From the NewsRoom

Oh Happy Day!

If Tucker Carlson has been fired, he doesn't know it yet. The error-prone insult bloggers over at Jossip reported today that the formerly bow-tied and currently open-collared conservative pundit with a struggling weeknight shoutfest on MSNBC has been shitcanned as of today (FTLive, meanwhile, reported that Carlson's husky-voiced colleague Rita Cosby is also being axed). Eat the Press poured some cold water on the story by e-mailing MSNBC general manager Dan Abrams, who gave a not-entirely-confidence-inspiring reply: "We have made no decisions about any possible programming changes."

Carlson, reached by Radar just as he was reading the Jossip item, attempted to douse the thing: "It's bullshit. It's total bullshit. I talked to Abrams last night. I've got another year on my contract. That's my comment: Bullshit." Carlson said there were no plans to change the show or his role at MSNBC, and hinted at a big get he has coming up. The news, or non-news, depending on who's right, comes on the heels of yesterday's announcement of massive layoffs at NBC News. NBC plans to eliminate roughly 220 news positions, and MSNBC is expected to be hit hard. (Radar)


Paula Zahn: Change in the Air?

While NBC staffers are still reeling from the hatchet job issued by Jeff Zucker yesterday, we're told it's not all crystal chyrons and teleprompter rainbows at CNN — Time Warner doesn't want to be left out of the hit parade.

Sources tell us that the Atlanta-based cable news network is laying the groundwork to remove .. wait for it, wait for it .. Paula Zahn. The Paula Zahn Now anchor, who has been with the network since 2001 (originally heading American Morning), is barely holding her own against MSNBC's Keith Olbermann in recent weeks. At least that's the excuse CNN will likely hint at if these rumors come to fruition.

Don't get too excited: Zahn isn't departing yet. We're told she's got just under a year left on her contract. But one insider tells us CNN is using its election coverage to quietly phase Zahn out. One source points us to the gameplan put in place to phase Paula out:

Paula is giving up her 8-9pm broadcast next week for a week-long Broken Government series. When that wraps, she still won't have her own show: She'll be moving in with Wolf Blitzer to co-anchor a two-hour primetime version of The Situation Room, airing 7-9pm from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3. And when CNN shifts to "all elections, all the time" for the three days leading up to the Nov. 7 vote, Zahn will be all but invisible, merely "joining" Blitzer, Lou Dobbs, and Anderson Cooper while they man anchor duties.

CNN, meanwhile, has dutifully rebuffed these rumors. Spokeswoman Christa Robinson insists these rumors are "ridiculous," adding: "Paula is a co-anchor on election night and there are no changes to her role after that." So she's not leaving her primetime show? "No."

Though, is that a "no" like the "no" given by MSNBC when asked if Tucker Carlson and Rita Cosby are leaving? We'll surely find out, sometime between now and after Karl Rove's mid-term election surrise. (Jossip)

Ratings Continue to be Inconsistent

Here is a smattering of ratings from the last week and a half. The John Mark Karr story garnered high ratings for both Larry King and Anderson Cooper. The ratings for the 18th and 19th, when the show broadcast Michael Ware's report, saw a significant decline in ratings. Those who blogged that CNN broadcast the tape all in an effort to spike ratings are out of their mind. CNN lost money airing that tape. Viewers decline, advertising prices fall and CNN has to ask less for a commercial spot during the show.






What Will Anderson Do? No More Seamenship for him or us...

TOKYO, Oct. 20 (AP) — The popular video-sharing site YouTube deleted nearly 30,000 files after a Japanese entertainment group complained of copyright infringement.

An official with the group — the Japan Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers — said Friday that the organization had found 29,549 video clips like television shows, music videos and movies posted on YouTube’s site without permission.

The official, Fumiyuki Asakura, said YouTube quickly complied with the request to remove the copyright materials, made on behalf of 23 Japanese TV stations and entertainment companies.

Most videos posted on YouTube are homemade, but the site also features copyright material posted by individuals. YouTube’s policy is to remove such clips after it receives complaints, though some have suggested that the start-up could eventually be sued, especially with Google about to buy it for $1.65 billion in stock.

Mr. Asakura said the entertainment industry group might ask YouTube to introduce a preliminary screening process to prevent copyright clips from being posted.

