The Nation publishes a call for racial and economic diversity in journalism; The Nation's interns respond with a letter to the editor asking for better pay. Zing. Well done, interns. (Step three is going to work for a company that makes more money than The Nation.)
The Nation Says the NYT Can't Do Math
In your innovative Thursday media column: The Nation vs. the New York Times, Newsweek's quiet on its merger plans, your good media idea could make you millions, NPR's Juan Williams investigation is underway, and a remembrance.
American Hikers Held Captive Were Arrested in Iraq, not Iran
Three American hikers who were arrested last summer—and who are still being held for allegedly crossing into Iranian territory—were in Iraq when they were captured by Iranian security forces, according to a five month investigation by The Nation.
• The New York Times Co. reported a $35.6 million loss for the third quarter as ad revenue plunged 30 percent. But it was better than what Wall Street analysts were predicting, so the stock shot up 22 percent today. [NYT]
• New York magazine's chief says there are no plans to sell the magazine following last week's…
The Nation Staying Afloat With Yard Sales
In your fading Friday media column: America's most august lefty magazine learns how to makes Ca$h the Ebay way, Ivy League murder obsession explained, Suze Orman may wake you up soon, and some assholes still love Tom Friedman.
The Twitterati Feel Awkward, Innocuous, and Sad
Did you know Arianna Huffington's godson is so afraid of Gawker, he can't say its name aloud on Twitter? Or that Ruth Reichl can be bought? The things one learns from the media's Twitter addicts:
No, Wait: Spitzer For Treasury Secretary
Tim Geithner's plan for rescuing the financial sector isn't "seize the banks and feed their executives to wolves" so it's stupid and no one likes Geithner. The Nation has a great idea, though:
John McCain Thinks You Pay Too Much For Your Mortgage (And You're a Terrorist)
This is a 100% real banner ad running on the website of the spiritual home of unreconstructed Old Leftists The Nation. It is an obvious, slimy, and desperate attempt to link Barack Obama to nutty Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. And it is paid for by John McCain 2008. First we thought this was the stupidest ad buy…
'Nation' Ed Won't Cross Picket Line For Colbert
Nation editor Katrina vanden Heuvel just became maybe the first invited guest to publicly decline to appear on a strike-hobbled Colbert Report, which returns to the air without its writers on January 7. It's going to be a sad January for a lot of liberals totally unaware of their dogmatic humorlessness. [NYO via No…
Katrina Vanden Heuevel Wants A Pony
Nation editrix Katrina Vanden Heuevel, whose commitment to liberalism is almost as strong as her commitment to snuffing out all forms of humor or excitement in her magazine, offers her take on the Dan Rather-Katie Couric kerfuffle. Guess who's to blame? Big corporations!
Remainders: The Anna Nicole-Kurt Connection
Media Bubble: What's Left
• The Nation takes on the Washington Times: "The vast majority of people who read it don't realize that this paper is in bed with bigots and white supremacists." Funny, we thought that the vast majority of people who read it were bigots and white supremacists. [Nation]
• Michael Massing thinks financial pressures are…
Remainders: Joe Lieberman Shits in the Woods
• Apparently Joe Lieberman has some sort of bet going to determine how stupid voters in Connecticut really are. [YouTube]
• When an outfit like The Nation calls something "the stupidest press release ever" you need to sit up and take note: It's got to be egregiously dumb to stand out amongst all the touts for new…
Media Bubble: There Is Nothing Paul Newman Can't Do
• Why did Budget Living fold? The word "budget" in its name. On, and also too many subscribers, apparently. [Folio:]
• Victor Navasky's secret to indie-mag success: Get Paul Newman to give you money. [FBNY]
• Jon Friedman likes Fortune. That's nice. [MW]
• Hungry in the new Hearst Building? The cafeteria officially…
George W. Bush, Always a Cartoon
Between the new issue of Rolling Stone and the new issue of The Nation, cartoonist Robert Grossman is clearly, as the Observer notes, having his best week ever. At least until Jann Wenner and Katrina vanden Heuvel notice he sold basically the same image to two mags at the same time, and vow never to work with him…
Navasky Emigrates from 'Nation'
There are several notable facts in a "Media Talk" blurb on The Nation in today's Times. First is the peg, that liberal lion Victor Navasky, who has been the magazine's publisher since he led the group of investors who bought it from Observer moneybags Arthur Carter in 1995, is stepping aside in favor of its editor,…
He Learned It All At Chris Hitchens' Learning Annex Class
You know why Kurt Andersen is an in-demand cultural critic and you aren't? Because of the brilliant, against-the-grain thinking he demonstrates in columns like this one, a biting attack on "intelligent design."
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Katrina?
Talking among ourselves this morning, we wondering if it's perhaps difficult to be named Katrina on a day like today. There are those Hitler relatives on Long Island who, The New Yorker reported several years ago, were forced to change their family name. Maybe there was some effect like that for well-known Katrinas,…
Softball: A Quadruple-Header, of Sorts
Several games worth talking about this week:
We Knew There Was a Reason We Only Read Magazines
From The Nation's review of Sean Wilsey's Oh the Glory of It All:
