Romenesko

Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA)
AAJA says it's difficult to believe in this day and age that "Today" host Kathie Lee Gifford would tell a story using a mock "Chinese" accent. "If that weren't bad enough, Gifford decided to spice up her performance by squinting her eyes into slits," the Asian journalists group says in a complaint letter to NBC News and Gifford.

PBS.org
"I too, applaud PBS's decision to give its viewers a nightly full dose of the event," writes ombudsman Michael Getler. "After the pats on the back [from viewers] come groups of critical letters: too many white guys, in general, discussing blacks, no women included in the analysis, and too much yakking by analysts generally."
> A record-setting 38 million TV viewers watched Obama's speech

> Financial setbacks force Daily Orange to eliminate Friday paper
> Ex-Cedar Rapids editor Bowden joins Iowa Board of Medicine
> St. Pete Times reporter French to teach at Indiana University
> Hiskey leaves the Journal-Constitution, plans to work on memoir
> Fox News' Shively "always liked the spotlight," says her sister
> Fox Newser says MSNBC "lies about not having a political ideology"
> Colorado Daily changes course, stays away from political issues
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New York Times Magazine
There was a suicide in Virginia Heffernan's Brooklyn neighborhood recently and nobody blogged about the death -- at least to Heffernan's satisfaction. When she told journalism prof Bill Reader of "my disappointment in the laxity of online citizen journalists, he surprised me by asking why I was being such a scold. The question stung."

Wall Street Journal
In it, John McCain's running mate discusses her unusual workout and fitness routine. ("My family and I eat a healthy diet heavy in wild Alaskan seafood, moose, caribou and fresh fruit," says Sarah Palin.) Also, the Journal sends bloggers the link to its July 31 piece, "Alaska's Palin Faces Probe."

Miami Herald | Romenesko Memos
McClatchy's Miami Herald, Tribune's Sun-Sentinel and Cox's Palm Beach Post announced content-sharing plans that will involve exchanging basic news stories. The experiment, which begins Monday and runs for a three-month trial period, will enable the papers to trade coverage of routine events and feature reviews. || Read the memo to Miami Herald staffers.

NBC News
Brian Williams says "there are real concerns the Portland Press Herald might not be around much longer ... another victim of the web and our changing times." Watch Janet Shamlian's report. || Earlier: Press Herald publisher says closing of paper not likely.

Boston Globe
The four-person crew from Emerson College's WEBN-TV didn't have press credentials, but they still managed to cover the Democratic convention. "We say, 'We're students, we just want to see what it's like inside.' We have to work it if we want to get anywhere," says student producer Magdalena Parker. (Last column item.)

Tampabay.com
"There’s plenty of reporters covering the Republican convention," says Anderson Cooper. "Whether the storm hits New Orleans or anywhere along the Gulf Coast, we've been committed to telling the continuing story [there] since Katrina."

Forbes.com
"I won't say it's a slam-dunk that we're going to be a success," says Politico executive editor Jim VandeHei. "The truth is we're spending a lot of money." He adds that the company could start turning a profit next year -- with a lot of help from the print edition. "We need the newspaper."

New York Post
Bloomberg News editor-in-chief Matt Winkler is infamous for his impatience with gaffes, but his spokeswoman tells Kaja Whitehouse that reports that heads would roll over the publication of Steve Jobs' obit are "nonsense."

The Hill | New York Observer
Andy Barr reports that several members of the media were seen cheering and clapping for Barack Obama as he accepted the Democratic nomination. || Sun-Times (item #2): WGN-TV anchor Allison Payne was seen cheering and clapping. || John Koblin: Who was sitting where in the press box.
> Olbermann rips APer Babington's analysis of speech

Editor & Publisher
The Spokesman-Review is challenging the Associated Press requirement that a two-year notice be given to cancel its service. The paper says AP's new rate structure, set to take effect at the beginning of 2009, represents a new contract, so the paper isn't bound by the old agreement that requires the notice.

Washington Post
CNN boasted that its coverage of Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention beat not only Fox News  and MSNBC but also ABC, CBS and even usual top-dog NBC. "Hooey," responded NBC, according to Lisa de Moraes' report. NBC claimed it once again was the most-watched network from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET, as it has been every night of the convention.

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New York Observer
Michael Wolff believes Rupert Murdoch agreed to be interviewed for a book because "he is just pleased as punch with himself -- in a good way. There's no arrogance particularly, though he has occasionally been arrogant although not with me. I think he's just delighted. Getting the Journal is really that capper of a career." Wolff adds: "I had complete access... not just to News Corp. people, but also to all his children and his wife, who have been incredibly open and generous and really revealing."