YouTube has been negotiating with leading copyright holders and has reached agreement with several letting the Web site post copyright music videos and other content in exchange for sharing ad revenue.

The company agreed to deploy an audio-signature technology that can spot a low-quality copy of a licensed clip. YouTube would have to substitute an approved version or remove the material.

YouTube has licensing deals with the CBS Corporation and three major recording companies — the Warner Music Group, Vivendi’s Universal Music Group and Sony BMG Music Entertainment, which is a joint venture between Sony and Bertelsmann.

Since YouTube started in February 2005, the company has blossomed, now showing more than 100 million video clips a day. Its worldwide audience was 72.1 million by August, up 2.8 million from a year earlier, according to comScore Media Metrix.

A guide to CNN election coverage

While on a quick tour of the Anderson Cooper blogs, its seems that there is speculation about what may or may not be happening regarding his shortened broadcast hours this week. No fear friends, "AC 360" will be back in regular fashion after the election season comes to an end. Paula Zahn will actually be giving up a good chunk of her own show's time for extended hours of "The Situation Room", but she will be co-hosting with Wolf Blizter.

Frankly, I'd be in favor of a shorter "360" if it meant Jack Cafferty could have his own show. Jack, I wish you were 30 years younger! The best hour of television would be an election special hosted by Cafferty and Cooper. Has a nice ring doesn't it? CNN you should be thinking about this pair ;)

UPDATE: There is no "Anderson Cooper 360" airing tonight. Instead, Lou Dobbs and the "War on the Middle Class." Plus, Jack Cafferty takes on the left and right. Tonight at 10 p.m. & 11 p.m. ET.

Here is a comprehensive schedule of America Votes 2006 and Broken Government programs follows. All times Eastern.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18, at 7 p.m.

Dobbs kicks off CNN’s America Votes 2006 coverage with “War on the Middle Class.” Taking advantage of a town-hall setting in Kansas City, Mo., Dobbs examines real issues facing middle-class Americans with the people impacted most. The hour looks at the cost of housing, education and health care, as well as stagnant wages and the difficulty of achieving and maintaining middle-class status in this country.

THURSDAY, OCT. 19, at 7 p.m.

Kicking off the Broken Government series, Jack Cafferty takes on Washington in “Jack Cafferty: Broken Government.” In his characteristic style, Cafferty will engage viewers by telling it like he sees it on topics including government spending, corruption, abuse of power, electronic voting, the political party system and America’s borders. He will cut through the spin with a tough look at right, left and center. The special will feature viewer e-mails and top guests.

MONDAY, OCT. 23, at 8 p.m.

Broken Government will continue with a jarring insider’s look at Capitol Hill in “The Do Nothing Congress.” The House of Representatives has gone home after meeting for only 93 days this year and accomplishing virtually nothing. CNN White House Correspondent Ed Henry – a veteran of a decade covering Capitol Hill – portrays the paralysis brought on by partisanship and obsession over raising money for elections.

TUESDAY, OCT. 24, at 8 p.m.

In “Two Left Feet,” senior political correspondent Candy Crowley, who has covered political campaigns for more than three decades, will examine why Democratic candidates seem to have such a hard time getting elected. She explores the reasons why Democrats are perceived by many voters as out-of-touch "wimps” incapable of keeping America secure, and why they’re so often out-maneuvered by Republican opponents who often appear to be better organized and faster on their feet.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 25, at 7 p.m.

Dobbs anchors the second of his one-hour specials, “Broken Borders,” from San Antonio as he guides a town-hall examination of illegal immigration from all angles. The hour examines border security, the impact of illegal immigration on health care and public services and the action of employers who exploit illegal immigrants as a cheap source of labor. A re-airing of the award-winning CNN Presents documentary “Immigrant Nation” follows at 8 p.m.

THURSDAY, OCT. 26, at 8 p.m.

In “Power Play,” chief national correspondent John King returns to his former beat, the White House, to report on the Bush administration’s controversial efforts to wrest back executive authority stripped away by Congress in the years following Vietnam and Watergate.

FRIDAY, OCT. 27, at 8 p.m.

