Soledad Helps Future Minority Women Journalists
Soledad O'Brien is trying to help the next generation of minority women journalists," the AP reports. Sole was honored by Ebony Magazine, and told the wire that she "aggressively helps journalists who are coming up the ranks so they will be prepared when the right opportunity comes along." A quote from her: "It's time for us to do our part and make sure that we're helping the next generation of young female journalists come up and fill positions." 11:10:27 PM

News Judgment 101: Global Protests
Let's do a bit of news judgement compare/contrast. CNN.com and MSNBC.com both determine that the global anti-war protests today are the lead story, presenting a photo and big headline. (CNN.com: "Rallies around the world protest Iraq war; MSNBC.com: "Global Protests: Peace rallies mark anniversary of Iraq war.") FOXNews.com decides to put the story at the bottom of their "latest headlines" section (way 'below-the-fold.') "Protests on Iraq War Anniversary," the header says. If there was a huge global pro-war rally, do you think the judgment would change? (Update: 11pm: FOX moved the story to the top of its "latest headlines" list.) 5:39:40 PM

Geraldo's Special Report: "1000 Miles of Bad Road"
Geraldo's 'At Large' sounds promising. It's "1000 Miles of Bad Road: "Take a trip along with Geraldo on his three-week-long drive through Iraq. It's a glimpse from deep inside the country, at the state of affairs post-Saddam Hussein...What he finds may surprise you... though attacks against our coalition troops are highly reported, the state of affairs on the ground isn't as bad as you may have been led to believe." Tonight at 10... 5:38:40 PM

MSNBC's Broken Logo
MSNBC's logo hasn't been cooperating this morning. Their logo was just a black shadow for a while. "It was [like that] since I turned them on around 10:03," one viewer IMs. When I turned it on at 10:45, the logo was playing hard-to-get; it was on and off until 11. 11:37:53 AM

Kaplan's MSNBC: For Better or Worse?
What is MSNBC like with Kaplan in charge? "No big changes yet," a TVspyer says. "I have noticed that the look of MSNBC is changing for the better!," one poster replies. "It has been watchable these days." But another person is more cynical: "Kaplan will last two years, make lots of changes, fire many people and leave with a big pay check while the ratings will stay in the gutter. He is still living off his success of decades ago. This biz just recycles the same people." 11:33:50 AM

Quote of the day
Eric Burns: "Jayson Blair was a big 'get' for Katie Couric, who did the first of the three or four thousand broadcast interviews with him. In fact, Larry King was so impressed with Katie’s 'get' that he invited her on his CNN show to talk about how she got the 'get'— demonstrating that if the 'get' you get gets enough publicity, you get to be a 'get' yourself. 11:01:35 AM

War and Peace: Memories of David Bloom
On MSNBC, Alex Witt recalled having to report the news that David Bloom had died. "Mark Effron came out [during the commercial] and brought Kleenex to me out on the set," she said. A public affairs building at the Fort Lee Army base in Petersburg, Virginia was dedicated in Bloom's honor today. "He was 39 at the time and, for a few remarkable days early last spring, perhaps the most famous newsman in America," Verne Gay remembers... 9:59:57 PM

War and Peace: "It was clear...we were going to war"
On Deborah Norville Tonight, Brian Williams described watching military cities grow up out of the desert, while journalists were still asking: "Should the U.S. go to war?"
Brian: "I have to say, I felt a little silly... we were going to war!"
Debbie: "But you couldnt go on TV and say that."
Brian: "Of course not. But it was clear to me."
And: B.W. on embedding: "I think it was better for the military than the military has yet realized." 9:59:18 PM

War and Peace: Media Notes...
Wolf Blitzer anchored a special two-hour edition of 'News From CNN' today, focusing on 'A Year In Iraq' // NBC's Brian Williams hosted a roundtable discussion with four military experts (McCaffrey, Meigs, Allard, Jacobs) on MSNBC // People in the News will offer a profile of Ayman al-Zawahiri Saturday at 11am... 6:49:46 PM

! War and Peace: Rumsfeld: Media Doesn't Reflect Iraq Reality
Larry King interviews Donald Rumsfeld tonight. Here's a snippet from the advance transcript:
KING: ...The Bush administration has said, Mr. Secretary, that the reality on the ground in Iraq is more positive than is being portrayed in the media. Do you agree with that?
RUMSFELD: Well, I do. It's a fact.
He points out that "over and over again," members of Congress have "come back and reported that what they found there was notably different from the impression they had."
KING: But a bombing or a suicide attack or any kind of killing of an American or anyone is bigger news.
RUMSFELD: Indeed, it's big news. And, of course, good news tends not to be news. 5:52:08 PM

War and Peace: Former Secs of State: Booked!
Former Secretary of States will be omnipresent on the airwaves tonight. On Lou Dobbs Tonight, former deputy Richard Armitage will stop by. Madeline Albright will be on Wolf Blitzer Reports and Hardball tonight. Lawrence Eagleburger will sit down with Hannity and Alan on H&C...; 5:51:15 PM

FOX Trounces CNN, MSNBC During Breaking News Coverage
FOX beat CNN and MSNBC combined during breaking news coverage of the Pakistan developments yesterday. Between 1 and 5pm, FNC averaged 1,130,000 viewers -- compared to CNN's 571,000 and MSNBC's 283,000. And even though Aaron Brown was live in Islamabad, the ratings don't seem to care: He averaged 833,000 viewers, while Greta had 1,567,000. 5:45:02 PM

