Permanent link to MTA daily media news

A Highly Evolved Propensity for Deceit (New York Times)
[I]t’s all too easy to lie. In more than 100 studies, researchers have asked participants questions like, Is the person on the videotape lying or telling the truth? Subjects guess correctly about 54 percent of the time, which is barely better than they’d do by flipping a coin. Our lie blindness suggests to some researchers a human desire to be deceived, a preference for the stylishly accoutred fable over the naked truth… We’re desperate to believe that what our loved ones say is true.
Just as I’ve been saying—most of the people WANT TO BE FOOLED most of the time.

Iowa Presidential Watch

It is hard for an empty suit to take a stand – or perhaps even to understand what it means to take a stand (by heidiliofpotpourri at The Confluence)
During the primary season and the general election a friend of mine who spent some considerable amount of time listening to me lament the Democratic Party’s poor judgment in making then-Senator Obama their poster-child, kept saying to me that the real problem with Mr. Obama is that he is an “empty suit”. That term seemed to me too tepid back then. But I have come to see it as the essential problem behind the problem of Mr. Obama’s inability or unwillingness to be a moral leader, and possibly any kind of leader. To be a moral leader, to stand for something means that you have to fill out your suit, your office, your position. To be an “empty suit” is to be a person who cannot draw a line in the sand… To be an “empty suit” is to be devoid of the weightiness that real leadership requires… To be an “empty suit” is to be a moral vacuum…

In some ways, moral emptiness, especially in a President, is worse than moral wrong-headedness… After all, it seems easier to go after people who actually do take stands (Rick Warren, for example) rather than the person who silently enables wrong-headed person to gain in stature. But this is sleight of hand. The real problem is the enabler, the person who allows the sophomoric sexist to put words in his mouth, the person who lets bigoted clerics and their churches affiliate with him… If we cannot give this empty suit some backbone, we need, as I have written before, to start figuring out how we can have a better candidate on offer in 2012. So to the people who are canceling their celebrations, may I suggest that they use the time and effort saved to start solving that problem.

Lack of attendance at a Christmas service shows Barack Obama’s church dilemma (Chicago Tribune)
HONOLULU — Barack Obama has long stressed the importance of religion in his life. But as his fellow Christians around the world attended Christmas services on Wednesday and Thursday, the president-elect and his family remained sequestered at their vacation compound on the windward coast of Oahu. His lack of attendance at formal religious services showcased a dilemma faced by Obama, who is between churches and often expresses concern about bringing the disruption of his security detail into the lives of others. Still, he has not attended a public church service since before being elected, a departure from the actions of his two immediate predecessors.
Must we not even consider, Chicago Tribune, whether Obama never was religious, but only used Rev. Wright’s church for political reasons, and now that he’s reached the highest level he can reach in politics, doesn’t need religion any more?

Obama, Clinton top ‘most-admired’ lists… (On Politics, USA Today)
“A month before his inauguration,” USA TODAY Washington bureau chief Susan Page writes this mornings, “Americans choose Barack Obama as the man they admire most in the world, according to a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. It’s the first time a president-elect has topped the annual survey in more than a half-century.” Obama was the choice of 32% of those polled. President Bush was a distant second at 5%. Among women, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton ranked No. 1 with 20% of the “vote.” Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, was No. 2 with 11%.
Taegan Goddard didn’t mention Clinton at all.  Isn’t that odd?

Because I see what’s coming… (by J –SOM at Liberal Rapture)
What continues to make my hair stand on end is the hijacking of the process by the DNC and the media. Obama is still not being vetted. It is remarkable. We all need an election break – but Obama’s involvement in Blag’s gubernatorial campaign is the kind of story journalists once salivated over. In my adult lifetime there are only two examples of this lack of questioning I can think of- both recent. George W. Bush in 2000 and his subsequent win, and the run up to the Iraq invasion. Why we are where we are has everything to do with these two events. Both stories were presented but not covered. Subsequently the media made perfunctory apologies: We treated Gore unfairly, We fell down on the job before the Iraq war - blah, blah. blah…

Who benefits when journalism takes a holiday? And why is it happening more often?… Vast sectors of the economy are now pseudo nationalized and the national conversation has been constricted by a few large media outlets. The illusion of debate has replaced debate… Why was Obama chosen? Who brought (also “who bought”) him? Who benefits?