CNN will look at the party controlling both houses of Congress and the presidency as CNN senior political analyst Jeff Greenfield, looks at the GOP dilemma in “Where the Right Went Wrong.” With Republicans firmly in power, many of those most deeply committed to the conservative cause are enraged over out-of-control government spending, political pork, nation-building and the president’s more lenient approach to immigration.

SATURDAY, OCT. 28, at 8 p.m.

In “Judges on Trial,” CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin examines the increasing influence of politics in the courts, which were designed to be above the day-to-day political fray. Following recent court battles over Terri Schiavo, gay marriage, abortion and voting rights, “activist judges” has become a hot political catch phrase. Toobin explores whether the American judicial branch is really renegade and unaccountable or actually under the thumb of politicians and special interests. This special will feature rare exclusive interviews with former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Justice Stephen Breyer inside the Supreme Court.

SUNDAY, OCT. 29, at 7 p.m.

In “Democracy at Risk: E-voting’s Threat,” Lou Dobbs and correspondent Kitty Pilgrim examine whether every vote will count in the mid-term elections. From voter fraud and voter ID legislation to systematic problems with electronic voting machines, the hour details how many Americans are not convinced their votes get counted.

MONDAY, OCT. 30-FRIDAY, NOV. 3, from 7-9 p.m.

In the week leading up to Election Night, CNN will air special two-hour prime-time editions of The Situation Room anchored by Wolf Blitzer and Paula Zahn.

SATURDAY, NOV. 4

For a special one-hour “Your Health/Your Vote” edition of House Call at 8 a.m., senior medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta examines how the results of the mid-term election might affect health- and medical-related issues such as prescription drugs, Medicare, uninsured Americans and stem-cell research. This edition of House Call will re-air on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 8 a.m.

For a special election edition of Open House taped in Minneapolis, Minn., at 9:30 a.m., CNN’s personal finance editor Gerri Willis explains how the upcomingction will affect the housing market. This edition of Open House will re-air on Saturday, Nov. 4, and Sunday, Nov. 5, at 5:30 p.m. both days on Headline News.

Jack Cafferty anchors a special election edition of In the Money at 1 p.m. in which the program considers how the election results will affect personal financial and economic issues. This edition of In the Money re-airs on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 3 p.m.

Senior national correspondent John Roberts anchors a special edition of This Week at War live from Iraq at 7 p.m. For “The Iraq Effect,” Roberts travels to Baghdad to offer an up-to-the-minute status report on the war. Pentagon correspondents Jamie McIntyre and Barbara Starr will contribute to the program. This edition of This Week at War re-airs on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 1 p.m.

MONDAY, NOV. 6, from 4 p.m. to midnight

CNN offers a comprehensive preview of Election Day.

TUESDAY, NOV. 7 – ELECTION DAY

CNN’s coverage originates from the new, state-of-the-art studio at the Time Warner Center in New York and will be co-anchored by Blitzer, Cooper and Dobbs, joined by Zahn. A special two-hour Larry King Live follows at midnight.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 8, from 4 p.m. to midnight

CNN offers special prime-time coverage of the impact of the 2006 mid-term elections.

“As voters prepare to make critical decisions about the prosecution of the Iraq war, the wider war on terrorism and the economy, Americans of all ideologies have a nagging sense that something is fundamentally wrong with the way our government operates,” said CNN political director Sam Feist. “Broken Government will offer concrete examples of where the problems lie and serve as a high-resolution snapshot of the most highly charged election season since 1994.”

All parts of the Broken Government series will re-air at 11 p.m. (ET) following their premieres. Terry Irving is the series’ supervising producer. Feist will oversee the series and the broader America Votes 2006 coverage.

Original screencap courtesy of Anderloads.

Bush Admits Iraq is Another Vietnam...Kinda Sorta.

COOPER: North Korea, of course, isn't the only crisis the president is facing. In Iraq, October is on track to be the deadliest month, with 68 U.S. troop deaths so far.

In his column today, "New York Times" columnist Tom Friedman wrote that we might be seeing the equivalent of a Tet Offensive in Iraq. It is that kind of comparison to Vietnam that has, until now, drawn fire from the White House, but not tonight.

CNN's Elaine Quijano reports on the surprising shift in the White House rhetoric.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAINE QUIJANO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Until now, the Bush White House has forcefully resisted any comparisons between Iraq and Vietnam. Yet in an ABC interview broadcast tonight, President Bush allowed this...