War and Peace: For Embeds' Families, An Emotional Toll
Former embed Rick Leventhal talked to Linda Vester this afternoon about his experiences in the deserts of Iraq. "First and foremost, I can't believe it's been a year," he said. He said the most frightening embed experience was when his unit drove into an ambush. "We were in a firefight for a solid hour...it was pretty frightening," he said, understating. He had broadcast a live report during the battle, and later found out that his family was watching it all. "My sister was listening on XM radio," Rick recalls. "She said she had to turn it off...she started crying." 2:47:39 PM

War and Peace: Must-See Countdown Tonight
I think Countdown will be the must-see show tonight. Check out the preview: "Baghdad Bob, Dixie Chicks, and the rapping marine. Keith shows you what some of the ’Oddball’ newsmakers of the Iraqi war are up to... one year later." The newsletter promises "From 'Shock & Awe' to "Say Ah!" -- a special video review," and "Best of Baghdad Bob, another COUNTDOWN VIDEO SPECTACULAR by Countdown's video master/artist Brendan Omelia." 2:41:42 PM

Heidi Collins' Hyperspeed
From the Campaign Desk: "The news cycle these days is so fast and furious that reporters sometimes zoom off into hyperspeed. That undoubtedly explains why CNN's Heidi Collins last night was taking viewers into some sort of bizarro time warp." Here's the curious post. 1:44:26 PM

Memo to Bill O'Reilly: Don't Try To Scare Us With Diet Pepsi
Is Bill O'Reilly inviting me to make fun of him? Look at the tease for his show tonight. "Friday: Nailing Al Qaeda," the headline says. "Are we close to cracking their terrorist network?" A valid, if impossible-to-answer, question. But then there's the second line: "Plus, the dangers of diet soda: What you don’t know could kill you!" No, Bill, terrorism could kill me. It doesn't seem appropriate to put Al Qaeda and diet soda in the same paragraph. I drink cans of Diet Pepsi daily, and I'm still here... 1:33:01 PM

War and Peace: Rumsfeld on FOX and CNN Tonight
In a press release yesterday, FOX News promised an "exclusive interview with Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld," to be aired Friday night 'On the Record.' "[Bret] Baier spends the day with Sec. Rumsfeld in Washington, D.C. and, in addition to the sit-down interview, viewers are provided with a rare glimpse into a day in the life of Sec. Rumsfeld in Washington, D.C., as he attends meetings at the Pentagon and the White House." Also, CNN will air a Larry King interview with Rumsfeld tonight at 9pm... 11:55:54 AM

War and Peace: How the Media Has Changed
The Star-Ledger talks about five changes in the media's coverage of Iraq. They are: A more critical tone; not as many bells and whistles; more rules and formalities; more coverage of wounded troops; and greater caution by journalists. I like Aaron Brown's quote: "During that first phase of the war, to some extent we were doing play-by-play. It was, 'Is the plan working? Are the supply lines working? What happened to Jessica Lynch?' There are no maps anymore. There are no guidelines anymore." 8:48:45 AM

War and Peace: Send In Memories of War Coverage
I'm looking for your memories of the news coverage that first night, and the days thereafter, to post all weekend. Submit them via the form at the top of the page, or use the e-mail/IM links up above.
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I'll start with mine. It had been a long long day, so I turned off the TV and laid down in bed around 9:30pm. Fifteen minutes later, I was interrupted. "It's starting," the person in the doorway said. At that same instant, my cell phone and home phone started ringing -- friends calling to alert me to the Baghdad bombs. I didn't fall back to sleep for 5 hours... 12:29:45 AM

War and Peace: "A year ago today, the clock ticked down to zero"
Quoting Bill Goodykoontz in the Arizona Republic: "A year ago today, the clock ticked down to zero. And with that, the war in Iraq was on. President Bush's ultimatum to Saddam Hussein expired - MSNBC superimposed a ticking clock on the screen - and a wary nation switched on its television sets and waited, which is now the way of such things." 12:28:35 AM

"High-value target:" Networks Move Resources Into Region
From Friday's LA Times: "Predicting where news will happen is a tricky art," Elizabeth Jensen writes, describing the media's recent maneuvers to place correspondents in strategic locations as the U.S. stepped up its pursuit of bin Laden and company. "I have no more intelligence than anyone else in the world, but instinctively as journalists, you think something is going on (in the Afghanistan region) and we ought to be in place to cover it," Chris Cramer tells Jensen. NBC and CNN have teams in Kabul and Islamabad... 12:26:43 AM

"High-value target:" CNN Negotiating For Afghan/Pak Embeds?
Here's that quote from CNN analyst Ken Robinson that I found very interesting Thursday afternoon: "We have been working for the last few days to negotiate embeds on those locations on the front lines. So we know that for a long time this offensive operation has been discussed." Embeds? Kudos to CNN for recognizing the importance of this story, and for being prepared to dedicate personnel to it. 12:26:28 AM

"High-value target:" Banfield Back On Camera
Does this photo of Ashleigh Banfield scare you? Ashleigh Banfield was on MSNBC several times during the day, and her reporting is referenced in MSNBC.com's story about the situation... 12:25:03 AM

Dennis Miller: $15 To Sit Through The Show
Missed this Rush and Molloy item, until The National Debate linked to it: "Dennis Miller may be having trouble rustling up people who want to sit through his rants. CNBC is offering $15 to anyone who wants to be part of his audience..." Is it worth it? (I wonder if this guy has any credibility?) 11:17:27 PM

