The TV upfronts—when networks present their new fall lineups, in hopes that advertisers will love it and spend millions—have started, and if it's not a monkey on the shoulder of a former Hell's Kitchen rocker-turned-"Uncle Andy" (go to the 50-second mark) and seeing Britney Spears as a X-Factor judge (3-minute mark), then it's all about the lavish parties and the food the networks will provide to make sure advertisers are happy and full enough to let their guards down and open their media spending wallets. more ›

In his column yesterday, The New York Times' public editor Arthur Brisbane cites a study published in February that shows the paper was significantly kinder to President Obama in his first year in office than presidents Reagan, Clinton, and George W. Bush. "Readers deserve to know: Who is the real Barack Obama?" Brisbane writes. "And The Times needs to show that it can address the question in a hard-nosed, unbiased way." Somehow we suspect that a collectible Mitt Romney Presidential Saltine Canister won't pay the bills, but maybe some more coverage of Obama's dog-eating youth in Indonesia and more Solyndra will. more ›

Alec Baldwin is a talented actor, but it seems like he's terrible at relaxing. After news broke this week about his alleged stalker (which brought the disgust of Andrea Pesyer, plus some Today Show employees to try to interview him at his home) and an incident last week where the Daily News sent a reporter and photographer to his fiancee's yoga class, Baldwin has been complaining about the media and the kind of attention that's paid to an Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning and Oscar-nominated celebrity. So he's in Rome right now, yet he's still lashing out: more ›

What's a Gawker? Fox News chief Roger Ailes would like to know, because he is in the news business and has no time for such frivolities as "web sites" or "web logs." Yesterday, after a Fox News associate producer was dismissed (with pay, he says!) for talking trash about the news channel on Gawker, Ailes was asked for his thoughts about the so-called "Gawker mole." "What is Gawker? Is that that pornographic website?" Ailes asked The Hollywood Reporter. "I only knew it as a pornographic website that everyone said you have to stay away from." more ›

60 Minutes veteran Mike Wallace, a pioneer in the form of broadcast journalism, has died at the age of 93. According to the Times, Wallace died in New Haven Connecticut, and CBS's Bob Scheiffer said "his family was with him." Wallace had been ill for several years, and underwent triple bypass surgery in 2008. more ›

Earlier this week, pioneering black journalist Gil Noble passed away at age 80 in a NJ hospital. Harlem native Noble—who had a stroke last year—was as the Daily News puts it, "one of the first black reporters in the mainstream media when he went to work at Ch. 7/WABC in 1967." He is best known for his public affairs program, "Like It Is." more ›

On Tuesday, the NY Post ran an article about NJ Governor Chris Christie's visit to Israel with the headline, "The whale in the wall." It was classic Post, but it was still too much for former NJ Governor and current State Senator Richard Codey. more ›

Former half-term Alaska governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin co-hosted the Today Show today (as part of the NBC's program to counter Katie Couric's stint on Good Morning, America). The show spoofed her love of printed media and also showed her "taking over" Matt Lauer's dressing room. How come Bob Dole never got a gig like this? more ›

We've spent the better part of today curled in a ball, surrounded by our hardcover copies of Pitchforks and Torches, wondering where it all went wrong. How could Current TV do this to Keith "Just a Regular Guy" Olbermann? Based on various reports, it sounds as if Keith didn't feel like working for a low-budget TV network—and that low-budget TV network, headed up by Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, were tired of putting up with a high-maintenance talking head. more ›

It's been nearly a month since mother-of-four Anna Gristina has been accused of running a multimillion-dollar prostitution ring.Aside from allegations that she has a juicy client list that may or may not include former presidential candidate John Edwards and that she's a "vindictive bitch", most of the recent news has been about the money laundering angle. Until now: The Observer suggests that NY Post editor-in-chief Col Allan was mentioned by Gristina in conversations recorded by the authorities. more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Current TV has suddenly axed Keith Olbermann, whose show will be replaced by a new program hosted by former governor Eliot Spitzer, starting tonight. In an open letter to viewers, Current's founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt wrote, "We’re very excited to announce that beginning tonight, former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer will host 'Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer,' at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT. Eliot is a veteran public servant and an astute observer of the issues of the day." And his last TV show was such a hit, this one can't miss! more ›

About an hour ago, the NYPD's Department of Public Information (DCPI) accidentally CC'd their entire email list on a routine press release. Normally this list of about 230 email addresses is BCC'd. This list is very interesting, because it tells who the NYPD is informing about major crimes— a who's who list of the "credentialed" NYC media establishment. more ›

NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly was grilled by City Council members at a hearing today, and while most of the questioning had to do with the NYPD's stop-and-frisk policy and Muslim surveillance, Popeye also addressed his department's treatment of the fourth estate. The NYPD has been criticized for allegedly harassing journalists, particularly when policing political demonstrations. After today's hearing, Politicker asked Kelly about the NYPD's relationship status with the media. more ›

Last night, Jon Stewart looked at the rhetoric around Rush Limbaugh's slut shaming and how Limbaugh and other conservative commentators feel wounded because liberal comedians or commentators like Bill Maher and Ed Schultz have called Republican women horrible things with consequence. more ›