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS: Tom Friedman wrote in "The New York Times" this morning that what we might be seeing now is the Iraqi equivalent of the Tet Offensive in Vietnam in 1968.

Tony Snow this morning said he may be right. Do you agree?

GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He could be right. There's certainly a stepped up level of violence, and we're heading into an election.

QUIJANO: During the Tet Offensive, Vietcong and North Vietnamese forces launched a series of attacks on American troops. Even though it was a stunning military defeat for the guerrillas, Americans were shocked by the intense images of war.

And historians view Tet as the turning point, when public support for the conflict in Vietnam and President Johnson began to wane.

Nearly 40 years later, that history is not lost on President Bush.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But what's your gut tell you? BUSH: George, my gut tells me that they have all along being trying to inflict enough damage that we leave. And the leaders of al Qaeda have made that very clear.

QUIJANO: President Bush regularly acknowledges the effect of the war on the American psyche. This from a news conference last week.

BUSH: I fully understand the American people are seeing unspeakable violence on their TV screens. These are tough times in Iraq.

QUIJANO: In his recent comments, the president has argued that the violence there is being stoked by al Qaeda. Yet Mr. Bush rejected the notion that American troops are getting caught in a civil war. Civil acknowledging the bloodshed in sobering terms.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But whatever you call it, aren't American men and women now dying to prevent Sunnis and Shiites to kill one another?

BUSH: No, George, it's dangerous. You're right. No matter what you call it. The fundamental question is, are we on our way to achieving a goal, which is an Iraq that can defend itself, sustain itself and govern itself and be an ally in the war on terror in the heart of the Middle East?

QUIJANO (on camera): President Bush, of course, believes the answer to that is yes. Tonight, the president said he would be patient as Iraq's new government works to establish order. But without giving a time frame, he also made clear his patience has limits.

Elaine Quijano, CNN, the White House.

The question begs to be asked...does Bush even know what the Tet Offensive was? My guess is he probably thinks it's some football strategy from the Texas A&M playbook.

Good news is that we only have 823 days until the jackass is out of office.

Thanks to All Things Anderson for the original screencap.

Of Tabloids and Rumors

I hate to push Jade's post down, but I thought this article was timely. Normally I don't follow celebrity gossip because I don't care, but the tone behind this article fits the current situation.

Vince Vaughn to tabloids: Watch it

NEW YORK (AP) -- Paging all tabloids: Be careful about what you write about Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston.

According to a statement released by a London law firm, the 36-year-old actor would be filing a "legal complaint" against a tabloid trio -- the New York Post and the Britain-based Daily Mirror and The Sun -- that said he was seen kissing a "mystery blonde" at an October 8 charity event in London and had called it quits with Aniston.

"Ms. Aniston and Mr. Vaughn had not ended their relationship either at the material time or since ... The suggestion that he was having a passionate embrace and kiss, or has ever been unfaithful to Ms. Aniston, are false," the statement said.

Aniston has also gone public about their couplehood -- albeit, in a kindler, gentler way. On Monday's "Oprah," the 37-year-old actress revealed that she and Vaughn are still together.

When Winfrey asked if she and Vaughn were "broken up," Aniston replied, "No, no."

If no settlement is reached between Vaughn and the tabloids, the case "is expected to go to jury trial in London's High Court" next year, the statement said.

Vaughn's spokesman, John Pisani, did not immediately respond Tuesday to an e-mail by The Associated Press seeking details about the lawsuit.
*****

I think a lot of times people don't realise how their comments could hurt. However unintentional it might be, those "innocent" statements, taken out of context, can damage relationships, careers, and make someone's life hell.

It's also disturbing that some believe that because a person is famous, he or she doesn't deserve a private life. This belief takes away the person's humanity and ultimately objectifies the person. Whether that famous person be Anderson Cooper or anyone else, he or she deserves the ability to keep some parts of his or her life out of the public eye.

Everybody Loves Anderson

We interrupt regular programming for this special report:

Everyone loves Anderson Cooper for different reasons. We all agree on that point, what we can’t seem to agree upon is that it’s okay for people to express a difference of opinions. I don’t know the history of the feud between blogs and to be honest, I don’t care. If I argued and slung insults with everyone during the day that I didn’t agree with….well, I wouldn’t get much done.