Dennis Miller: Eric Alterman's Diss
Dennis Miller and Eric Alterman aren't best friends. So it made for an interesting segment earlier this week. It makes for a great blog post on MSNBC.com. "...What can CNBC be thinking with this guy?," Alterman writes. "His ratings are not just in the toilet they have traveled all the way to the septic tank." Eric says that "everyone on staff was extremely apologetic afterward and the word 'unprofessional' was used over and over." Heh... 11:17:21 PM

"High-value target:" More Media Notes
Inside Politics was pre-empted again today. Wolf Blitzer took over coverage at 4pm // "Al Qaeda: Cornered," FOX's new graphics say // Newsnight was a must-see tonight. Aaron Brown stood on a roof in Islamabad. (I wonder how long he will stay in the region, now that this news has broken?) Aaron looked a lot better on location than in the studio... 11:16:05 PM

CNN On Cell Beginning April 1
Variety updates the CNN-by-phone story reported here last month. "CNN will launch its first live TV feed to cell phone subscribers on April 1," the paper writes, and has a few paragraphs of details... 10:19:05 PM

"High-value target:" Update on Cable Net Staffing
A FOX News representative tells CableNewser that the network has two people in Kabul currently, and a crew of three on the way to the area right now. No reply from MSNBC or CNN yet... 5:50:57 PM

"High-value target:" Reliable Sources?
Sources, sources, sources -- I wish the cable news networks would take a page from the Washington Post's new guidelines for anonymous sources, which requires reporters to describe the source in as much detail as possible. Someone needs to say something on the record. If I had a dollar for every time I heard or read the word "source" this afternoon, without any elaboration... 3:32:48 PM

"High-value target:" MSNBC Still Finds Time For Spring Break
Henry IMs to point out that earlier in the afternoon, FOX featured a Bush impersonator and MSNBC talked to Donald Trump at the Apprentice auditions. CNN seems to be offering the most in-depth coverage. Poor MSNBC -- their "in-depth spring break" reports were delayed again today, at least for an hour -- but they went live to Fort Lauderdale around 2:45pm... 3:31:12 PM

"High-value target:" Banfield and Blitzer Appear
Some interesting notes from sitting in front of the TVs:
> On MSNBC, Ashleigh Banfield appeared to talk about her travels in the region
> Wolf Blitzer popped up from New York in front of a huge Breaking News graphic.
> Shep got Pakistani spokesman Shawkat Sultan on the phone for a pretty long phoner.
> CNN Islamabad bureau chief Ash-har Quraishi reported live via videophone at 3:10pm. 3:17:47 PM

"High-value target:" Do The Cable Nets Have Crews In Pakistan?
Let's think about staffing in Pakistan and Afghanistan for a moment. How many correspondents, producers, and support personnel do each of the cable news networks have in the region at this moment? This message is being sent to P.R. reps for each channel -- let's find out if they are living up to their promise of covering the war on terror. 3:08:49 PM

"High-value target:" Exaggeration, Hyperbole, or Lie?
"We have a reporter on the ground [there]," Rick Folbaum said at around 2:45pm. Now, we can call that an exaggeration, hyperbole, or a lie, but it certainly wasn't the truth -- bookers got AFP correspondent Rana Jawad on the phone. That's not a FOX reporter, not by a long shot. And he was certainly no match for Aaron Brown, who was talking on CNN at the same time. 3:07:38 PM

"High-value target:" Media Notes
"Right now it is virtually impossible for any of us to get to the area," Aaron Brown reported from Islamabad. "...I don't exaggerate when i say that this [is a place that] exists in almost the 14th century" // CNN "security analyst" Ken Robinson said at 3:05pm that "we have been negotiating to get embeds on the front lines" // CNBC watched the crude oil charts and discussed the "high-value target's" impact on the markets // "Is anyone taking a count of how many "Fox News Alerts" they can have in one hour?," a FReeper asked. Shep Smith promised "extensive Team FOX coverage" at 3pm... 3:05:05 PM

"High-value target:" Contradictory sources, sketchy info
In the first few minutes, it is apparent that little information is available. 1:18pm, Linda Vester on FOX: "[Let me interrupt you], I've just been handed this piece of information...[Pakistan] believes the number two man in al Qeada, Ayman al-Zawahri, is the man who's surrounded." "This is a much definitive report now we're getting from Associated Press," CNBC reported at 1:19pm. MSNBC reported it the same minute. At 1:31pm, FOX tried to bring a Pakistani journalist on, but the phone link dropped. He was going to report that the "Surrounded Target is not UBL or Al-Zawahri," the graphic said. "It's a very fluid situation," Vester told viewers. At 1:33pm, CNN finally reported the Zawahri name. It would help if the anchors sourced their reports more specifically... 1:35:42 PM

"High-value target:" Aaron Brown Breaks Story
Aaron Brown broke the story at about 12:50pm. He had just finished an interview with Musharraf. "There has been a fierce fight going on...in the mountainous region berween Afghanistan and Pakistan," he reported from Islamabad. CNN slapped an "exclusive" bug on the story. Monsoor Ijaz came on FOX at 1:08pm to report the story, according to his connections to Pakistani intelligence. Hmmm... "I don't want any of us to get too far ahead yet," Aaron said. Too late... 1:34:53 PM

"High-value target:" MSNBC.com Very Slow to Respond
MSNBC.com took its time putting up a breaking news banner for the "high value target" story. CNN.com sent out a news alert at about 1:10pm. FOXNews.com used an AP story that credited CNN significantly for the first few minutes; by 1:20pm, they changed "CNN" to "an American news channel." MSNBC.com was slow in posting anything -- they finally added a one-sentence breaking news headline at 1:21pm. As of 1:34pm, they still hadn't added the AP copy... 1:34:17 PM

