Permanent link to MTA daily media news

PEJ: McCain made almost as much news as Obama last week
For the first time since the general election campaign began in early June, John McCain attracted virtually as much media attention as Barack Obama last week, according to the Project for Excellence in Journalism. McCain’s attack advertising strategy drove the media narrative last week, says PEJ.

Democratic anxiety (by Paul Krugman)

Shouldn’t this lead be bigger? This chart is from Charles Franklin at the incredibly informative Pollster.com. The good news for Democrats is that Obama is doing better than Kerry at this stage, and much better than Gore. The bad news is that Kerry lost, while Gore, despite a huge comeback, won the popular vote but not by enough to overcome chads and felon purges. And this is a very Democratic year. You’ve got a wildly unpopular Republican incumbent and a lousy economy.

Obama stalls in public polling (Politico)
In the two months since Barack Obama captured the Democratic nomination, he has hit a ceiling in public opinion polling, proving unable to make significant gains with any segment of the national electorate. While Obama still leads in most matchups with John McCain, the Illinois senator’s apparent stall in the polls is a sobering reminder to Democrats intoxicated with his campaign’s promises to expand the electoral map beyond the boundaries that have constrained other recent party nominees. That gap between expectations and reality comes as Democrats enjoy the most favorable political winds since at least 1976.

Problems Mount for Barack Obama as the Democratic Convention Nears (by Bonnie Erbe, U.S. News & World Report)
Call it delusional, even fanatical. But a growing Web-based movement of Sen. Hillary Clinton supporters is pressing to have Clinton’s name “placed in nomination” at the Democratic convention in Denver later this month. Some are hoping, as Congressional Quarterly reported, that “if the roll call of the states is conducted, she might—might—still win.”… However unlikely these groups’ chances for success are, the spectacle of continued party disunity must be rattling the cages of Democratic leaders. That, particularly as Obama’s short-lived bounce in the polls (following his travels to the Middle East and Europe in which he appeared to have appointed himself president) has dwindled to nothing.

Veep Choices Matter (Political Wire)
A sneak preview of the latest CBS News poll finds that 67% of Americans say their vote for president will be based mostly on the candidate himself, but 30% say their running mate choices will have a great deal of influence on their decision. That’s twice the number who said the veep picks would matter in 2000.

Insiders Suggest Obama’s Pick Not Soon (Political Wire)
Obama aides tell the Financial Times that “it is unlikely a running mate will be selected before the candidate returns from a week’s holiday in Hawaii, which starts this Friday. That leaves about 10 days until the start of the Democratic party convention in Denver.” They also say it’s not likely to be leaked. “In addition to Michelle Obama, the candidate’s inner circle consists of just three people: David Axelrod, his senior strategist, David Plouffe, his campaign manager, and Robert Gibbs, a senior adviser. All three are intensely loyal and discreet Obama professionals.” Nonetheless, the newspaper suggest Sen. Hillary Clinton “has made a comback” in recent days and may be on the short list.
I don’t believe it.  I think this is just another feint to raise his poll numbers without actually having to ask her to be VP.  There’s no going back after the way he has dissed the Clintons.

The Fairy Tale Revisited Part 3 (by Big Tent Democrat at TalkLeft )
I was struck by Somerby’s quote of Bob Herbert: “…Every day that the campaign is about race is a good day for John McCain. So I guess we understand Mr. McCain’s motivation [in saying Obama ‘played the race card.’]… It is obvious of course but … commenters have decided to forget what happened in January 2008 in the Democratic Party, when “everyday the campaign was about race” was GOOD for Obama. As we know, Bill Clinton has not forgotten… The Obama camp’s refusal to distance itself from the likes of Jackson, Jr. and Jim Clyburn is now costing him…

Paul Krugman wonders why Obama does not associate himself with the economic accomplishments of the Clinton Administration and why he does not tie McCain to the economic failures of the Bush Administration… At this point, it no longer seems bizarre to me. Obama burned his bridges with the Clinton legacy. The funny thing is that the easy obvious way to rebuild the bridge is staring him in the face, and he will not do it – name Hillary Clinton as his VP. This would help him in so many ways, that the decision is a no brainer. But it seems Obama is intent on burying the Clintons forever, even if it puts his own election in jeopardy.