Blogs are not a competition. Freakspeakers serves a different viewpoint than millions of other blogs. There are legal ramifications for those seeking to link our blog to unauthorized sites. Please make sure that you are willing to take that risk before publishing your threats.

Please…let's respect each other opinions and if you can’t, then I politely ask you to refrain from posting on our blog and find a blog that is more suited to your attitude and opinions. I welcome everyone to this blog, but I do ask that we try to maintain a degree of decorum, and if we can’t, then comments will be moderated and/or deleted.

This opinion may or may not be shared by Christiane or Courtney, so don't hold it against them if you don't like my message.

We now return you to your regular programming.

The "tricky" side of photos

Since the start of the FreakSpeaker project we decided to be commited with Media Literacy and Accuracy. We stated those standars for our editorial line and we hope to be a sound resource for the online community. Last month we published at our website the article SHOULD I BELIEVE IT?: A GUIDE TO CRITICAL EVALUATION OF BLOGS, IMAGES AND NEWS And I think that today it is a good time revisit it.

From the article:

The photograph is our most direct representation of what we see, a record of our perception. also a very evocative form of art, stirring emotion and association of ideas. Consider:

• A photograph is not reality. It is a two dimensional representation made possible through technology. We learn to "read" photographs.


• What is selected to be photographed? What is in the frame: what slice of space, what frozen moment of time? Why this and not something else?


• What is emphasized within the framed shot, and how? lighting? centring? colour? focus?


• What devices have been used to communicate a particular version of the scene represented? what lens? what enhancement in printing? what touch-ups in printing? what computer modifications to the image?


• In what context is the photo used? Is what it communicates affected by placement with other images, or language?


• What purpose is being served, and by whom?


• How effective is the photo for its purpose?


• At what point does personal subjectivity become manipulative bias?


• To what extent can a photograph be judged "true" or "false"?


• How do photographs contribute to what we know in many areas of knowledge?


• How do they affect how we perceive future scenes? How do they affect how we interact with other people and the world?

If you are interested in learning more about media manipulations you can access our website at www.freakspeaker.com

P.D. The New York Post belongs to Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Fox News Network CNN's direct competitor.

Do you have $20,000.00 USD you can spare?

Big-name speakers come with big price tags
Oliver Bowers
Posted: 10/16/06
Former Attorney General John Ashcroft or journalist Bob Woodward may soon join the ranks of speakers brought to campus by the Brown Lecture Board, according to Daniel Fombonne '07, the group's co-president.

The Lecture Board, a Category III student group with the second-largest budget at the University, has drawn a number of popular speakers to campus in previous years, including comedian Rob Corddry, journalist Anderson Cooper and filmmaker Spike Lee. But such speakers often come with a hefty price tag.

Lecture Board members are still discussing who will be this semester's primary speaker, but Ashcroft and Woodward have surfaced in preliminary meetings as possibilities. The two figures are "just names that have been circulating. … They're not finalized," Fombonne said. "Nothing's finalized until the contract is finalized."

The Lecture Board is allocated a budget of $42,540 each semester, according to Cash McCracken '08, chair of the Undergraduate Finance Board. Of this money, $30,500 funds one or two speakers each semester. Between $5,000 and $10,000 goes toward co-sponsoring lectures with other groups, and the rest of the money covers setup and publicity fees and speakers' travel expenses. High-profile speakers generally specify first-class travel in their contracts, McCracken said.

"In general, if you want a pretty major name you need to pay at least $20,000," Fombonne said. Speakers typically cost between $20,000 and $40,000, said Swathi Bojedla '07, also co-president of Lecture Board.

Fombonne added that most "big names" this year start at "$40,000 to $50,000 or upwards."

"People want to bring Jon Stewart" every year, he said, "but his price begins at $100,000, which is way, way out of our budget."

Speakers sponsored by the Lecture Board usually come to campus at the end of November or in the beginning of December, but the process of bringing them to College Hill starts far earlier in the semester.

The Lecture Board is an open group that invites input from all students. Members compile a list of ideas for speakers during the group's first meeting of the semester, Fombonne said. They then contact speakers' agents to find out asking prices. Once the group decides on a potential speaker, members negotiate prices with agents, often with the help of the group's presidents or vice presidents, who are more experienced at negotiating, Fombonne said.