Sanders: "It's inevitable that they [will] change or tweak" embedding
The Department of Defense is analyzing the embedding process, Kerry Sanders says in a Newsday article. Quoting: "[Sanders] says he recently got a call from 'someone doing a study for the Department of Defense who said they were doing an analysis of how to improve [embedding]. It's good they're doing the follow-up, but it's inevitable that they change or tweak it, and from my perspective, it doesn't need it.'" 9:14:29 AM

Quote of the day
Rantingprofs: "A hotel in Baghdad is blown up and all three news nets go wall to wall: in other words, all other stories get blown off the stage, all other guests get bumped, commercials breaks are ignored, they stay with their people in Iraq as developments trickle in, leaving them only to question whatever experts they can get on the phone or drag into the studio. I describe this in detail because this is what the explosions in Madrid merited, so when I kept sputtering that Madrid was just being slotted into the rotation while all the usual crap kept being covered, it was because I felt it was a story that rose to the level of this story. So now you have a baseline for what I wanted to see last week. 9:13:32 AM

First-Person: A FOX News Interview
Robert Cox describes his appearance on FOX's 'Big Story' at The National Debate: "The booker for the show met me at the security desk and whisked my wife and I into the studio where I was asked to wait in the 'green room.' Strangely enough, the room was actually painted green." A very interesting behind-the-scenes story... 8:17:24 AM

MSNBC Is On Spring Break Today
Good news! MSNBC's Spring Break scare-tactics will air today, since that pesky little bombing delayed it yesterday. On the Abrams Report tonight: "A judge says 'Girls gone wild' is not pornography. So what is it when producers sell videos of teenage girls baring it all on Spring break?" And on Countdown: "Fort Lauderdale was once America's Spring Break capital -- so what caused the city to turn away from big party profits, and transform itself into a family destination?" And Joe is live from Florida! What a great contribution to journalism... 7:34:40 AM

Last Week's News Viewer Index
I forgot to post the Cynopsis news viewer index yesterday. For the week of March 8 to 14, in total day, "Fox News had 50% of the viewing, CNN 26%, MSNBC 14%; and Headline News 10%." In primetime, "Fox News had 53%, CNN 28%, MSNBC 12% and Headline News 7%." 7:14:48 AM

Get Ready For More Of The "Real Deborah Norville"
The New York Observer profiles Deborah Norville this week. Joe Hagan points out that her new show "hasn’t shown much bite yet, averaging only 254,000 viewers a night." Rick Kaplan asked Debbie to "start unleashing more of the real Deborah Norville" a couple weeks ago. Hagan adds a comment that "MSNBC insiders have been growling," but doesn't explain what they've been growling about. Here's a great quote from her: "I would say that traditional network journalism jumped the shark when O.J. Simpson was accused of murder." She notes that her 30 Rock bathroom key from 1987 still works... 9:47:12 PM

"It's About Me" School of Broadcasting
"Welcome to the IAM (as in "It's About Me") school of broadcasting, where self-promotion risks giving way to narcissism," Brian Lowry writes in Variety. He names Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity as two members of the club. "Listeners don't seem to mind, but the breaking point must lie somewhere. For while tolerance of all the pitching and shilling is clearly high, how much personal griping and on-air therapy will those who tune in...to witness the pummeling of some hapless spokesperson, willingly endure? 5:51:19 PM

MSNBC's "Special All-Day Coverage" of Spring Break...
The Baghdad bombing disrupted coverage of an important story on MSNBC: Spring Break. Quoting the tease in their newsletter: "Do you know what your kids are doing on Spring Break? We do. From Cancun to Florida-The madness, the media, the money...The towns inviting your kids to come party, and the towns trying to keep them out. Spring Break 2004: The Tides of March." They promised "special all-day coverage." "It's sad it takes a big story like a hotel being blown up in Baghdad to drive MSNBC away from that," one viewer says. "If I want Spring Break coverage, I'll watch MTV." Gag me... 5:51:15 PM

Baghdad Bombing: Media Notes, Round Two
On CNN, the 3:30 'Inside Politics' was pre-empted for continuing coverage. Just after 3:30pm, Arraf had an exclusive interview with Colonel Baker // CNNI simulcasted CNN's coverage for a time today, CNNFan says // On MSNBC, Chris Jansing and Randy Meier took over coverage at 3pm // "No commericals from the cable news networks in 2 hours 45 minutes at least," an MSN poster said around 3pm. "This is what cable news networks are about. Continuous coverage." FOX started commercials during 'Studio B'... 3:40:43 PM

Baghdad Bombing: Military Asks CNN Not To Show Dead Bodies
A military official walked over to Jane Arraf's live position at 3:11pm ET, and audibly asked the crew not to show what was happening. "We've just heard...Colonel Baker request that we not show the bodies being brought out," she said. "...Obviously there is no one left alive there." A moment later, workers tried to lift a stretcher over the rubble. She reported live for at least 16 minutes, until 3:18pm... 3:11:56 PM

Baghdad Bombing: Incredible Live Moment on CNN
3:03pm: Jane Arraf live at the scene of the bombing, broadcasting profound live images and narration from half a world away. The rescuers started shouting and maneuvering, thinking they had found a woman and her children. "People here have gathered around something," she told Miles O'Brien. "They are invoking the name of god, indicating they may have found somebody in there." A fire chief on the scene told her that they have found a person in the rubble. "Is there any possiblilty that person is alive?," she asked gently. "No no, they have died," he told her. A painful moment, to say the least. This is the sort of coverage is what CNN should air on "Live From" every day, and this is what could distinguish the channel from its competition... 3:09:05 PM