Happy Holidays, Bill “Judas” Richardson (by Truthteller at No Quarter)
[Wednesday’s] edition of The Beverly Hills Courier provides a list of all the donations CDR submitted to Richardson for what appears to be access to New Mexico State contracts. I quote: “According to reports, CDR and Chief Executive Officer David Rubin gave at least $110,000 to three political groups created by Richardson… Rubin reportedly contributed $25,000 in October 2003 to a political committee called Moving America Forward that was backed by Richardson. That donation apparently came at a time when the New Mexico legislature was discussing the transportation construction program. Rubin also donated $10,000 to Richardson’s re-election campaign, reports said.”

Obama’s Betrayal of Public Education? Arne Duncan and the Corporate Model of Schooling (by Henry A. Giroux and Kenneth Saltman, truthout.org)
Barack Obama’s selection of Arne Duncan for secretary of education does not bode well either for the political direction of his administration nor for the future of public education… Duncan, CEO of the Chicago Public Schools, presided over the implementation and expansion of an agenda that militarized and corporatized the third largest school system in the nation, one that is about 90 percent poor and nonwhite. Under Duncan, Chicago took the lead in creating public schools run as military academies, vastly expanded draconian student expulsions, instituted sweeping surveillance practices, advocated a growing police presence in the schools, arbitrarily shut down entire schools and fired entire school staffs…

Duncan’s advocacy of the Renaissance 2010 plan alone should have immediately disqualified him for the Obama appointment. At the heart of this plan is a privatization scheme for creating a “market” in public education by urging public schools to compete against each other for scarce resources and by introducing “choice” initiatives so that parents and students will think of themselves as private consumers of educational services.

Barack Be Good (by Paul Krugman)
Like the New Deal, the incoming administration must greatly expand the role of government to rescue an ailing economy. But also like the New Deal, the Obama team faces political opponents who will seize on any signs of corruption or abuse — or invent them, if necessary — in an attempt to discredit the administration’s program… So what are the lessons for the Obama team? First, the administration of the economic recovery plan has to be squeaky clean… Second, the plan has to be really, truly pork-free,,, Finally, the Obama administration and Democrats in general need to do everything they can to build an F.D.R.-like bond with the public. Never mind Mr. Obama’s current high standing in the polls based on public hopes that he’ll succeed. He needs a solid base of support that will remain even when things aren’t going well. …

Democrats are off to a bad start on that front. The attempted coronation of Caroline Kennedy as senator plays right into 40 years of conservative propaganda denouncing “liberal elites.” And surely I wasn’t the only person who winced at reports about the luxurious beach house the Obamas have rented, not because there’s anything wrong with the first family-elect having a nice vacation, but because symbolism matters, and these weren’t the images we should be seeing when millions of Americans are terrified about their finances.

Eisenhower’s roads to prosperity (by Tom Lewis, thanks to Economist’s View)
The story of President Eisenhower’s decision in 1956 to create the interstate highway system … holds lessons that the new president and the country would do well to heed… Eisenhower wasn’t afraid to create a huge public works program, and unlike today’s presidents, he wasn’t afraid of taxes. … The 1956 highway bill levied a tax of 3 cents on each gallon of fuel — equal to 24 cents today… It is said the 44th president is taking office at a Lincoln moment and a Roosevelt moment. True enough, but it can be an Eisenhower moment as well.
“It is said”?  The president-elect himself, methinks, is the one doing the saying.

More Expensive (by Susie at Suburban Guerrilla)
Of course, your paycheck (should you be fortunate enough to have one) didn’t go up to cover the cost of food: “While eating in sounds like a cost-saving step during a recession, Philadelphia-area residents are paying a lot more to bring home the groceries than they were a year ago. Locally, the cost of food at home was up 5.4 percent over the 12 months that ended in November… Nationally, the price increase for food at home was even steeper – 7 percent in the 12 months that ended in November.”

