Across The Media Universe: Leaning On The New York Times Edition

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Across The Media Universe

(AP Photo/Harpo Productions)

Freelabor.blogspot.com: A free daily in Boston called BostonNow is printing work by bloggers. Naturally, "they have not… received money from the paper for their work," but they do get "press credentials or consulting services to help bloggers make money from traffic on their sites." Um, thanks?

Sue You Guys, I'm Going Home: Journalists may be getting dragged into court with depressing regularity lately, but three reporters actually want to see the inside of a courtroom. That's because investigators working for Hewlett-Packard examined their phone records, prompting them to sue for invasion of privacy. (Some of the other journalists who were monitored are in settlement discussions with the company.) The lawsuit is an unusual step – as the Times points out, "[n]ews organizations and reporters generally decline to pursue financial settlements with companies or individuals they write about because of the possible perception that they might be trading coverage for compensation."

Meanwhile, Ricki Lake Endorses Mike Gravel: Oprah Winfrey can sell books, bald advice-peddlers, and "Superfoods." But can she sell a presidential candidate? Winfrey told Larry King that she was supporting Barack Obama "because I know him personally." Hillary Clinton, it's worth noting, has been on Oprah's show, chatting with her on her 50th birthday a decade ago. "She loves Oprah," Marsha Berry, Clinton's spokeswoman, said at the time. Awkward!