The Maneater | University of Missouri
Two University of Missouri professors found that many readers don't understand health stories and very few health journalists understand how little their readers comprehend. "Many journalists find it difficult to explain health information to their readers, while maintaining the information's scientific credibility," says Maria Len-Rios. "They have to resist 'bogging down' the story with too much technical science data and 'dumbing down' the story with overly simplistic recommendations." || Read the release.

Romenesko Misc.
"It does not speak well for you," Roger Ebert tells Jay Mariotti in an open letter. "Your timing was exquisite. You signed a new contract, waited until days after the newspaper had paid for your trip to Beijing at great cost, and then resigned with a two-word e-mail: 'I quit.' You saved your explanation for a local television station. ...I think you owed us more than that. You owed us decency. The fact that you saved your attack for TV only completes our portrait of you as a rat."

> Mayer: Un-telegenic reporters more likely to know the score
> Seventeen students begin classes at Medill campus in Qatar
> USN&WR traffic doubles with relaunch of Best Colleges portal
> San Diego Union-Trib offers buyouts for third time in 18 months
> NTSB releases report on July 2007 Phoenix TV chopper crash
> Missoulian cuts staff by seven | Seven at Worcester mag let go

PBS MediaShift
The staid C-SPAN network is using live-streaming Qik cams at the convention, notes Mark Glaser, while independent bloggers in the Big Tent have succeeded in getting big names to participate in panels and interviews. "At what point does blog coverage become indistinguishable from coverage by mainstream media?" he asks.
> DNC ratings reflect "startling growth" of cable news since 2004
> Newmark's just pretending to be a reporter at DNC | His tweats

Boston Herald
"This is crazy. They say I'm coming to NESN, they say I'm coming to the Globe, they say I'm coming to WEEI. I have had no discussions with anybody in Boston about the Red Sox, Tom Brady's foot or me working there," says Jay Mariotti.

Westword
Jason Sheehan says New York Post columnist Cindy Adams embarrasses herself with her dispatches from Denver. "You, with no story to tell and nothing but a light bag of wasted platitudes, wrong facts and misspellings to your credit, should've just taken the week off and called in mute," he writes. || Re New York vs. Denver: "Unlike your subways, our city doesn't smell like piss all the time. Like cow shit now and then when the winds are right. Occasionally like dog food when the breeze comes across Commerce City. But your tiny island nation corners the market on bum pee."

Editor & Publisher
With Tropical Storm Gustav possibly targeting New Orleans, the Times-Picayune is having to mix reminders of 2005's storm with preparations for yet another potential devastation, reports Joe Strupp. For this storm, "we have more equipment, more air cards," says managing editor/news Peter Kovacs. "We have stuff that was not as widely available in 2005."

Portland Press Herald
Blethen Maine Newspapers and the investment group that's seeking to buy the company's properties have ended an agreement that gave the group exclusive negotiating rights. Richard Connor of Maine Media Investment says his group is still bullish on the Portland Press Herald and other papers and continues to work toward a purchase.

USA Today
"The whole idea that we're the beacon of integrity is ridiculous," says Jon Stewart. "We get far more attention from you guys than we should." He notes that "The Daily Show" has never produced two weeks in a row on the road -- it's going from Denver to St. Paul -- and there's "always the fear you run out of juice."

New York Post | Mediaweek
William Schenck is Rolling Stone's fourth publisher in 2 1/2 years. He had been at Jann Wenner's Men's Journal for five years. || Related story.

GetReligion.org
Terry Mattingly bemoans the loss of religion writers at newspapers. "Do not click 'comment' and tell me that you get all the news you need from the Internet and from blogs," he tells readers. "It takes real money to pay people to report and edit real information. Most of what happens in weblogs -- like this one, frankly -- is secondary writing and criticism. We are all like those little fish stuck on the flanks of big sharks. Someone has to fund the shark, which does the real hunting."

Wall Street Journal
Robert Gibbs, 37, is in charge of responding to the 24/7 news cycle, schmoozing with the press and fighting back when he disagrees with its reporting -- which has won him the label of "the enforcer," writes Monica Langley.
> Obama camp goes after WGN for giving air time to critic | More

Gawker
Steve Jobs' obit crossed the Bloomberg wire late Wednesday afternoon, then suddenly disappeared. "The obituary contains nothing to indicate Bloomberg has new information on Jobs's health, at least in our quick skim," writes Ryan Tate, who posts the obit.

Washington Post
"You pick up on the energy of your surroundings," says Katie Couric while cover the Democratic convention. "It's much more like my old job. I can really loosen up." At the DNC, writes Howard Kurtz, "she is, suddenly, the 'Today' show Katie, fun-loving and wisecracking, not the more sober figure who has drawn mixed reviews in her nearly two years behind the anchor desk."