Welfare as We Knew It (Editorial, New York Times)
There were more than 690,000 youngsters who didn’t have enough to eat last year. There were 783,000 meal-skipping seniors among the 36 million Americans found to be chronically lacking adequate food, according to government data. This year, the hunger struggle has worsened. The number of citizens turning to food stamps — a clear measure of fast-rising poverty — reached a record 31.6 million in September, up more than four million in a year… It’s important that the most hungry, poor and direly troubled Americans not be denied a proper place in line with the financial moguls, auto executives and others pleading for taxpayer help. Most immediately, a temporary increase in food-stamp benefits is needed. It fits logically in the next stimulus package, for each dollar spent on food stamps generates $1.84 in economic activity.

Beyond that, the workfare program’s contingency fund for extending the poor emergency help during recessions seems certain to run out of money next year. Congress must deal with that. And there already are sensible calls to repair workfare as we know it, by allowing more cash assistance and easing mandates for work, at least until there’s work again.
The magnitude of this problem is unbelievable.  More than TEN PERCENT of the population is on food stamps.  Something is seriously wrong with our economic system.

The Right To Food (by Cernig at Crooks and Liars)
“By a vote of 180 in favour to 1 against (United States) and no abstentions, [Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural)] also approved a resolution on the right to food, by which the Assembly would “consider it intolerable” that more than 6 million children still died every year from hunger-related illness before their fifth birthday, and that the number of undernourished people had grown to about 923 million worldwide, at the same time that the planet could produce enough food to feed 12 billion people, or twice the world’s present population…” The Bush administration, speaking for the U.S.A., therefore must consider it tolerable that 6 million children die every day – children who could be fed if we weren’t wasting billions on stealth fighters, littoral combat boondoggles and non-effective defense against non-existant ballistic missiles from Iran…

How much better an economic stimulus – both for America and the world - it would be to mobilize American might for good instead of destruction, Dubya and his fellow travellers remain silent upon.

A tiny bit of good news: Shuttered bakery reopens, rehires workers (CNN, thanks to Susie at Suburban Guerilla)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
• Archway bakery suddenly closed doors in October, throwing some 300 out of work
• Lance snack food company steps in, buys Archway at bankruptcy auction
• New owner gives each laid-off worker a prepaid $1,500 debit card
• Company rehires 60 workers, says more will regain jobs if orders keep coming in
Most of Archway’s cookies aren’t very good, but their winter cookies are wonderful.  The cashew nougats are my favorites.  Give them a try of you see them in the grocery store.

The House that Jack Built (by Stirling Newberry at The Agonist)
This is the house that Jack bought.
This is the mortgage that paid for the house that Jack bought.
This is the fraud, that the mortgage processor committed to get the loan, that paid for the house that Jack bought.
This is the bank, that dished off the loan, that was obtained by fraud, to pay for the house that Jack bought.
Click through for much, much more.

Doubts grow on whether Madoff acted alone in fraud (AFP)
As a probe intensifies into Bernard Madoff, doubts are growing on whether the now-infamous Wall Street investment manager could have committed a record fraud of $50 billion on his own. In a criminal complaint filed against the 70-year-old Madoff, prosecutors said Madoff stated “in substance, that he had personally traded and lost money for institutional clients and that it was all his fault.” But many members of the financial community are skeptical that Madoff could have single-handedly maintained accounts for the fictitious investment scheme involving tens of billions of dollars and a multitude of clients.

The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity
We are deeply saddened and distressed that we, along with many others, have been the victims of what may be one of the largest investment frauds in history. We are writing to inform you that the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity had $15.2 million under management with Bernard Madoff Investment Securities. This represented substantially all of the Foundation’s assets.

Hoocoodanode, part a zillion (by Paul Krugman)
[There is an informative] Times piece on the global savings glut, the housing bubble, and the sum of all fears. But I don’t think the piece accurately conveys the state of the debate circa, say, the summer of 2005. The piece says this: “In hindsight, many economists say, the United States should have recognized that borrowing from abroad for consumption and deficit spending at home was not a formula for economic success. Actually, a number of economists said this, not in hindsight, but as it was happening: people like Dean Baker, Calculated Risk, and yes, yours truly (I was reading Dean and CR). “These days,” I wrote in August 2005, “Americans make a living selling each other houses, paid for with money borrowed from the Chinese. Somehow, that doesn’t seem like a sustainable lifestyle.”

