A judge has ruled that Sam Zell—the gnomish billionaire and purposeful asshole who singlehandedly bankrupted the Tribune Co. in one short year, thanks to his own personal greed and incompetence—will be the very last creditor to get paid out in the company's bankruptcy proceedings. Dead last. Zell has $315 million of…

In your mordant Monday media column: NotW readers disappear, newspapers must advertise, Keith Gessen's pale jail tale, the Tribune Co. screws more shareholders, in-house news, and your headline fuckup of the day.

In your truculent Tuesday media column: Sam Zell gets a nice ruling, more News of the World P.I. revelations, journalism punditry debated, The New Yorker hires a creative director, and a marriage proposal makes the paper.

In your ice-encased Thursday media column: Sam Zell is done with you media types, Comcast wouldn't dream of touching NBC News, rabbis (in the pocket of George Soros, commie Jew) hate Glenn Beck, and The Daily is coming next week.

When the media becomes the news, everyone is entertained. Media scandals are the best scandals of all, for their enjoyable mix of forced professionalism and palpable discomfort. Come; let us look back at the year's ten best.

The foolish financiers who lent money to the bankrupt Tribune Company are reportedly planning to sue recently departed Tribune destroyer Sam Zell, saying that he took on so much debt when buying the company that he made it "immediately insolvent."

Gnomish billionaire Sam Zell has announced that he'll soon be leaving Tribune Co: "I will turn it over to whoever the creditors decide they want to run it, and wish them a lot of good luck." Thanks for nothing, jerk.

What would you do if you were in charge of the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune? Would you offer a waitress $100 to show her breasts? That's what Tribune Company CEO Randy Michaels did. And it's not all.

Bankrupt shell of a once-proud media company Tribune Co. is desperate. Desperate enough to try TV news without anchors. Desperate enough to give a seemingly-high jester an important management job. But are they really desperate enough to hire Michael Eisner?

In your futuristic Thursday media column: Sam Zell has seen the old-fashioned future, Dan Abrams luvs sexxxy vids, Chinese propagandists invade Times Square, and the NYT spit-shines the shoes of each and every government bureaucrat, as a matter or policy.

In your surrogate Friday media column: Anderson Cooper tries on a studio audience, magazine ads continue to plummet, Crazy Rupert Murdoch has dealzzzz, Oprah buries Kitty Kelly's tell-all, and New York's most loathsome bromantic couple launch a "media scene" lunchspot.

In your windswept Tuesday media column: Mexico is all fucked up, the NYT is too stingy for its own good, E&P may be saying goodbye for good, and Sam Zell's still golden.

There have been many rumors floating around that Sam Zell, the gnomish CEO of the bankrupt Chicago Tribune Co., would soon be sent out to pasture. Unfortunately for everyone involved, especially the employees, that may not be the case.

In your sweat-drenched Friday media column: Newser's traffic plunches, Rupert Murdoch's paycheck plunges, the likelihood of Sam Zell staying at the Tribune Co. plunges, and The Progressive's bank account plunges.

In your dehydrated Tuesday media column: Sam Zell may be looking for a new business, a discrimination suit against the WSJ, Sharon Waxman has no idea who anyone is, and more!