Backers to salute Hillary Clinton with a parade and rally at DNC (Rocky Mountain News)
Hillary Clinton supporters will march through Denver during the Democratic National Convention to show appreciation for the New York senator’s historic primary run and urge the party to place her name in nomination. The city issued a permit Tuesday to Colorado Women Count/Women Vote for a parade on Aug. 26 – the 88th anniversary of women’s suffrage and the date Clinton is rumored to be speaking at the DNC. The group also will team with 18 Million Voices, a national organization of Clinton supporters, for a rally in a yet-to-be-determined Denver park.

Garry Mauro is Going to Denver to Vote For Hillary (by campskunk at Alegre’s Corner)
Garry Mauro is a Texan through and through, and a Hillary supporter until the last dog dies. He was Hillary’s Texas chairman. Hell, he was McGovern’s state chairman, when he no doubt worked with a young couple named Clinton who came down to help out. In the face of skeptical Fox talking head questioning, he says he is going to Denver to vote for Hillary. Show him the roll call vote, and THEN talk to him about supporting the nominee.
Riverdaughter, who broke the story, has the YouTube video.

POLLING FOR HILLARY:  Please call or email and insist that major polls include HRC in polling data for President, now!  (from Ricki Lieberman, via email)
Rasmussen Reports, LLC    Phone: 732-776-9777    
Email: info@rasmussenreports.com
Quinnipiac University    THE POLLING INSTITUTE   203-582-5201
Email: pollinginstitute@quinnipiac.edu
Gallup    Sarah Van Allen    Phone: 877-242-5587 or 202-715-3030    Fax: 202-715-3045
Email: sarah_van_allen@gallup.com

Hillary Clinton to hit campaign trail for Obama
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Hillary Clinton will hit the campaign trail for former presidential rival Barack Obama this month, making her first solo appearance on his behalf since he won their bruising Democratic nominating battle in June. Clinton will host campaign rallies and voter registration events in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Friday and in south Florida on August 21, the Obama campaign said on Tuesday. At least the first event will be without Obama, who heads to Hawaii for a vacation that day.
Macht nichts to me.  Hillary, I love you, but I’m just not going down THAT road with you.

Money Men (by Jake Tapper at Political Punch, ABC News)
Barack Obama’s big donors and bundlers get a once-over in today’s New York Times, which notes that “one-third of his record-breaking haul has come from donations of $1,000 or more: a total of $112 million, more than Senator John McCain, Mr. Obama’s Republican rival, or Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, his opponent in the Democratic primaries, raised in contributions of that size. “Behind those larger donations is a phalanx of more than 500 Obama ‘bundlers,’ fund-raisers who have each collected contributions totaling $50,000 or more. Many of the bundlers come from industries with critical interests in Washington. Nearly three dozen of the bundlers have raised more than $500,000 each, including more than a half-dozen who have passed the $1 million mark and one or two who have exceeded $2 million, according to interviews with fund-raisers.”

WSJ: “Skinny” Obama column didn’t have a racial subtext
Tim Noah says any discussion of Barack Obama’s “skinniness” and its impact on the typical American voter can’t avoid being interpreted as a coded discussion of race. “That’s ridiculous,” responds Amy Chozick, who wrote the Wall Street Journal’s “Too Fit to Be President?” story. Noah says: “I firmly disagree that a racial reading of Chozick’s story is ‘ridiculous,’ and I would counter that any failure on Chozick’s part to recognize such is just a wee bit clueless.” || Aaron Barnhart: The Onion did that story six months ago.
Seriously!

Quote of the Day (Political Wire)
“If you’ve got Michelle as first lady, and Malia and Sasha running around on the South Lawn, that changes how America looks at itself.” — Sen. Barack Obama, in an interview with Essence magazine.
Not racial, though.  No.  Not.  Nuh uh.