Baghdad Bombing: Wall-to-Wall Coverage; The Lead
"Looks like an afternoon of Howard Stern indecency, Martha Stewart sentencing, Kobe semen stain, Scott Peterson boating, Columbus, OH sniper updates will be thrown on the backburner," a TVSpyer remarks. CNN's Inside Politics newsletter shapes the lead story for the rest of the day: "On the day a major blast shakes central Baghdad, John Kerry and Vice President Dick Cheney both deliver what are being billed as 'major speeches' today on the military and U.S. foreign policy." Are they are quietly thanking the news gods for the timing?... 2:23:40 PM

Baghdad Bombing: Media Notes
CNN's Jane Arraf called it a "scene from hell." I thought Walter Rodger's reports in the first half-hour were top-notch -- an example of why veteran reporters are so important // An analyst on FOX called hotels "bomb magnets" // "MSNBC seems a little slow with the story," an MSN poster says. They initially pulled Chip Reid in via phone // Al Jazeera's offices in Baghdad were damaged... 2:16:24 PM

Baghdad Bombing: Smiling Kerry and Bombing Horror
Here's the juxtaposition on MSNBC.com: "Baghdad Explosion," the left hand headline said. "Blast strikes city center, casualties reported." A bright red screengrab of the destruction was in the background. On the right side: "Kerry rips Bush on war," next to a smiling headshot. I think the analysis is obvious. 12:38:36 PM

Baghdad Bombing: Live or Taped?
FOX and CNN aired images from Al Jazeera at 12:33pm. FOX's graphic said "LIVE;" CNN's said "EARLIER." "These pictures are live," FOX's anchor said. "This cameraman is getting very very close to a raging inferno." Who was right? (One minute later -- an eternity in cable news -- the bug on FOX changed to "new video.") 12:34:32 PM

Baghdad Bombing: "Someone should have interrupted" Kerry
The cable nets had multiple camera angles of the fire. Walter Rodgers called it a "horrenous blast." "It shook the building here and we knew something bad was happening," he told Wolf. A FOX analyst criticized Kerry: "When you've got a terrorism attack, it's time to shut up...someone should have interrupted him [as he was giving his speech]." The FOX anchor called it "an illustration of one of the problems that still exist in Iraq." 12:31:58 PM

Juxtaposition: Baghdad Bombing, Kerry Speech
FOX News Alert: "Large explosion rocks downtown Baghdad." Todd Connor headed to the camera position immediately. CNN came back from a commercial with the 'Just In' chimes at 12:14pm. Now here's the juxtaposition: John Kerry's "major foreign policy speech" started at 12:15pm. On CNN, the "breaking news" banner and Iraq live shot overwhelmed Kerry's voice. FOX didn't show Kerry speaking until 12:20, but did talk to a Republican congressman about what Kerry was saying -- and the shaky camera images of nightime Baghdad filled the screen. "John Kerry remarks on the war on terror," FOX's graphics said, as black smoke rose into the air. I suppose you can never really control the news cycle... 12:19:31 PM

Is Wolf Suggesting NBC Endangered National Security?
Wolf Blitzer called Lisa Myer's NBC News report on Osama bin Laden "the talk of Washington D.C." He asked David Ensor about the "damage" it could cause "to U.S. national security." Whoa, hold on there, Wolf. David quickly pointed out that "nobody's getting terribly excited about this," since leaks happen all the time. 12:08:11 PM

Lester Holt Is A Technology Dork
And that makes him even cooler. That's the conclusion from this MSNBC.com interview promoting Tech Summit 2004. He calls himself a "lover of toys" that "make my life easier and more organized." I predict this will be the norm in five years: "If I were an inventor, I’d develop a video-camera cell phone," Holt says. "Imagine a reporter being able to cover a break story live, beaming pictures from the scene with just his cell phone!" 1:36:18 AM

FOX's Five Second Delay
FOX aired a car chase / standoff situation during the 3pm hour today. It was broadcast on a 5-second delay. Quoting LostRemote: "Not new, I guess, but Shepard Smith wouldn't stop talking about it."
1:29:47 AM

Monday Ratings: Great Night for FOX
Drudge offers some Monday night cable news ratings. O'Reilly netted a 2.7 (wow), H&C; had 2.2, while Greta and Shep tied with 1.6. On CNN, Larry King had a 1.4, while Paula and Aaron had 0.8's. On MSNBC, Hardball had 0.5, Scarborough had 0.4, Olbermann had 0.3, and Norville had 0.2. (Wasn't Debbie supposed to be a savior?) Dennis Miller continues to scrape the bottom with a 0.2. 7:34:04 PM

CNN Plans International Election Coverage
A CNN press release outlines the channel's plans for coverage of elections around the world this year. Of course, it's a safe bet that most of these reports will only appear on the International feed... 2:53:13 PM

Bigtime Blogger on 'Big Story' Today
The National Debate's Robert Cox will be appearing on FOX's 'Big Story' at 5pm today to discuss the NYT lawsuit (and now retraction.) He appeared on Laura Ingraham's radio show today, too. 2:51:58 PM

"I'm anxiously awaiting The Sharpton Factor!"
Al Sharpton "now says he is close to signing a contract to host a radio or cable television talk show," the Boston Globe says today. Howard Kurtz chimes in: "I'm anxiously awaiting The Sharpton Factor!" 2:47:04 PM