So it wasn’t that people failed to notice the problem. Instead, what happened was active — and often angry — denial… The answer, in short, to the question of why key players didn’t see the problem coming is that they didn’t want to know.

Bret Baier to be Named Host of Special Report
Fox News will name Bret Baier as the new anchor of Special Report, replacing the retiring Brit Hume. Baier becomes anchor of the show after the New Year. He had been Hume’s primary fill-in. Chris Wallace and Jim Angle will be filling in on Special Report until January 5 when Baier takes over.

Lessons From ‘92 Offer Hope to GOP (Capital Journal, Wall Street Journal)
A young and popular Democratic president is preparing to take over the White House, while a lame-duck Republican named Bush heads for the exits. Slumping Republicans are in despair; they’ve seen Democrats win majorities of almost 80 seats in the House and 15 in the Senate. A snapshot of today’s political landscape? Yes. But it’s also a precise description of the predicament Republicans faced at the end of 1992, when Bill Clinton, not Barack Obama, was preparing to take over the presidency. As low as the GOP was after that 1992 election, within two years it had roared back to take control of the House for the first time in half a century. The point is simple: Tattered as Republicans look today, it’s easy to forget that they’ve been here before, and not so long ago, and recovered fairly quickly.

GOP power struggle starts (Washington Times)
A power struggle that will determine the future leadership of the Republican Party has broken into the open as dissatisfied Republican leaders pushed for a meeting early next month that they hope will be the first step toward ending Washington-based control of the party.

Jeb Bush poised for Florida Senate run (Politico)
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush – the son of one president and the brother of another – has been working the phones since Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) announced earlier this month that he won’t seek reelection in 2010. Sources say Bush hasn’t made up his mind yet about running for Martinez’ seat yet, but that he’s getting green lights from would-be contributors and blessings from Republican Party leaders. Strategists and political observers take it as a sign that Bush will run. 

Third of top aides become lobbyists (USA Today)
WASHINGTON — More than a third of top congressional staffers who left their public service jobs this year went to work for private lobbying firms or other groups seeking to influence the government, according to a USA TODAY analysis. Under an ethics law passed last year, the House and Senate for the first time must list the names of departing staffers earning $127,000 or more per year. So far this year, 32 of the 193 top staffers who left government registered as lobbyists and another 42 went to work for consulting firms, law offices, interest groups and trade associations, the analysis showed.

Bush rewards top aides with appointments to boards and commissions. (Think Progress)
In his last days in office, President Bush is busy doling out “presents to some of his top aides.” Not Medals of Freedom to hang around their necks. Rather, they’re key spots on governmental boards and commissions. Condoleezza Rice “got a spot on the John F. Kennedy Center’s board of trustees until September 2014. The position should guarantee her good seats at the performing arts venue for the next six years.” Carlos Gutierrez and Barry Jackson, a former Rove aide, will be appointed by Bush to the board of trustees of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. “The Christmas Eve appointments will allow them to serve far beyond Jan. 20, the end of Mr. Bush’s term in office.”

Flashback: Perino Pledged That Pardons Would Be Granted Through The Pardon Attorney (Think Progress)
[Wednesday], the White House moved quickly to take the rare action of revoking President Bush’s pardon of Isaac Toussie after media reports revealed a number of improprieties in the case. Individuals seeking a pardon from the president are instructed to do so through an application that can be found on the Department of Justice website. The Pardon Attorney, Ronald L. Rodgers, then reviews the applications and makes a recommendation to the president. But White House Press Secretary Dana Perino told reporters [Wednesday] that Rodgers “was not involved in the decision about Toussie.”

Bush signs law protecting retirement savings for gay couples. (Think Progress)
Yesterday, Bush signed into law the Worker, Retiree and Employer Recovery Act of 2008 (WRERA), requiring employers to allow employees to roll their retirement plans over to nonspouse partners. The Human Rights Campaign hailed the bill for allowing gay couples to share benefits.
How’s THAT for a surprise?  It makes me wonder if there isn’t something else that’s seriously wrong with this act.