McCain Bests Obama With Competitive NBC Olympic Ad Buy
The presidential campaign of Republican candidate John McCain, not wanting to be outdone by rival Democratic candidate Barack Obama, has made a $6 million advertising buy on NBC Universal’s Olympic coverage which begins this Friday night (Aug. 8). The McCain campaign buy comes several weeks after the Obama campaign made a $5 million Olympic ad buy.

Another Corporation Issuing Marching Orders (by Jeff Dinelli at The Left Coaster)
An actual agent’s sign in Mandeville, LA.

Obama ad says McCain is no ‘maverick’ (On Politics, USA Today)
Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama’s campaign just released a new TV ad that answers Republican John McCain’s latest spot. McCain’s team, in the Broken ad it released yesterday, made the case that their guy is a “maverick.” The new Obama ad, called Original, makes the case that McCain would be a president much like the current occupant of the White House.
Lame.  Honestly.

Fill ‘er up, and by the way, vote for Obama (Hot off the Trail, McClatchy)
Barack Obama’s campaign has opened a new front in the war over energy policy–the gasoline pump. Beginning Wednesday, the campaign will begin running ads on those TVs on top of gas pumps in Florida. Gas Station TV will feature an ad called “National Priority.” At the same time, Obama backers will give customers copies of his New Energy for America plan, which includes rebates of up to $1,000 per family to help with energy costs. Of course, that money’s not going into anyone’s pocket anytime soon; the new president doesn’t get sworn in until January.

Paris Hilton responds to the “wrinkly white-haired guy” (Hot off the Trail, McClatchy)
“I’m Paris Hilton and I’m a celebrity, too. Only I’m not from the olden days and I’m not promising change like that other guy. I’m just hot.” She says all this from a lounge chair at a pool, clad in a bathing suit reading a magazine. She goes on to compare the McCain and Obama energy program, and proposes a compromise, and promises a run for president herself…. McCain’s campaign responded Tuesday with its own tongue-in-cheek comment. McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds told Associated Press Hilton apparently supports McCain’s energy ideas. “Paris Hilton might not be as big a celebrity as Barack Obama, but she obviously has a better energy plan,” Bounds said.
Click here to watch Hilton’s ad.

Critical of McCain, Obama quiet on own energy vote
Democratic candidate Barack Obama criticized Republican John McCain on Tuesday for taking a page out of “the Cheney playbook” on energy, overlooking his own support of oil-friendly policies that the unpopular vice president helped to craft… The Obama campaign has said the Illinois senator supported the legislation because it included huge investments in renewable energy. McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds, said, “Barack Obama is opposed to offshore drilling and is also opposed to admitting that he voted for the same corporate giveaways for Big Oil that he’s campaigning against today.”

Wasserman: News media like what helps them prosper, so…
“If [Barack] Obama draws bigger crowds, let’s have more Obama coverage,” writes Edward Wasserman, explaining the networks’ alleged thinking. “The current outsized attention Obama’s getting — notably the three TV networks anchoring their news coverage from his recent international tour — seems a market-savvy response to audience interest.”
Well, yes, but isn’t there a matter of fairness?  We can’t argue for fairness when the other side gets too much coverage if we don’t argue for fairness when OUR side gets the majority of the coverage.

Dana Milbank quits Olbermann over disputed Obama quote (The Raw Story)
In a column that ran in the Washington Post last week, reporter Dana Milbank accused Barack Obama of “hubris” for having allegedly told a private gathering of members of the House of Representatives, “This is the moment … that the world is waiting for. … I have become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions.” Several Congressional aides quickly challenged Milbank’s version of the quote, insisting that he had omitted a crucial transition and that Obama had really said, far more modestly, that the enthusiasm which has met him “is not about me at all. It’s about America. I have just become a symbol.”

