CNN's Trifecta of Live "Air Travel Alert" Reports
Kudos to CNN for their "Air Travel Alert" coverage this afternoon. At 2pm, Fredricka Whitfield introed the story, and tossed to three live reports: London, Dulles Intl. Airport, and the Pentagon. FOX, by contrast, had one report from their Washington bureau, then moved quickly to two live "Super Tuesday" reports. It's certainly an improvement for CNN -- "hard news is the difference," they say, and today they actually proved it. 5:07:11 PM

Taking a Turn as My Own Ombudsman
(Or should I call it "public editor"?) Some criticisms from TVHeads of the FOX-expert/terrorist ties story. In the headline, I called him an "analyst" for FOX, and this reader said that is "wrong and misleading." An excerpt from my response: "The purpose [of] my site isn't to pass judgement on idiot congressmen and third rate journalists. That's what the readers do -- I just present the stories, give it a catchy headline. That's what journalism is, it seems: The facts...packaged in a sexy, attention-grabbing box." "Analyst" may not have been a fair descriptor. "Expert" may have been more appropriate. But I don't feel comfortable editing stories on a whim after they are posted. Like the original story said: you decide. 5:02:19 PM

Congressmen Accuses FOX Analyst of Iranian Terrorist Ties
I report (well, quote a Gannett story): "U.S. Rep. Bob Ney says an expert on the Middle East who appears regularly on the Fox News Channel has ties to an Iranian terrorist organization...Fox News officials refused to comment. Jafarzadeh said he would continue to appear on the 24-hour cable news network." You decide. 2:10:40 PM

CNN "spinning like a top" for BBC?
FReep folks say that CNN is "spinning like a top" for the BBC with the Andrew Gilligan fiasco. "I'm so dizzy!," one person says. Another offers a filtered version of the story. It's an interesting read... 2:10:21 PM

For the Record: Cable News Web Site Headlines
Let's compare online headlines about the flight cancellations: MSNBC.com: "Flights Cancelled: British Airlines, Air France cite security concerns;" CNN.com: "Flights to U.S. grounded amid new security fears;" FOXNews.com: "Troubling Skies"... 2:09:00 PM

$51,000: TV Stations Charged $230 per Sq. Ft. at Peterson Trial
WOW: "San Mateo County is charging television stations $51,000 to reserve a coveted spot next to the courthouse for the Scott Peterson murder trial," the AP reports. KTVU's Chip Vaughan: "In 24 years in this business, I've never seen anything like this cost this kind of money." Sadly, this won't decrease the sick amount of coverage the trial will receive... 1:40:29 PM

Negative Reviews for Dennis Miller
Some reviews of Dennis Miller's first week on CNBC:
> Boston Globe: "Miller could have offered viewers an oddball, absurdist alternative to the dull drone of cable commentary. But after only a week on the air, 'Dennis Miller' has already put down firm roots in cable-news dullsville."
> The Star-Ledger: "Forget the fish out of water metaphor. This guy's a fish in a frying pan, six shows away from being served with a side of wild rice."
> The Lumberjack (Northern Arizona U. student paper): "I think I'd rather see a chimp host a talk show than Dennis Miller...Doesn't it seem a tad convenient that Miller suddenly opened his eyes when conservatism had a renaissance of sorts?" 12:10:33 PM

Media Pleads for Jacko-in-Court Access
News organizations are making an interesting argument in their plea for cameras inside Michael Jackson's upcoming court appearance. "The public did not see Jackson plead not guilty but instead saw only Jackson's dramatic entry into and exit from the courthouse followed by his interaction with a large crowd of supporters from atop an SUV and his invitations to a party at Neverland Ranch," lawyers said in a written motion. "This undermines the dignity of the court because it leaves the public with the misimpression that the legal proceedings are an extension of the raucous atmosphere outside the court." More, in this Reuters story. 3:09:32 AM