Local Telemundo Net Sets Up Shop In Former CNBC Studios
"NBC O&O; WNJU-47-Telemundo will move into the soon-to-be-former home of CNBC in Ft. Lee, N.J. next month," Newsblues reports. CNBC moved to new digs in nearby Englewood Cliffs recently. 9:09:05 AM

Embedding: Chip Reid Says Congress Doesn't Compare
Chip Reid, remembering embedding, on MSNBC.com: "It was only a year ago, but it feels like another lifetime. I cover Congress now. I wear a coat and tie. I go home every night and sleep in a bed. It's safe and secure. And sometimes — it's a bit too predictable. In fact, I'm afraid that whatever I cover as a reporter in the future will never match the adrenaline-induced, heart-in-my-throat sense of anticipation that I felt while embedded with the U.S. Marines on their march from Kuwait to Baghdad. And I suspect it will be very rare that I feel so close to the center of a story of this magnitude." 8:07:55 AM

Embedding: NBC Director describes the "ultimate reality show"
MSNBC.com's 'Objective: Peace' report includes an essay from David Verdi, NBC's exec. director of news. "Gone were the taped, day-old reports from some distant battlefield. [David] Bloom was riding atop an armored vehicle and broadcasting the start of the U.S. military’s charge to Baghdad — live. He was up close and very personal. He seemed to be hosting the ultimate reality show — "The Embeds,” where the stakes were literally life and death." 8:07:35 AM

'TV Worship:' Grrrr
FOX reporter/producer Mike Straka complains about 'TV Worship' in his FOXNews.com column. He does man-on-street interviews for FOX Magazine sometimes. "I can't tell you how many people rush up to our camera just to talk — about anything. I could be reporting about any subject or any person and people will come up and have an opinion, even if they've never heard of said person or place — just to be on television. But here's the real kicker ... a lot of these people don't even ask when the piece will air. So they run up, get their face-time in, but don't even know where or when to watch for themselves. So what's the big deal in the first place?" 8:06:05 AM

Quote of the day
From Howie Kurtz during his online chat, explaining why "news" has more "entertainment:" "Well, the audience does bear some responsibility here. One reason that much of the media have moved in a softer, sometimes junkier direction, why there's so much on Laci and Kobe and Michael Jackson and his sister's wardrobe malfunction, is that news executives are convinced this is what brings in viewers and readers. To some extent consumers vote with their quarters and their remote controls, and therefore bear some responsibility for what the media are dishing out." 12:28:40 AM

The "Gentler, More Gracious" Bill O'Reilly
Jack Shafer says that since he penned a column dissing Bill O'Reilly for his tendency to shout "shut up!" at his guests, the FOX host has toned it down. Bill has "arrested his Tourette's-like tick, declining to tell any person, country, or inanimate object to put a plug in it," the Slate writer writes. "He's become a gentler, more gracious talk show host—when not smirking, interrupting, or sarcastically dismissing his guests." 12:28:08 AM

"I finally have my Dennis back"
Keith forwards some thoughts about Dennis Miller: "I was a big fan of Dennis Miller Live and still a big fan of him now. I am thinking that CNBC has gone and done something the other cable stations have been talking about trying to do: They have made a newer, somewhat more serious version of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart...The studio audience has made a difference and made it better. So kudos to CNBC and DM for the show. I finally have my Dennis back, now for an hour every weeknight." Awww... 12:27:26 AM

Is Neil Cavuto A Hypocrite?
DCRTV Dave writes in to declare "Cavuto the idiot, part 75:" "There was another one of those "buy American" pitches on Neil Cavuto's Fox News Channel business show on Monday. We're supposed to use Irish Spring soap because it's made in the good old USA, but not Jurgens soap, because it's owned by a company across the ocean. Yadda yadda yadda. Well, what about Fox News Channel, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, which is tied to interests in the foreign nation of Australia? Perhaps we should, instead, watch CNN, which is owned by good old USA-based Time Warner. Do your patriotic duty. Turn off Fox News..." Okay, I've got an anti-FOX post, an anti-CNN post -- anybody want to write in to complain about good ol' MSNBC? 6:49:57 PM

Do 60 Protesters Deserve A Top Story Slot?
An anonymous e-mailer wonders why CNN.com's #2 story was about a small gathering of protesters outside the White House. "As of 5pm, CNN's top story (besides its left-hand main story) is "more than 60" protestors. Why is this news?," they ask. By 6:45pm, the story was pulled off the front page and added to a Iraq-wrapup. How many protesters make a protest worth covering? 6:49:25 PM

Quote of the Day, Response
Mark writes in to respond to the Quote of the Day. "Oh? What about NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, and NPR? They advance Kerry's issues and allegations even on days when he's not campaigning! How did the Bush-Is-AWOL story catch fire? How did the concern of a few politically-connected victims' families become A-block news for days on end? (Here's the answer.) 6:48:54 PM

Blitzer: "I was wrong" about embed skepticism
Wolf Blitzer, reminiscing about war embedding during his noon hour show: "I was skeptical going in. As a former Pentagon reporter, [I was] skeptical that the military would actually let us have the access that we wanted. I always hear that things got bad, they would cut it off right away. I was also skeptical that the equipment, [if] the new generation of mini cams and satellite phones would work in a desert kind of environment. And the third concern, Bernard Shaw had raised it before the war, is that journalists might get overly close to the sources that they're covering and might not provide the kind of responsible, critical coverage that the American public and the military deserves. But I think I was wrong on all those points." 3:44:04 PM

CNN's "Year In Iraq" -- Premature?
CNN's "A Year In Iraq" graphics are very nice -- I wish CNN always looked that good. But what exactly is the point of these hourly reports near the top of the hour? I can understand doing some segments on Thursday and Friday -- in fact, I would offer special programming from sunrise to sunset -- but why are these reports deserving of the A block today? 3:42:44 PM

More Free Publicity For Jayson Blair
Jayson Blair sat down with FOX & Friends at 8:30am this morning, and is joining John Gibson during the 5pm hour. It led some FReepers to ask why he's getting all the free publicity. "Why should we care what that lying little slime has to say? I couldn't believe when I heard FNC was having him on to tout his book," one poster said. "The media should have more integrity, especially after what Blair did and probably continues to do," another commented. But one person pointed out that it's "too easy to pass on" -- "the media is pursuing a pandering style designed to maximize viewership"... 3:41:43 PM

FOX Same-Sex Music Sounds Like "Parody of Local News," Shep Says
Jane laughed at her 'Skinnerville' music on Studio B today. Shep commented that it was one of the best FOX themes, and said that some of the other themes sound like a parody of local news. "Can you pull up that same-sex wedding thing," he asked. "It sounds like a parody of local eyewitness news." After the control room played it, Shep mocked: "Now here comes [an anchor] to tell you about disaster." Jane remarked that the music doesn't really "feel" like the issue. "Usually homeland security feels like homeland security, war on terror [feels like] war on terror," she said. I'm not a fan of it, either... 3:39:12 PM

CNBC's "Big Idea" Goes Bust
Another CNBC primetime shift: Donny's "Big Idea" has been replaced by "Cover to Cover" on Wednesday nights, and another rerun of the "Apprentice" has replaced "The News." Here's the press release. 3:32:19 PM

Quote of the day
BuzzFlash interviews Eric Alterman: "The right-wing has this enormous echo chamber, and it helps because it can force the media, particularly through cable news shows, to focus on what the right-wing thinks is important. The left doesn't have anything like that. It's starting to build this. It's finally getting its act together in the sense of creating the various mechanisms necessary to play the game the White House plays." 3:30:08 PM

Studying the Media: Looking Into The Crystal Ball
So what does the future hold? Some predictions: "[FOX] will not abandon its marketing claim to fairness." // "CNN may try to stake out the position that it is the choice of upscale news viewers who are uncomfortable with the angry, disenfranchised talk radio tone of Fox News, particularly in the evening. While the numbers may not be reflected in the ratings, CNN will stress its audience of business travelers in hotels and airports and even those in government capitals and newsrooms, where opinion shaping supposedly occurs." // "MSNBC could try to position itself as the choice for younger viewers." 12:34:08 AM

Studying the Media: "The age of innovation" in cable news "is no more"
The report says that cable's audiences are "not as large or as constant as its boosters depict." Quoting a snippet: "The growth of its core audience reached a peak around the time of the September 11 attacks and has stalled since. Inside cable newsrooms, Fox still seems to be trying to build staff (perhaps because, unlike CNN and MSNBC, it is still gaining audience) but, overall, the age of innovation and investment in new kinds of programs or people that characterized cable news is no more." 12:33:56 AM

Studying the Media: The Difference Between CNN and ABC
In USA Today's Monday editions, Peter Johnson uses former CNNer, current ABCer Jonathan Karl as an example of why cable's live-is-good model is actually bad. P.J. writes that it constrained news reporting. Quoting Karl: "I can't tell you how many times I'd be on the air and my cell phone would ring, but I couldn't answer it. I knew it was a source, but I couldn't say, 'Hey, wait a minute, I've got a call.'" Working for WNT is different. "When you're reporting for one show at 6:30 p.m., you have enough time to report in depth," J.K. says. "There is much more emphasis here on produced pieces, putting information in context." That's good, Karl, but it's too bad viewers start changing the channel... 12:32:49 AM

Studying the Media: "Jumbled, chaotic, partial" reports
An important theme in the report surrounds the 'instant' quality of news: "In many parts of the news media, we are increasingly getting the raw elements of news as the end product. This is particularly true in the newer, 24-hour media. In cable and online, there is a tendency toward a jumbled, chaotic, partial quality in some reports, without much synthesis or even the ordering of the information." My questions: Is this really better for the consumer? Do viewers want this? Should we really see the sausage being made? 12:32:41 AM

Studying the Media: Other Notable Study Snippets
> "...Managers in the control room...function as the real agents of influence in cable"
> "Why is CNN so much more robust financially when it is trailing Fox News in ratings?"
> "Cable may have even surpassed network as a source for news and information"
> "The landscape for cable could change perhaps if the London-based BBC moves forward with plans it has reportedly considered to move seriously into the American market with its 24-hour cable channel, BBC World"
12:31:29 AM

Studying the Media: Is FOX The New News "Barometer?"
PEJ, writing about September 11, the Columbia disaster, and the war in Iraq: "Three events in recent years suggest the "barometer" role may have passed from CNN to Fox News. In other words, Fox News may have become the channel that viewers associate with breaking news, although this does not lead to a lasting loyalty." 12:31:23 AM

Studying the Media: Cable Loves Govt. and Crime; Ignores Edu. and Health
The study offers a break-down of topics on cable news. "On the weekdays we studied, none of the three cable networks produced any programs devoted to in-depth coverage of any other specialized areas, social issues or other domestic or international themes." If people had watched one of the cable channels for 16 hours, they would see two minutes about education, one minute about the environment, one minute about healthcare... 12:30:37 AM

