Media News

Thursday, 11/19/2009

Jon Stewart: 'From Optional to Indispensable'

NBC's Brian Williams writes: "In just the span of a short few years, Jon Stewart has gone from optional to indispensable... On occasion, when we’ve been on the cusp of doing something completely inane on NBC Nightly News, I will gently suggest to my colleagues that we simply courier the tape over to Jon’s office, to spare the Daily Show interns the time and trouble of logging our broadcast that night."

Wednesday, 11/18/2009

Morning Joe Steadily Loses Steam

From Sept. 1 through Nov. 13, according to The Observer’s analysis of Nielsen numbers, Morning Joe has averaged 357,000 total viewers and 124,000 in the 25- to 54-year-old demographic—down 35 percent and 43 percent, respectively, from the same time period last year.

Layoffs Begin at The Associated Press

Layoffs began yesterday at The Associated Press, according to employees there, as the company follows through on a commitment made a year ago to lower its payroll costs by 10 percent by the end of 2009. Much of the reduction was achieved through voluntary buyouts and attrition brought about by a hiring freeze, so it is not clear how far The A.P. is from its target, or how many people are being dismissed.

Tuesday, 11/17/2009

Palin Calls Newsweek Cover Photo 'Sexist'

Sarah Palin blasted Newsweek on her Facebook page because the news magazine used a photo she took for Runner's World as this week's cover. She wrote that the "out-of-context Newsweek approach is sexist and oh-so-expected by now." Editor Jon Meacham responded in an email to POLITICO: "We chose the most interesting image available to us to illustrate the theme of the cover, which is what we always try to do."

Study Points to Healthy Newspaper Readership

A new study from Scarborough Research finds that 74 percent of adults -- nearly 171 million -- in the United States read a newspaper in print or online during the past week. This number counters the notion that newspapers no longer impact consumers. The data is the latest analysis of Scarborough Integrated Newspaper Audience (INA) report that measures the audience of the newspaper industry.

Monday, 11/16/2009

About Half in U.S. Would Pay for Online News

Americans, it turns out, are less willing than people in many other Western countries to pay for their online news, according to a new study by the Boston Consulting Group. Among regular Internet users in the United States, 48 percent said that they would pay to read news online, including on mobile devices. That result tied with Britain for the lowest figure among nine countries where where the surveys were commissioned.

Friday, 11/13/2009

Is Fox Business Network a Lost Cause?

When the Fox Business Network launched, on October 15, 2007, its executives were perfectly clear about their ambitions. “I’m not interested in anything short of a revolution,” Roger Ailes, chairman and C.E.O. of both Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network, said at the time. More than two years in, however, FBN has barely made its presence felt, let alone threatened CNBC’s dominance.

Solomon Resigns From Washington Times

John Solomon, executive editor of the Washington Times, who has been missing from the newsroom following a shake-up on the paper's business-side Monday, has resigned. However, the news didn't come from Solomon, who has not returned multiple requests from POLITICO since Sunday night. Instead, publicist Don Meyer sent a one-line email that Solomon resigned, effective Nov. 6.

Thursday, 11/12/2009

Newsweek to Layoff About a Dozen Staffers

Newsweek editor Jon Meacham informed staff yesterday that about a dozen positions would be eliminated due to the "economic climate in publishing." Meacham, in a memo obtained by POLITICO, noted that the magazine has taken a different direction this year, and despite the layoffs claimed that it "continues to appear promising in terms of building and retaining an engaged audience that we hope will be attractive to advertisers."

Anchor Lou Dobbs Resigns From CNN

Lou Dobbs, the most opinionated and divisive anchor at a cable network that bills itself as a straight-news oasis, resigned from CNN on Wednesday night, saying in his final broadcast that he wants "to go beyond the role" of a television journalist in tackling the country's problems. The surprise announcement by Dobbs, whose fervent opposition to illegal immigration has come to define his career, stunned most staffers at the network he helped launch in 1980.