Reliable Sources Highlights: Dean Scream; Primary Time
An hour-long Reliable Sources discussed the media's Dean scream hype and next week's primary on CNN today. Highlights:
The Scream: Jill Zuckman: "When you've got all the news networks playing it over and over and over again, it sort of changes the reality of what's happening."
What Scream?: Stephen Colbert: "Has anyone run that tape, because I would love to see it? I don't know if anybody actually has that."
Compared to the SOTU: Ken Auletta: "I think the public, in an age where we play up things like Howard Dean's "whoop," other things seem very boring, including State of the Union."
Primary time: Cokie Roberts: "...I'm wondering whether the media have come to utterly dominate the New Hampshire primary."
Beyond the front-runner: Howard Kurtz: "We shouldn't only train our media microscope on whoever happens to be in first place in the polls because the polls change." 10:40:29 PM

CNN Shakeup: Bohrman comments on covering stories
Daily Variety reviews the CNN shakeup details, and adds a couple details. "I think if you stagnate in the way you cover stories, it just doesn't work," new DC bureau chief David Bohrman told the trade paper. "I think if you can freshen things up, you are ahead of the game." 10:28:53 PM

Lieberman Protests CNN Interview Q; Hemmer Apologizes
The Jerusalem Post reports that Joe Lieberman wasn't happy with a question posed by Bill Hemmer that referred to the candidate's religion. He lodged a protest, and received a personal apology from Hemmer... 10:26:10 PM

Quote of the day
A Watercooler post yesterday: "I think the same need exists for an all-trash/trial/reality news network. MSNBC or CNN could scoop up serious bucks if they just swallowed their pride." (I agree. But pride? Since when did...) 10:01:09 PM

Were the caucuses a "Truly Important Event?"
David Shaw asks "what's the big deal about Iowa?" in the LATimes. "Every four years, the news media treat the Iowa caucuses as if they are a Truly Important Event, right up there with Michael Jackson's arrest, O.J. Simpson's trial and Princess Di's death..." 9:40:40 AM

CNN's Carville Writes "Lu and Swamp Ghost"
CNN screamer James Carville has written a children's book inspired by his mother. "Lu and the Swamp Ghost" will hit shelves in December. Carville is also the subject of a profile in the Ledger-Enquirer this morning... 9:39:43 AM

CNN Photog Slips at Skating Rink
LostRemote reports that "a CNN shooter slipped and hit the ice hard while John Kerry visited a skating rink in New Hampshire. Kerry stayed with him until the medics arrived, then leaned down and told him, "You know you're going to be the big news story." Turns out, he'll be OK." 9:39:13 AM

Ashleigh Banfield Tying The Knot
NBC's Ashleigh Banfield recently announced her engagement to Bloomberg Financial executive Howard Gould. The wedding is planned for this summer, the Dallas Morning News says... 9:31:22 AM

As Markets Climb, So Does CNBC
The NYPost says that "as stocks climb, more investors are tuning back to major financial news channels, early numbers show." It takes a look at how CNBC is broadening its coverage... 9:26:03 AM

Scott Peterson Comes to Town, and the Press Follows
The San Francisco Chronicle previews the Peterson trial's media blitz. "Satellite trucks belonging to NBC, CNN and Court TV -- and dozens of local television stations -- have filled the city block in front of Stanislaus County's courthouse. It's an operation that has required extra police security, roadblocks and 150 special phone lines set up just for them..." 1:36:09 AM