The Lecture Board always tries to work through any connections to speakers it can find, Fombonne said. "(We) see if we can get … speakers at a discount," he said. Fombonne noted, however, that it is unusual for connections to lead to significant discounts.

After negotiations, the Lecture Board drafts a contract, which the Student Activities Office vets. The University encourages the use of a standard contract with potential speakers, and nonstandard contracts must be reviewed by the University's general counsel as well.

In addition to one or two main speakers each semester, the Lecture Board also co-sponsors lectures with other student groups, usually "smaller groups that can't afford speakers themselves," Fombonne said. The number of speakers co-sponsored varies each semester and depends on how much of the semester's budget has been spent on the primary speaker.

One of the more notable co-sponsored lectures was given by political strategist James Carville last year. A connection through a member of Sigma Chi, which co-sponsored the lecture, helped bring Carville to campus.

Many speakers can be persuaded to lower their fees because Brown is an educational institution, Fombonne said. When Spike Lee came to campus in December 2003, for instance, members were able to negotiate his fee down to $20,000, Bojedla said. Anderson Cooper, who spoke in 2005, also cost $20,000, she said.

Though prices for on-campus appearances have risen dramatically in recent years, the Lecture Board's budget has remained the same, Fombonne said. "It's tough bringing big-name speakers for the amount of money we're working on," he said.

Bojedla agreed. For example, she said, Woodward's asking price during her first year on the Lecture Board was $15,000 and has since risen to between $30,000 and $40,000.

Though Lecture Board has not asked for increased funding as of yet, UFB is "absolutely willing to hear increased budget proposals," McCracken said, adding that "we definitely understand costs are going up." He said the Brown Concert Agency, which receives a budget of $149,145 per year, the largest among student groups, asked for more funds this year because the cost of bringing bands to campus has increased.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© Copyright 2006 Brown Daily Herald

Cut and Run?

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki (L) and US President George W. Bush wave to photographers after talks at the White House in July. Bush has assured Maliki of Washington's "full support" and urged him to ignore speculation that Washington could pull the plug on support for his fragile government.(AFP/File/Karen Bleier)

Some of today's Iraq headlines:

91 die in sectarian violence in Iraq

Saddam says Iraq 'liberation at hand'

Poll: Support for Iraq war at all-time low

and last, but most certainly not least:

Bush pledges to keep US troops in Iraq

Hmmm...

The article about support for the war being at an "all-time low" is at CNN.com. According to the poll, 34% of people polled support the war, with women leading the opposition. About 40% of men polled said they supported the war.

The results from the poll come as President Bush assured the Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, that the US would not be withdrawing troops any time soon.

More details:

The president's pledge came in a 15-minute morning phone call with al-Maliki, who told Bush he was concerned because he had been hearing that the United States was giving him a two-month timeline to operate on his own.

"He said that rumors sometimes can undercut confidence in the government and also its ability to work effectively in fighting terror," said Bush spokesman Tony Snow. "And the president said, 'Don't worry, you still have our full support.' "

Snow said he wasn't clear where the rumors were coming from. He said that in his talk with al-Maliki, Bush did not express any sense of urgency. Casualties have been increasing amid almost daily violence that has eroded support for the war in the United States.

A growing number of U.S. lawmakers are calling for a new strategy in Iraq, including two leading Republican senators who spoke out Sunday on television talk shows.

"The American people are not going to continue to support, sustain a policy that puts American troops in the middle of a civil war," Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Nebraska, said on CNN's "Late Edition."
*****

President Bush says the Democrats' call for a timetable to leave Iraq "cut and run." Is this a polite way to say "cowardly?" What are the alternatives to the current policy in Iraq? How much longer should the US stay in Iraq?

"360", "Larry King Live" and CNN hit a new low...

Anderson....seriously, no, no, no, no....NO!

CNN has decided they wanted a piece of the action with wacko (not an official medical term) John Mark Karr. "Larry King Live" will feature Karr's side of the story tonight at 9pm. You can email your questions now. Oh goody!