Tennessee coal sludge disaster ‘shows that the term clean coal is an oxymoron.’ (Think Progress)
Monday, more than 500 million gallons of toxic coal sludge burst through a retention wall in eastern Tennessee, causing massive property and environmental damage and leaving residents holding their breath over possible long-term consequences. Environmentalists said the spill was more than 30 times larger than the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The incident underscored the false nature of the “clean coal” propaganda. In an interview with NBC Nightly News, Elliott Negin of the Union of Concerned Scientists explained: “This disaster shows that the term ‘clean coal’ is an oxymoron. It’s akin to saying ‘safe cigarette.’ Clean coal doesn’t exist.”
Click through to watch the video.

Media Matters for America headlines

• NBC’s Guthrie, Todd suggested report shows Obama actions at odds with “hands-off” pledge, ignoring contrary evidence

• Media run with unsourced assertion by Sun-Times columnist of “rumbles” that Emanuel “is reportedly on 21 different taped conversations”

• Fortune’s Easton misrepresented debate over Employee Free Choice Act

• CNN global warming misinformation makes its way to The Radio Factor

• On Fox, Barnes, Krauthammer echoed conservative claim that CRA played key role in subprime crisis

Nepal media protest against Maoist union attack
KATHMANDU (AFP) – Nepalese newspapers ran blank editorials on Tuesday to protest against a violent attack on a prominent publisher by Maoist-affiliated trade unionists.

NYC man admits he helped air Hezbollah TV
NEW YORK – The owner of a satellite TV company pleaded guilty Tuesday to providing material aid to a terrorist organization by letting customers receive broadcasts from Hezbollah’s television station.

Verizon Wins $33 Million in Suit Over Domain Names
The company has been awarded $33.2 million in a lawsuit against an Internet services company that it claimed had registered hundreds of domain names with Verizon trademarks.

Spy trick hides messages in plain sight
In a move likely to thrill conspiracy theorists and government spooks, scientists from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are testing the limits of illicit messages hidden inside everyday communications, such as photographs, videos and newspapers.

Print news is fading, but the content lives on
While the Internet is growing as the place where people go for news, the revenue simply isn’t catching up fast enough. The less obvious part of the Internet overtaking newspapers as the main source for national and international news is that much of the seed content–the original reporting that breaks national and international news and is subsequently refactored by legions of bloggers–comes from the reporters and editors working at the financially strapped newspapers and national and local television outlets. New publishing entities, such as Politico, the nonprofit ProPublica, the Huffington Post, and numerous blogs are making original contributions to national and international news, and some are trying to make money while they’re at it.

As the financial pressures mount–the outlook for 2009 is dismal–and the cost cutting continues, we can only hope that the original news reporting by top-flight journalists is not a major casualty.

Newser: Brilliant But Toxic (by John Duncan at Garcia Interactive)
Aggregation sites are a brilliant innovation that takes advantage of market data every journalist has known for decades about human behavior. But so are Ponzi schemes…and the brilliance of their design doesn’t make them any less toxic for the people who lose out on them.

A danger to journalism (by Jeff Jarvis)
The more I think about it, the angrier I get at Gatehouse for its dangerous and hypocritical crusade against links. Links are the bloodstream of the web, carrying its oxygen. Links are how original journalism will get audience, traffic, branding, attention, credit, and monetization. Links are a gift and a courtesy. Links are the means to better-informed communities. Links tie people together with each other and the information they need. Links are necessary. Links are good.

But Gatehouse (like the AP before it and the French often) is fighting links from Boston.com. That’s a case of cutting off its nose to spite its face: Gatehouse is turning away traffic and audience. Suicide. But it’s also attempted murder: If on the very slight chance that an equally clueless judge lets this suit proceed, it could put a chill on linking just when we need it most. That’s what’s dangerous. That is irresponsible on Gatehouse’s part.

NYT Co. November Revenues Down 13.9%
The New York Times Company announced today that in November total company revenues from continuing operations decreased 13.9% compared with the same month a year ago. Advertising revenues decreased 20.9% and circulation revenues increased 4.2%.