The startling news that Sue Simmons will be ending her stint as beloved WNBC anchor this summer—apparently due to her $5 million salary, as well as her rumored unwillingness to be cooperative—is now moving into the "what's next" phase, and attention is on noon and 5 p.m. newscast anchor Shiba Russell. Well, does she do a groundhog impression? more ›

The bombshell news that WNBC 4 is not renewing beloved anchorwoman Sue Simmons' contract continues to shock tri-state residents who have grown up loving her warm, wacky rapport with everyone around her. But the NY Post suggests that her antics off-set, plus a $5 million salary, were impetus for the decision: A station source said, “It is a lot of money, and many people have been under the impression that Sue had been phoning it in for a while." Fine, WNBC wants to deny us the pleasure of her messing around with Brian Williams. more ›

A dozen protesters were arrested during last week's Occupy Wall Street demonstrations against Bank of America and other symbols of corporate hegemony in New York, and as is custom for many OWS events, there was plenty of media on hand. Despite a memo from Commissioner Kelly directing the NYPD to respect the rights of the media, and the department's disciplinary actions against an officer who blocked a Times freelancer from doing his job in December, this video shows an officer hitting a credentialed photographer's lens and saying repeatedly, "My personal space, sir." more ›

The controversy over ESPN.com's unfortunate headline about New York Knick Jeremy Lin's bad game against the New Orleans Hornets—"Chink In The Armor"—has led to, uh, lintrospection about how the media looks at Linsanity, as well as Asian-Americans. more ›

Superman is currently atop the statue of George Washington in Union Square. And it appears that he needs a man bun. Twitter users and our handy police blotter note that a large crowd has gathered around Superman, who may or may not be shouting something about freeing humanity. Oh get a job, Superman! We know print media's in a tough spot right now but if you send your resume to BuzzFeed Ben he may bite. more ›

After a CBS Sports college football blog reported that Penn State coaching legend was dead, many believed that the 85-year-old, who is battling lung cancer from a hospital room, had passed. But his family said, actually, no, JoePa is alive. His son Scott Paterno Tweeted, "CBS report is wrong - Dad is alive but in serious condition. We continue to ask for your prayers and privacy during this time." more ›

Was the New York Times' precious email list of subscribers just hacked? Are you and your children safe from "hackers" who will try to "hack" away at your "cyber limbs" until you bleed binary code? When will we finally stop trusting the Times and just succumb to the warm, hermetic embrace of News Corp? An email that lots of important people received today from "nytimes@email.newyorktimes.com" told them they had cancelled their home delivery subscription, even if they hadn't, and urged them to reconsider. Via Twitter, the New York Times denies sending it, and calls it a "spam message." Can you win a Pulitzer for "Most Polite, Grammatically Correct Spam email?" more ›

After over a hundred Occupy Wall Street protesters gathered in the atrium of the World Financial Center, the NYPD ordered them to disperse, and arrested 17 of them for failing to comply. A video of the incident also shows Robert Stolarik, a credentialed photographer working for the New York Times, having his shot blocked repeatedly by NYPD officers. Now, another video has surfaced showing the NYPD arresting a man who appears to be protester Justin Wedes as he passively stands and films the police ordering protesters to leave. more ›

The "godfather" of modern newspaper design, Louis Silverstein, died yesterday at 92. Among his accomplishments: Introducing white space, using allegorical and metaphorical art, and changing the Times from eight columns to six. more ›

Journalists widely reported being kept from last week's NYPD raid of Zuccotti Park. 10 reporters have been arrested in New York since the protests began, and several have claimed that they were injured by NYPD officers while on the job. In response, New York Times Company Vice President and Assistant General Counsel George Freeman has written a letter to NYPD spokesman Paul Browne condemning the actions of the police and requesting an "immediate meeting" with Browne and Commissioner Ray Kelly. It is signed by representatives from the New York Post, the Daily News, NBC, the Associated Press, and Dow Jones among others. more ›

Stupid "best of" listicles: they're the bread and butter of the blog world, especially in NYC, where we have so much best of everything. And every blogger knows that just tossing the word "Best" into a headline is guaranteed to make it rain page views. (cf. 10 Best "Sasha Grey Reads To Kids" Twitter Jokes.) But the SEO gravy train could be grinding to a halt if the Village Voice prevails in a lawsuit against Time Out, over the magazine's "Best of NYC" issue. more ›

Italy's Prime Minister, Silvio "The Knight" Berlusconi has resigned shortly following the passage of a budget designed to pull the country from the brink of financial disaster. According to Reuters, demonstrators have gathered at President Giorgio Napolitano's residence in Rome and are loudly heckling him with shouts of "resign" and "clowns"—one reporter on the scene notes that she has "never seen anything like this." more ›

Here's an amusing parody about how different media outlets come up with new headlines for the myriad Occupy Wall Street articles that must be churned out on a daily basis. Our favorite is probably the NY Post newsroom's process, which involves a lot of gibberish, rhyming and alliteration. Oh, and the Huffington Post, where an editor asks what the New York Times went with, and decides, "Yeah, just go with that but with a bigger font." more ›