Studying the Media: Cable's Four Dayparts
The report says that there are "four distinct personalities" to the cable news day: morning news, daytime, early evening and prime time. "Except in the morning, they bear striking resemblances on all three channels." A choice quote: "As the cable channels move into prime time, after 8 p.m., the term "cable news" is arguably something of a misnomer altogether. Few of the programs are newscasts in the traditional sense of the term. They might more accurately be described as talk radio on television - interview programs, often with people who are also radio talk show hosts during the day." 12:30:36 AM

Studying the Media: Impact of CNN's '01 Cost-per-minute Analysis
Scary: "When AOL purchased Time Warner in 2001, one early move of the new company's executives...was to institute a cost per minute analysis of the network. How much did it cost Fox News to produce a minute of its news versus CNN to produce a minute of its programming? The result of the AOL analysis was this: CNN was spending too much. It needed to rid itself of people and bureaus - as it turned out including many of its more senior journalists...In quick succession, some of CNN's most familiar on-camera faces were gone, as well as many behind-the-scenes staff..." 12:30:03 AM

Studying the Media: "Constant repetition" and a "narrow news agenda"
"Fox, CNN and MSNBC all pick five or so stories each morning, then recycle the same information throughout the day," USA Today says. "Only 5% of stories on cable have new information, the study found, while two-thirds of stories repeat the same facts over and over." "The cable channels would have you believe that these stories they turn to again are developing stories they are following and updating through the course of the day. It turns out that is not the case," the PEJ study states. "Hour after hour, across all parts of the day, cable television news features constant repetition, a narrow news agenda, an obsession with headlines, scanty sourcing and little autonomy for correspondents in the field," the report says. (Ouch.) 12:29:58 AM

Studying the Media: O.J. Resulted In Repetitiveness, Senso Says
In the Chicago Tribune, John Cook says that the "trend toward repeating a few stories incessantly dates to the famed 1994 O.J. Simpson car chase." He quotes former CNN DC chief Frank Sesno: "It was, if not the origin, than one of the historical markers. Market research showed that cable news was more effective if you go to the big story and you stay with it. That, unfortunately, can have a tendency to be repetitive and incremental, rather than substantive." 12:29:43 AM

Studying the Media: For Cable, "Live Mode" is Now the Norm
PEJ calls it "the abandonment of the written edited story." Quoting the report: "Of the 240 hours of programming studied, only 11 percent of that time and 8 percent of the stories consisted of written and edited packages...Instead, 62 percent of the time on cable is conducted in "live" mode." Interviews account for 41%; standups are 21%; 'anchor reads' are 15%; live events are 8%; and 'banter' is 3%. (Wow.) The report notes that this "de-emphasizes the role of the reporter" and offers "something close to a first draft" of the news. "What was once the raw ingredient of journalism is now the product," the study concludes... 12:29:11 AM

Studying the Media: A Sample of Headlines
The State-of-the-Media stories all seem to like this juicy quote: "Journalism is going through this great period of transition and dislocation." (It's from Tom Rosenstiel, the director of the project.) Here's a sample of newspaper headlines:
New York Times: "Study Finds a Waning Appetite for News"
Atlanta Journal Constitution: "More flocking to web for news"
Newsday: "Report: Audiences moving toward less traditional media outlets"
USA Today: "This just in: The future of news" 12:27:56 AM

Studying the Media: Journalism's "Epochal Transformation"
David Bauder's lead on the AP wire is important: "Journalism in 2004 is in the midst of an epochal transformation that is complicated by cost-cutting and a public mistrust of the media, a study released Sunday concluded." And: "It painted a picture of a business going through fragmentation and convergence at the same time." 12:27:22 AM

Studying the Media: 500 Page Report Examines Media 2004
Many many kudos to the Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ). In a study funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Columbia University-affiliated group offers a "comprehensive look each year at the state of American journalism." The first report -- 500 pages long -- is officially released Monday. It is called The State of the News Media 2004, and today's posts will focus exclusively on it. Consider it a summary of the summary... 12:25:48 AM

Are Americans Not Informed About Iraq?
People protested for peace at Dover Air Force Base this weekend. They are heading to Washington, so Cori Dauber suggests they stop by NBC: "Doesn't their "Iraq Watch" strategy of merely stating, "X Americans died today" do just as much injustice to the cause of keeping Americans informed about what's going on in Iraq?...Surely they must realize that if they want the American people to know what's really happening, then their real beef can't lie only with the government." 11:15:34 PM

How O'Reilly Creates a "No-Win Zone"
The college paper op-ed examines "O'Reilly's no-win zone:" "O'Reilly's program is called the "The O'Reilly Factor" for a good reason: There are several underlying factors associated with "The Factor" that help swing the advantage to O'Reilly every time. By themselves, these factors don't appear to move the pendulum very much; but working together and in collaboration with O'Reilly's respectable debating skills, these factors result in "advantage O'Reilly" every time." Here's how... 2:19:01 PM

It's The Weekend, So Where's MSNBC?...
An anonymous e-mailer notes: "I was watching CNN Saturday afternoon during the middle of their coverage on the demonstrations in Spain...CNN was live, so was FNC (not as good as CNN's coverage), but MSNBC was airing 'Headliners & Legends -- Howard Stern.'" The MSN group thinks that MSNBC is terrible again today, with little coverage of the Israel bombing... 2:18:08 PM