The New York Times to do an Obama Book
The New York Times is set to publish a a heavily-illustrated book covering Barack Obama’s life, which includes the inaugural address and a 32-page photo essay by 12 New York Times staff photographers, with an introduction by NYT executive editor Bill Keller and essays from Times staff and contributors including Frank Rich, Thomas Friedman, Paul Krugman, Maureen Dowd, David Brooks, and Gail Collins

Washington Post, Baltimore Sun to Begin Sharing Some News Content 
Editors from the Washington Post and Baltimore Sun said yesterday that they have agreed to begin sharing certain stories, photos, and other news content. The deal comes as both newspapers, like the rest of the industry, struggle to retain readers and cut costs as the economics of the business shift.

Newspapers to Sell Buildings, But Who’s Buying?
With revenue plunging as readers and advertisers flee to the Web, many newspaper companies have turned to selling off their buildings to raise money or save on costs. But now that option may be drying up too, as frozen credit markets make commercial real estate deals scarce.

USA Today Launches iPhone-Friendly News Application
While there are other news apps for the iPhone, the USA Today app definitely has some features which make it stand out from the pack. The application has a very Apple-esque look and feel and self-customizes itself to give you your local weather (presumably based off of your GPS/IP address information). Most of the other content is nationally focused, but local content is also available. The application also has a slew of sharing features that let users share stories via email or text message. There is even integration with the Twitterific app to enable users to send a Twitter message with a link to an interesting story.

USA Today Will Be Sold On Amazon’s Kindle (Paid Content)
Gannett flagship USA Today is the latest paper to be sold through Amazon’s Kindle. The top-selling U.S. paper has yet to show up in the Kindle Store but Amazon told Kindle subscribers on Christmas morning that they’ll be able to download the Dec. 26 edition for free… [T]he first issue for sale will be Dec. 29.  We’re checking on the subscription and single-issue prices. Single Kindle copies tend to go for 75 cents while monthly costs vary: the New York Times, published daily, is $13.99 a month, while the Wall Street Journal (six days) and the Washington Post (daily) run $9.99. Publishers get the bulk of the revenue share with Amazon.

Often requested by Kindle users, USAT is only the 21st U.S. paper and the 28th paper overall to show up in the device store. Some publishers, including the NYT, have talked about their surprise at the service’s success but it’s hard to gauge just how meaningful that it. Amazon also has received considerable publicity from the likes of Martha Stewart raving about reading the Wall Street Journal on her Kindle (no ink to rub off) and others who talk about substituting print editions for Kindle subscriptions. (I don’t subscribe to any Kindle newspaper editions, preferring to keep my print subscriptions and download single issues while traveling.)

Turning Page, E-Books Start to Take Hold
Thanks in part to the popularity of Amazon.com’s wireless Kindle device, the e-book has started to take hold.

Penthouse Magazine Firm Planning to Offer Shares
FriendFinder, which owns Penthouse magazine, is trying to sell up to $460 million in stock to investors in one of the most challenging markets ever for initial public offerings.

Sirius Stock Sale to Address Debt Woes
Sirius XM Radio plans to issue 108.1 million shares of common stock in exchange for convertible notes, part of the company’s efforts to reduce debt. Sirius XM, facing about $1 billion in loan repayments in 2009, has $193.6 million in convertible bonds maturing in February.

Customize your own NPR podcast playlist
Still can’t decide among the hundreds of podcasts that National Public Radio makes available over the Internet?

Fearless mouse Despereaux stars in 2 video games
For kids who enjoyed watching the brave adventures of the big-eared mouse in Universal Pictures’ The Tale of Despereaux, there are two video game choices starring this heroic rodent.
I find it ironic that in films, we laud bravery in standing out from the crowd.  In real life, though, most people try to squash anyone who stands out from the crowd.

Nintendo says to offer videos on Wii
TOKYO (AFP) – Nintendo Co. said Thursday it will start offering videos through its blockbuster Wii game console, the latest new feature for the Japanese entertainment giant.

CBS Peaks in Bleak Season
CBS is in the black. Following its 12th consecutive weekly victory in total viewers, CBS became the first major broadcast network this season to move into positive year-to-year territory since premiere week. Through Dec. 21, CBS is up 1% from last year in viewership. NBC, ABC and Fox are each down 9%.

