Godwin’s Country

President of ABC News, Kim Godwin
Kim Godwin, president of ABC News. Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Dylan Byers
December 8, 2022

When Bob Iger talks about managing the Walt Disney brand, he speaks in a financial argot of deposits and withdrawals—a worldview he borrowed from his late friend, Steve Jobs. A smart strategic acquisition, a highly rated show, a good bit of press: these are “brand deposits.” A box office flop, a misguided marketing campaign, a public controversy: these are “brand withdrawals.” It is fair to assume that when the recently re-installed C.E.O. of Disney saw the front page of the New York Post, last Thursday, broadcasting an extramarital affair between two ABC News anchors under the headline “Good Moaning America,” a withdrawal had been made.