The gathering excluded reporters and was not recorded, so there has been no ready way of resolving the argument. It has now spilled over to involve MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann, on whose program Milbank has been a frequent guest. Although Olbermann had not commented publicly on the dispute, he had seemingly been insisting behind the scenes that Milbank owes Obama some form of apology, leading to what is now an extremely public falling-out.

Newt Gingrich has the Rove playbook down on Obama (by John Amato at Crooks and Liars)
[Click through to watch] the video of Hannity and Newt trying to frame Obama into the neat little narrative Rove has created for him. “Gingrich: Narcissistic, stunningly arrogant—need, daring, stunning, full of himself, out of touch, he’s floating 25 feet above the ground, take a week off and get back in touch with reality, sounding goofy…” And so it goes. Newt has the playbook down. Hannity can certainly take everything Obama says out of context like the best of them.

McCain makes the rounds at biker rally (Political Ticker, CNN
McCain felt so comfortable at the [Sturgis Motorcycle Rally] event that he even volunteered his wife for the rally’s traditional beauty pageant, an infamously debauched event that’s been known to feature topless women. “I encouraged Cindy to compete,” McCain said to cheers. “I told her with a little luck she could be the only woman ever to serve as first lady and Miss Buffalo Chip.”

Frustrations Lead McCain Campaign To Limit Reporters’ Access
The popular image of the campaign — McCain bantering with national journalists in the back of his bus — has, in reality, all but vanished. The traveling press is now routinely stiffed in favor of five-minute sit-downs with local reporters. At the same time, the Arizona senator is having trouble making news, or at least news that advances his campaign’s goals.

Did McCain Oust a Reporter From Event Because He Was Black? (fishbowlNY, Media Bistro)
There has been much talk this week regarding John McCain’s apparent turnaround with regards to the press; many people are remarking that the much ballyhooed “Straight Talk Express” has changed lanes. The most recent, and perhaps extreme, case in point is that of Stephen Price, a senior reporter from the Tallahassee Democrat who was kicked out of a McCain event yesterday. He was later told he’d been asked to leave because he was a local reporter in an area reserved for national ones (but wait, isn’t McCain supposed to be all over the local reporters these days?). However, according to Price there were plenty of local reporters around and he was the only one removed. He also happened to be the only black reporter at the event. The McCain camp categorically denies that race had anything to do with the decision.

House Republicans continue their rogue ‘session’ on energy
WASHINGTON — House Republicans completed a third day of their odd revolt over energy that on Tuesday had about 10 lawmakers speaking without microphones to about 100 tourists in a darkened House chamber.

Flashback: Seven years ago today, Bush received ‘Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.’ memo. (Think Progress)
Today marks seven years since the day President Bush received a President’s Daily Brief entitled “Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S.” … At the time, Bush was vacationing at his ranch in Crawford, TX and stayed on vacation the rest of August 2001. Here’s how the administration reacted, according to the 9/11 Commission report:
— [President Bush] did not recall discussing the August 6 report with the Attorney General or whether Rice had done so. [p. 260]…
— We have found no indication of any further discussion before September 11 among the President and his top advisers of the possibility of a threat of an al Qaeda attack in the United States.
The day after he received the memo, “Bush seemed carefree as he spoke about the books he was reading, the work he was doing on his nearby ranch, his love of hot-weather jogging, his golf game and his 55th birthday,” the Washington Post noted. Today — 2,557 days later — Bin Laden still remains free and “determined to strike in U.S.”
He reportedly told the briefer, “Okay, now you’ve covered your ass.”  And then he went fishing.

Ari Fleischer drafted by Packers to broker deal with Favre.
After being “reinstated and restored” to the Green Bay Packers roster on Monday, Brett Favre and the Packers are in a “stalemate” about his future with the team. In an attempt to move forward, the Packers have hired former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer for “one month as a consultant.” Fleischer is currently President of Ari Fleischer Sports Communications.