Some Positive Signs for Katie Couric in Ratings
After two years of relentlessly bad ratings, Katie Couric finally has something she can smile about. The CBS Evening News anchor remains in third place behind NBC and ABC. But the average of 7.4 million people who watched her newscast last week was better than any week since February 2007.

Science Groups Protest CNN Cuts
Four of the world’s largest science and environmental journalism groups issued their first-ever joint statement today in a letter sent to CNN protesting the network’s decision to cut its entire science team this month.

Tina Fey Is Entertainer of the Year
Tina Fey is the entertainer of the year? You betcha. Fey was voted The Associated Press’ Entertainer of the Year, an annual honor chosen by newspaper editors and broadcast producers across the country. Fey was selected as the performer who had the greatest impact on culture and entertainment in 2008.

Wi-fi TV shows on iPhone give Joost a boost
Web video service Joost is looking to the iPhone for a big comeback.

EU’s new digital library is back online
The European Union’s first large-scale digital library, Europeana, was online again Tuesday, a month after it crashed after being overwhelmed by readers’ interest.

There’s Lots of Tech Help, Yes, on the Internet
Instead of getting on the phone, here’s how to get online and start crowdsourcing your tech support needs.

Take your job search online
Unemployment is at a 15-year high. So, if you’re looking for a job, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, the competition makes landing a job more difficult. You must be savvy. You’ll find plenty of help online.

Facebook Joins MySpace In Banning Project Playlist (Paid Content)
Facebook resisted a few days longer than MySpace but finally has given in to the RIAA’s demands that the Project Playlist app be removed for copyright violation. It’s been a real take-one-step-forward and two-steps-back few days for Project Playlist, which also scored a big win by signing a licensing deal with Sony BMG. The RIAA sued Project Playlist back in April and yet the company has been able to increase its funding and attract top talent since then.

Broadway’s Marketing Turns Interactive
To fill more seats, theater producers are stepping up their online presence in an effort to spread word of mouth among Internet users.
They ought to take a cue from the Metropolitan Opera, and start doing satellite transmissions of their performances to theaters and/or to cable companies that can make the performances available through pay per view.  Why aren’t concerts done that way, too?  And music festivals.  I’d love to see some Jazz & Heritage Festival performances, but no way will I put up with the crowds.

Web Advertisers Gain the Upper Hand on Formats
As growth in online advertising slows, some Internet companies are easing the restrictions they impose on the categories and formats of advertising they will accept. Web sites have started letting marketers create bigger, more intrusive ads that take up more space on the page.

NBC Sacks 8-way Superbowl Ad (Agency Spy, Media Bistro)
NBC representatives say the eight-way superbowl ad deal with Los Angeles-based ad shop Cesario Migliozzi will not happen, according to Adweek. The so-called spot would cost each advertiser an estimated $395,000 — covering the $3 million for NBC’s ad space and an additional $160,000 for creative… To us, this is another example of how TV advertising is a ginormous waste of money. Yeah, it’s the superbowl, but dropping $395,000 to share ad space with seven brands — each with its own message — well let’s just say we wouldn’t envy the agency charged with making all of them happy. And doing it on budget.

FedEx Pulls Super Bowl Ad
FedEx said it would not run a Super Bowl ad for the first time in 12 years. Director of advertising Steve Pacheco posted a statement on the company Web site citing “unprecedented economic waters” as the reason FedEx is opting not to buy a spot. The average ad is running about $3 million this year.

Need a coupon for converter to digital TV? Better get it now
Have you converted? If you haven’t, you might want to start hustling. The USA becomes an all-digital TV market on Feb. 17. When it happens at midnight more than 70 million analog TVs that use antennas to receive over-the-air signals will need help to keep going.

Some stations to reach fewer viewers with digital
WASHINGTON – Nearly a fifth of the nation’s full-power television stations will no longer reach at least 2 percent of viewers now covered by their existing analog signals after they switch to digital broadcasts in February, federal regulators say.

Deutsche Telekom says it will cooperate with Vodafone in Internet venture
BERLIN (AFP) – German telecommunications group Deutsche Telekom is to join forces with British rival Vodafone to develop a fiber optic network for high-speed Internet access, a senior Deutsche Telekom official said.