Pink's Bottom Line on Media, Money and Sports

Trust in national news organizations, office occupancy rates and Naomi Osaka

In today’s newsletter, I discuss trust in national news organizations, office occupancy rates and Naomi Osaka.

MEDIA: Trust in National News

Like much of society today, trust in national news organizations appears polarized along political lines.

According to a recent survey from Pew Research, 35% of Republicans said they have some trust in national news organizations.

That compares to 78% of those Democrats surveyed who said that they had at least some trust in national news organizations.

Pink's Bottom Line

According to Pew, in 2016, 70% of Republicans said they had some trust in national news organizations, which represents a steep decline in trust for Republicans over that five-year span.

Democrats, meanwhile, have maintained a relatively consistent level of trust in national news organizations for the past few years, according to Pew.

As such, this survey is yet another sign that political affiliation is signaling whether or not a consumer ultimately trusts a specific news organization.

MONEY: Office Occupancy Rates

Occupancy rates at offices in ten major cities across the United States rose for the first time in several weeks.

According to the Back to Work Barometer from Kastle Systems, an office security company, the average office occupancy rate in ten cities that Kastle monitors rose to 33.1% last week, up from 31.3% the week earlier.

Pink's Bottom Line

Notably, all ten cities showed an uptick in office occupancy rate — the occupancy rate in New York, for example, rose to 22.3% from 21.8%.

The occupancy rate rose the most in Austin — it stood at 48.5% last week compared to 44.1% the week earlier.

These improving occupancy rates suggest that the negative impact of the Delta variant on the return of workers to offices appears to be abating.

SPORTS: Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka won her opening match at the US Open Monday night in convincing fashion — Osaka is the defending champion of the tournament.

Osaka, currently the third seed in the women’s side of the draw, is the second favorite at +600 to win the tournament — Ashleigh Barty is the favorite at +360.

Pink's Bottom Line

Osaka arguably has the best all-around game in women’s tennis, and when she is playing at her highest level, she is very difficult to beat.

Based on her performance last night, Osaka looked as good as she did when she won the tournament last year — look for her to capture the US Open title again this year.

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Jeremy Pink is currently COO of Geniecast, a leading virtual content and experience company. He is the former CEO of private-equity backed Broadcast Sports International where he helped lead the company to a successful sale and exit during his tenure there. He is also a former CNBC television executive in New York, London and Singapore.

The information contained in this communication is strictly for general informational and entertainment purposes and is not meant to be construed as financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. This communication is not a solicitation to buy or sell any securities. I am not a financial advisor or offering professional advice of any kind. Users should not act upon the content or information found within this communication without first seeking professional advice appropriate for their individual situation. Decisions based on information contained in this communication are the sole responsibility of the user, and use of this communication and its contents constitutes an explicit understanding and acceptance of the foregoing disclaimers.

(Newsletter Editor: Karina Pink)