Why did NBC give so much time to mouse exercise pill story?
That’s what Gary Schwitzer wants to know. Was it to please drug company sponsors? “['NBC Nightly News'] devoted more than two minutes out of its total of 22 minutes or so of news time to this story,” he writes. “We are at war. The economy is in the tank. No one can afford gas in the tank. But two minutes was given to this mouse research.”
We all want the fountain of youth, Gary, and we all want something for nothing.  That’s why this pill is a big story.

Media Matters for America headlines

• Writing in WSJ, McGurn falsely claimed McCain “push[ed]” for Bush “to replace Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld”

• Citations in Freddoso’s anti-Obama book rife with misinformation

• On Fox & Friends, Corsi contradicted his own book with another false claim

• Savage: “Illegal aliens” have “raped and disheveled” the Statue of Liberty

• Media report GOP attacks on Obama’s energy comments without noting that EPA, McCain surrogates agree with Obama

• Fox News’ Colmes pressed Freddoso over voting “technicality” claim

• Buchanan again falsely suggested Obama did not visit wounded troops while abroad

• Citing Media Matters report on Obama Nation falsehoods, MSNBC’s Brewer asked Corsi: “[W]hy should we give you the credibility?”

• Responding to video of Bill Clinton saying Obama “should win,” Chuck Todd falsely claimed Clinton didn’t “mak[e] a choice” between Obama and McCain

White House shuts off Blackberry access following reports of Chinese spying. (Think Progress)
Last week, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) expressed outrage that the Chinese government could “listen to anybody and everybody’s and their communications” during the Olympics. The White House is apparently also fearful of being spied on, as CBS News reports that Bush’s staff “have been told to leave their BlackBerries at home“.

China Apologizes for Roughing Up Foreign Journos on Eve of Games
Chinese police Tuesday apologised for roughing up two Japanese journalists as Beijing’s Olympic commitment to allow foreign media freedom came under scrutiny three days before the Games opened. The apology came after border police “clashed” with the Japanese journalists who had arrived in the Muslim-majority Xinjiang region after an alleged terrorist attack Monday left 16 police dead.
Oh, please excuse us.  We thought we were beating up CHINESE journalists!

Live From Beijing: The Media Games
Contemplating a possibly unruly foreign reporting corps, the Chinese so far have embraced control as a bulwark against anarchy. And China will be covered, whether China or the reporters enjoy it or not. America is pledged to the ideal of a free press, even if Americans don’t always approve of the press itself. The Chinese have not even been taught to love the press in the abstract.

Major U.S. Internet Companies Agree on a Code of Conduct for Operating in Repressive Countries
It’s been a journey longer than the meandering, months-long trip the Olympic torch is taking to Friday’s opening ceremonies in Beijing. But Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft said today that they were close to finishing a voluntary code of conduct for doing business in China and other countries that censor the Internet — a project they started in January 2007.

Iran Executes Journalist Over ‘Links to Militant Group’
An Iranian newspaper journalist has been executed for allegedly associating with a militant group and threatening national security, officials in Iran said today. Yaghoob Mirnehad, a reporter for the Tehran-based Mardomsalari newspaper, was executed along with another man yesterday, a spokesman for the judiciary said.

FBI seizes local Md. library computers
The FBI removed computer records from the C. Burr Artz Library this week, a library official confirmed Saturday. Darrell Batson, director of Frederick County Public Libraries, said two FBI employees came to the downtown Frederick library either Wednesday or Thursday. The agents removed two public computers from the library’s second floor. They told him they were taking the units back to their office in Washington, D.C., Batson said… This was the third time in his 10 years with FCPL that the FBI has come to the library seeking records, Batson said. It was the first time they came without a court order.

What’s Really Killing Newspapers
The social networking that takes place via instant messaging, microblogging, or e-mail further steals from newspapers the mindshare they once owned. Radio, which once served a similar social role with its menu of music, news, and talk, is plummeting. 

Introducing a New ‘E&P’ Feature on the New ‘New Journalism’
Maegan Carberry — who has already put in stints at two leading newspapers and one of the most popular blogs — will be probing (with your help) how younger journalists can shape the future of news and storytelling, along with ethical and news consumer concerns.

Cablevision Weighs a Possible Spinoff
Fresh off the completion of its surprise $650 million acquisition of Newsday, Cablevision said Tuesday that it was considering a variety of ways to reward investors. In an announcement before the stock market opened, the company, based in Bethpage, N.Y., said its board had authorized management to “take all actions necessary or desirable” to improve shareholder value.

Woodward’s New WaPo Contract Includes Less Pay, Same Deal — As His ‘Bush IV’ Book Nears Publication
Bob Woodward will remain with the Washington Post under new executive editor Marcus Brauchli, although with a new title and a reduced annual salary, Woodward said. “My status has not changed, although in a technical way it has. … I am on call to the editor of the Post when they deem that they need reporting and editing from me.”

Study: Broadcast Beats Papers for Ad Sales
This year will mark the first time in U.S. history that broadcast television will get more advertising dollars than newspapers, according to a study due Tuesday. If the prognostication from Veronis Suhler Stevenson is correct, broadcast TV will be the No. 1 advertising medium in the country, knocking newspapers from the spot they have held since the late 18th century, the start of such record-keeping.

As NYTCo Falls, Investors Accumulate More (Paid Content)
Like every other newspaper, NYTCo stock has had a terrible year, as it currently trades 43 percent below its highs. At $13.45, it’s a bit off of its 52-week lows, and in a range not seen since the late 90s. In a filing this evening, activist investor groups Harbinger said it had picked up another 200,000 shares at $13, bringing its total stake to 28.48 million. Of course the firm already won representation on the company’s board, but it continues to nibble.

SF Chron to Offer Job Buyouts to 125
The San Francisco Chronicle will offer at least 125 employees the chance to take a buyout before the end of the year. “Obviously, we’re not the first newspaper to be affected by the continuing downturn in advertising,” said publisher, president and CEO Frank Vega. “We are hopeful that by opting for our employees to voluntarily sign up for buyouts we can avoid any type of layoffs going forward.”

Blethen Maine Newspapers CEO Says 3 Papers May Shut Down
The president and CEO of Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. says its dailies in Portland, Augusta and Waterville may have to be shut down if its parent company winds up in default and its Maine assets cannot be sold.

First US news org with an ombudsman eliminates the position
The Courier-Journal has had an ombudsman for 40 years. Executive editor Bennie Ivory says “the position has been a very valuable part of the newspaper, but I felt the need to move the resource to another area. I didn’t think we should weaken the editorial voice of the newspaper.”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel “forces out” editorial cartoonist
Up until a few years ago, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had two editorial cartoonists on staff. Stuart Carlson, the remaining cartoonist, says that “given the cutbacks planned at the JS I was told they could no longer ‘justify’ having a full-time editorial cartoonist. Although I’m taking the buyout, I’m not going willingly. I’m being forced out.”

Playgirl Going All-Web
Nicole Caldwell, Playgirl’s editor-in-chief, confirms that the magazine is shuttering its print operation. “Playgirl is going all-Web. The last print issue will be the Jan/Feb 2009 magazine, which comes out Nov. 18,” Caldwell writes. Details of the site’s look are scarce, but it will feature more videos and pictorials and less editorial content. In other words, just like Playboy’s site.

Sirius Chief Undaunted By Challenge
Sirius employees do not need to be convinced of Mel Karmazin’s nerve or cheapness. But it is a bigger task to persuade investors that Sirius XM has a profitable future. Since Karmazin jubilantly announced the blockbuster deal 18 months ago, the market for satellite radio — and the economy — are in a very different state.

A Parting of the Programming Ways for Networks, Cable
Here’s what has happened to TV viewing this summer: People who want reality shows have stuck with the broadcast networks. Viewers who prefer scripted series have migrated to the cable channels. And in terms of ratings, the once-vast gap between the two worlds is shrinking like never before.