New York Times
"The news media is supposed to be to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted," writes Nick Kristof. "Instead, I managed to afflict the afflicted." Steven Hatfill's suit against the columnist and his paper was dismissed, "yet even if I don't have a legal obligation, I do feel a moral one to express regret for any added distress from my columns."

Chicago Tribune
"But he nonetheless became so much a part of the Sun-Times brand that the cash-strapped paper always felt compelled to re-sign him," writes Phil Rosenthal. But now, "Jay Mariotti has taken a break from pounding on Jerry Reinsdorf, Halas Hall and the Tribsters who run the Cubs to slam his old employer, Sun-Times Media Group, which is having a worse season than any of them." || ALSO: Rival columnist Rick Telander on Mariotti's departure.
> Sun-Times scribe says Mariotti's acting like a scorned lover
> Did Mariotti quit because he didn't get to write a column?
> Sun-Times markets Mariotti departure as great for readers
> E&P's Fitzgerald will miss Chicago's loudest sportswriter

Crain's Chicago Business
Contrary to a prototype leaked to E&P, the Chicago Tribune won't splash its "Trib" nickname atop the front page, reports Ann Saphir. She's told that more recent prototypes show the paper using the full name in its traditional gothic font but with "Chicago" and "Tribune" stacked on top of one another, creating a box that can be moved depending on the page's design needs. The new look debuts Sept. 29.

Miami New Times
George Volsky is exposing City Hall shenanigans for the Coral Gables Gazette these days. A receptionist in the mayor's office complains that the 87-year-old newsman "doesn't report the positive. We call him the National Enquirer reporter." Volsky's view: "People think Coral Gables is squeaky-clean. But it's going down the drain."

ABC News
Police in Denver arrested an ABC News producer Asa Eslocker Wednesday today as he and a camera crew were trying to take pictures on a public sidewalk of Democratic senators and VIP donors leaving a private meeting at a hotel. Eslocker and his crew have been investigating the role of corporate lobbyists and wealthy donors at the convention.

Columbia Journalism Review
Justin Peters claims 7,500 aren't doing much at all. "This isn't surprising. Only a small number of reporters actually have a reason to be here." || Jane Kim: "The press head count of 15,000 is staggering and absolutely worth questioning. But the bulk of Jack Shafer's argument -- that there's no news, and therefore no need for reporters -- sounds like croaking for croaking's sake."

Boston Herald
The rap trio East Coast Avengers say the threats they're receving via e-mail and MySpace posts "all get about a D-minus in grammar and spelling." In their "Kill Bill O'Reilly" single, the lyrics call for the Fox News star to "be hanged like Benito Mussolini and otherwise killed."

TPM Election Central
"I'm not gonna take any lectures on how to be a good Democrat from two people who spent the last two years relentlessly attacking Bill and Hillary Clinton everyday," Howard Wolfson said on Fox News. On MSNBC yesterday, Chris Matthews described Wolfson as Fox's "little toy soldier," while Keith Olbermann joked that Wolfson is Fox's "Tokyo Rose." || Related comment from Fox News veep John Moody.

Romenesko Misc.
"The Chicago Sun-Times had the best sports section in the city before Jay Mariotti came to town -- that's why he signed up with us -- and his departure does not change that," says editor-in-chief Michael Cooke, adding that "stars come and stars go."
> Letters: Mariotti's wrong about young people and newspapers

> Time exec: All we do now applies to a 24/7 news experience
> Hunt's advice to convention journalists: Avoid the porta-potties
> Rick Warren's talking to Reader's Digest about starting a mag
> Maddow's trying to keep it together at her first convention
> Critic's verdict on Plain Dealer's website redesign: Not bad
> Folkenflik: Everyone trashes the media -- especially the media
> Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma names nine fellows
> Pulitzer winner French retires from Poynter's St. Pete Times

Texas Monthly
"A sizable number of people out there want a summary of the important news of the day," says Bob Schieffer. "People now know the news before they sit down to watch the evening news, so you have to keep that in mind, which means more analysis." Evan Smith asks the CBS News veteran about reports that he didn't approve of Katie Couric's selection. "That was all just totally erroneous. I was basically in charge of the welcome wagon when Katie came to CBS, and I did everything I could to make her welcome there."

The Big Lead
What Jay Mariotti said on the radio this morning after announcing he's leaving the Sun-Times:
* "Our fathers may read a newspaper over coffee, but I don't know anyone under 40 who is picking up a newspaper and reading it."
* "The print product is dead. It all has to be fed into the internet product now."
* "I think newspapers that aren't competing on the Internet are dead in the water. The [Sun-Times] has made some strides … but it's maddening trying to compete against [the Chicago Tribune] that is well-established and well-read."
> Sun-Times forced to make more cuts, "awful" ad revenues blamed