century Fox were in no danger of suddenly disappearing.

With its glamour and famous catchphrase — “You’re fired” — “The Apprentice,” which debuted in 2004, was the ultimate showcase for Donald J. Trump’s self-styled image as a power-wielding mogul. But it also served as a prequel of sorts for his improbable next act as a presidential nominee, who will return to prime time as the ringmaster of the Republican National Convention.

More than Trump’s real estate deals, the show transformed its star from a New York curiosity into a national sensation, introducing millions of viewers — and, later, voters — to a highly flattering, highly fictionalized version of Trump, more appealing than the real-life developer whose successes were tempered by bankruptcies and personal turmoil. Trump, who had little previous television experience, revealed a showman’s mastery of the medium, which he used in 2016 to confound political opponents and seduce ratings-hungry networks. Those skills will be on full display at the convention in Cleveland (OH), where Trump is personally wooing celebrities and overseeing stagecraft for a blowout spectacle that will be less C-Span, more MTV.