Rapid Growth for Spanish-Language TV News
Spanish-speaking news outlets all across the country have grown to become major players in their markets and all trends indicate that growth is only going to continue. “It talks about how the United States is changing,” said Ray Rodriguez, president and chief operating officer of Univision Communications Inc., the stations’ parent company. “It’s a bigger story than just television.”

Six New TV Channels in India to Increase Murdoch’s Profile
Deepening the News Corporation’s extensive presence in Indian media, the chairman, Rupert Murdoch, announced on Monday that the company would invest $100 million in six new regional television channels there, and he introduced a new Dow Jones index to track the Indian stock markets.

Revised Yahoo Election Tally Reveals Big Protest Vote
Yahoo said Tuesday that a revised count of votes in the election of its board of directors has revealed a strong protest vote against four of its nine directors, including chief executive Jerry Yang. Yahoo said it had been informed that Broadridge Financial Solutions, a proxy voting intermediary for major investors, had made significant errors in reporting votes at its annual shareholder meeting held last Friday.

Icahn Hires Reporter to Write for His Blog
The activist shareholder has hired Dane Hamilton, a hedge fund reporter at Thomson Reuters, to work on his Web site, The Icahn Report, according to people briefed on the matter. Hamilton is expected to contribute original reporting and analysis to the site, augmenting Icahn’s own voluble opinions on the state of corporate America.

The Morality Of Internet Trolls
In the 1980s, Internet users adopted the word “troll” to denote someone who intentionally (but rtelatively innocuously) disrupts online communities. But today’s Web trolling has evolved from ironic solo skit to vicious group hunt.

Targeted-Ad Initiative is Crucial for MySpace
When News Corp. reports earnings Tuesday, investors will scrutinize the company’s plans to generate more advertising revenue from the enormous amount of traffic on its MySpace social-networking Web site. One initiative that could be critical to MySpace’s success, according to media buyers and industry analysts, is a system that lets marketers aim their ads at particular groups of users.

Who says big can’t be small? (by Jeff Jarvis)
That underwear ad you see to the right [click through to see it] is one of 483 million American Apparel is serving, making it the No. 1 fashion advertiser online, according to Comscore. That amazes me: that the top advertiser would also be advertising on blogs, including this one. So don’t accept it when you hear that blogs are too small for the big advertisers.

DoubleClick to Serve Silverlight Ads — Microsoft Looks Foolish Again (Mashble)
Google today announced that its DoubleClick platform would now start serving ads on Microsoft’s Silverlight 2 platform and NBCOlympics.com will be the first to open its arms for DoubleClick’s In-Stream advertising service on Silverlight 2… What happened to that Microsoft advertising platform we’ve all been waiting for? Surely it would make some sense to take control of the Silverlight advertising space in a big way, wouldn’t it? Once again, Google has pulled the wool over Microsoft’s eyes and the company is in the dark, circling around, wondering how in the world it’ll be able to beat Google on something, anything.

Esquire to geeks: hack our e-paper magazine cover
Need something to read? Buy a new e-mag — or press a button to refresh your virtually dog-eared copy to this month’s edition. That’s about five years away, just like it has been for the last decade. But deputy editor Peter Griffin can tell you what magazine stands will look like this October, when then the 75th Anniversary issue of Esquire with an e-paper cover will be unloaded from refrigerated vans and slotted into the rack. For the first time ever, one of the magazines will be animated.

Let video games read your mind with headset
Luke Skywalker, eat your heart out. Emotiv’s elegant, lightweight EPOC headset is a piece of cutting-edge technology that grants Yoda-like telepathic powers, allowing players of computer games to move items on screen with merely their thoughts.

A Ruling May Pave the Way for Broader Use of DVR
A new court ruling in New York said that the so-called network DVR, which records programs on a faraway computer rather than on the device itself, does not violate copyright law.

Home theater PCs provide front-row seats
A home theater PC may sound oxymoronic, but a computer in the living room makes more sense than you might think. A properly configured PC can serve as a TiVo-style recorder, Blu-ray and DVD player, digital video archive and, of course, a PC — all in one box.