And because one hour of this crap isn't enough, "360" is going to tell us what makes this guy tick. Screw the population hitting 300,000,000...one sick child molester wannabe is so much more important. Leave this craptastic reporting to FNC, they are used to giving people below level standards in reporting...oh yeah, the nut will be on Greta's show tonight too.

Some of the other networks and their take on Karr:

By DAVID BAUDER (Associated Press) - Talk-show host Keith Ablow said Friday that he's 'on the side of the angels,' protecting children from possible sexual predators by televising an hour-long interview with John Mark Karr next week.

Portions of the TV psychiatrist's interview with Karr were aired Friday on NBC's 'Today' show with more to come in the next few days. Karr, briefly a suspect in the death of child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey, was freed from a California jail earlier this month when a child pornography case against him fell apart.

Karr's creepy celebrity made him a wanted man in the ratings-obsessed television world. He chose to give his first extended interview to Ablow, a therapist and self-help book author in the first year of a show designed to compete with 'Dr. Phil.' It is scheduled to air on Tuesday.

'I am baffled as to why anybody would consider this anything other than a public health or communications victory for the American people and for parents everywhere,' Ablow told The Associated Press.

It's a rare chance to see what's inside the mind of someone who has expressed a desire to have sexual contact with little girls, he said.

During the first three-quarters of a four-hour taping, Karr appeared completely normal, he said. 'The face that emerges after three hours is somebody who makes your skin crawl,' said Ablow.

It appeared last week that ABC's 'Good Morning America' had landed the first Karr interview. A day after he was released from jail Oct. 5, he was with ABC producers in a limousine as they drove by a San Francisco school where he used to work as a teacher's aide. Karr suddenly left the limo and approached the school, attracting police attention.

An ABC spokesman, Jeffrey Schneider, said that Karr's behavior 'gave us serious pause and ABC decided not to proceed with the interview.'

With 'GMA' out of the picture, 'Today' decided to jump in and feature Karr. On Friday, Matt Lauer interviewed Ablow and showed clips of the interview, and it is scheduled to be featured on 'Today' again on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday.

'I'm not a psychiatrist,' Lauer said after watching one clip. 'My take on him is this guy is more than a little off.'

The 'Today' executive producer, Jim Bell, was not available Friday to talk about why the show was doing four segments on Karr, a spokeswoman said.

Karr was not paid for the interview, said Laura Mandel, a spokeswoman for Telepictures, Ablow's producers. Telepictures did pay to fly Karr to New York and for his lodging and meals - standard in the talk show world, she said.

Ablow denied a report in The New York Post that Karr was given alcohol before his interview. Karr asked for white wine and was given white grape juice instead, he said. He was 'stone cold sober' and answered questions with no words slurred, Ablow said.

While he personally found the idea of a Karr interview 'vulgar' and dismissed the idea it had educational value, New York psychiatrist Alvin Rosenfeld said he saw nothing ethically wrong with it. And he said that if he had his own talk show, he'd probably do the same thing given the pressure for ratings.

Ablow's syndicated show has been on for a month and its ratings are roughly 25 percent lower than what was airing in its time slots a year earlier, said Bill Carroll, a syndication market expert for Katz Television. Those are the kind of numbers that put a show's survival in doubt - unless it gets a jolt of attention, he said.

Ablow said he's willing to debate anyone at any time about the propriety of giving Karr and his views a platform. The more people who know about Karr and what he thinks, the better, he said. To have the chance and not do it, his show 'would have been complicit in any abuse suffered by a young girl in the future at his hands,' he added.

'I believe that there's karma in the world and when you do the right thing you're rewarded for it and when you do the wrong thing you have to pay for it,' he said. 'We're on the side of the angels on this one.'

Screencap courtesy of bcfraggle.

When the Gerg speaks, we all should listen...

"If he is seen as wearing two hats, reporters as well as the public will inevitably wonder: Is he speaking to us now as the traditional press secretary, or is he speaking to us as a political partisan?"

–DAVID R. GERGEN, an adviser to four presidents, on Tony Snow's sideline role as a speaker at fund-raisers for Republican candidates.

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Reporter Kidnapped in Afghanistan

ROME, Italy (Reuters) -- Italy's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday it believed Italian photojournalist Gabriele Torsello, who has disappeared in southern Afghanistan, had been kidnapped.

"All the elements lead us to believe he has been kidnapped and that is how we are treating the case," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Torsello's abduction had already been reported by media and aid workers in Afghanistan, but Italian authorities had not commented.

He was seized by five gunmen on the highway from the capital of Helmand province to neighboring Kandahar province, Afghanistan's independent Pajhwok news agency quoted traveling companion Gholam Mohammad as saying on Saturday.

Pajhwok said its call to Torsello's mobile phone was answered by a man saying: "We are the Taliban and we have abducted the foreigner on charges of spying."

But a Taliban spokesman told Reuters the Islamist group was not involved in any abduction, blaming criminals instead.

The latest abduction came as two more NATO soldiers, both Canadian, died in combat in the south of Afghanistan on Saturday in the bloodiest year since a U.S.-led coalition ousted the Taliban in 2001.

An Italian online newspaper, PeaceReporter, which specializes in reports from conflict zones, said Torsello had confirmed by phone he had been kidnapped, but not by whom.

PeaceReporter said he had spoken briefly to the security chief at a hospital run by the Italian relief organization Emergency in the Helmand capital of Lashkar Gah.

Torsello, a Muslim based in London, said he did not know where he was being held. He said he had been kidnapped on Thursday from a public bus, according to PeaceReporter.

Helmand and Kandahar are Afghanistan's most dangerous provinces and have been the scene of heavy fighting in the past few months between Taliban guerrillas and NATO forces.

Why the Blue Shirts and other concerns

Minimizing Risks in Conflict Zones

Comportment
How journalists conduct themselves in the field may help save their lives, and the unwritten rules can vary from conflict to conflict. In some situations, for example, it may make sense for journalists to have a high profile, while in others, drawing attention to yourself may draw a hostile reaction from combatants. Talking with seasoned reporters who have covered the region is essential; veteran correspondents are usually generous with advice to newcomers.
Clothing and Culture
Journalists should be mindful of the kind and color of clothes they wear in war zones. Members of the media should always place prominent labels on their clothing (including helmets) that clearly identify them as press. Journalists who accompany armed combatants—irrespective of whether the combatants are uniformed— must consider how their own clothes may look from a distance. Bright and light colors that reflect a lot of sunlight may make a journalist too conspicuous. But wearing camouflage or military green could make journalists targets. Depending on the terrain, dark blue or dark brown may be preferable. In particular, some photojournalists prefer black because it doesn’t reflect light, but some combatants, especially rebel forces, often wear black. Of course, journalists should also respect local sensibilities. This includes men and women dressing as decorum may require. Foreign journalists of both sexes should also be aware of practices that could be offensive in some cultures.
Weapons
Journalists covering conflicts should never carry arms or travel with other journalists who carry weapons. Doing so jeopardizes a journalist’s status as a neutral observer and can make combatants view correspondents as legitimate military targets. In some particularly dangerous conflicts, journalists have hired armed guards. The practice first became widespread among television crews and reporters covering Somalia in the early 1990s after journalists traveling without armed guards were robbed at gunpoint. Journalists who use armed guards, however, should recognize that they may be jeopardizing their status as neutral observers. For example, CNN crews used armed guards in northern Iraq in 2003. On one occasion, unidentified attackers shot CNN’s vehicle, which was clearly marked with “Press,” and CNN’s hired guard returned fire. The gunmen continued to shoot the vehicle as it turned around and drove away. CNN International president, Chris Cramer, defended the network’s use of armed guards as necessary to protect CNN personnel in Iraq. Robert Menard, secretary- general of the Paris-based press freedom watchdog group Reporters sans Frontières, however, criticized CNN, saying that the practice “risks endangering all other reporters.” Many broadcasters now regularly employ experts from private security firms to accompany their news crews in the field, but these experts are not armed and primarily provide guidance on movements in conflict areas, including large street demonstrations.
Participatory Behavior
For their own protection, journalists should not engage in participatory behavior on the battlefield, such as identifying enemy locations, and they must be mindful at all times of their behavior, language, and attitude toward combatants. Whether they are embedded with military forces or traveling independently, the only role that journalists should play on the battlefield is that of observer. All journalists must remember that participatory behavior while traveling with combatants—or anywhere within a conflict area— an put them and their colleagues in danger.