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Excerpt: <I>Small Screen, Big Picture</I> Excerpt: Small Screen, Big Picture
Writer, producer and exec Chad Gervich breaks down the key strategies for breaking into the TV business in his new book -- and tells mediabistro.com how he did it.
By Chad Gervich, December 1, 2008

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SalesRants XX: The Acne Horse
In sales, determination and grit outweigh shining personalities. Secret Sales Guy explains all.
By Anonymous, November 16, 2006
SalesRants XIX: Luke, I Am Your Sales Guru
Secret Sales Guy spells out how to cross over to media's dark side, with simple tips to mastering the art of selling.
By Anonymous, November 8, 2006
SalesRants XVIII: Masters of Their Domain Name
In the 90's, the media landscape was littered with modern-day robber barons trying to weld a ".com" onto everything they could. Our ad guy on the inside almost got snowed. Almost...
By Anonymous, November 1, 2006
SalesRants XVII: The Boss's Idiot Son
If you're a media company colleague who's a less-than-gifted scion, Secret Sales Guy's here to itemize your idiocy.
By Anonymous, October 18, 2006
SalesRants XVI: Marrow Focus
When a key client's table manners go out the window, Secret Sales Guy earns his stripes, one marbled hunk of ribeye at a time.
By Anonymous, October 4, 2006
SalesRants XV: Death of a Salesman
Greater than the profit from the machines he sold, a patriarch shows Secret Sales Guy there's more to life than the hustle
By Anonymous, September 13, 2006
SalesRants XIV: Pigeon Feed
Irritating to Secret Sales Guy as their park-dwelling counterparts, 'pigeons' are those companies that gorge on every consultant's pile of feed.
By Anonymous, August 30, 2006
SalesRants XIII: Between a Rock and a Sales Guy
Put down your corporate handbook and call in sick to the next training: Secret Sales Guy tackles the stickiest sales scenarios.
By Anonymous, August 23, 2006
HRQs: Community Connect, Inc.
Powering ethnic social networking Web sites, this company prizes diversity and seeks hires to further its team efforts.
By Rebecca L. Fox, August 22, 2006
SalesRants XII: Ask Secret Sales Guy
Flipping the script, Secret Sales Guy tackles your thorniest questions while managing to uphold the high standards of his patented no-bullsh*t policy.
By Anonymous, August 16, 2006
SalesRants XI: In Memoriam: The Three-Martini Lunch
Now extinct in our politically correct era, the business lunch was once a leisurely affair rife with cocktail-fueled male bonding. Secret Sales Guy takes us on a tipsy stroll down Memory Lane.
By Anonymous, August 9, 2006
SalesRants X: The Hardest Sell of Them All
While our author's no angel himself, reps who rely on come-ons to land accounts are an unfortunate part of Secret Sales Guy's world.
By Anonymous, August 2, 2006
SalesRants IX: CrockBerry
Secret Sales Guy's got a serious bone to pick with media folks who always keep their mobile devices strapped on and buzzing.
By Anonymous, July 26, 2006
SalesRants VIII: Stage One=Denial
Secret Sales Guy could teach Kubler-Ross a few things about dealing with loss after a major deal goes south
By Anonymous, July 17, 2006
SalesRants VII: Doing the Devil's Work
Embittered. Jaded. Sick of it all. Like Eskimos and snow, Secret Sales Guy has no shortage of terms conveying how he feels about his job.
By Anonymous, July 12, 2006
SalesRants VI: Big Media on the Block
Recent sales of B2B publishers means Big Media Company might be the next one on the block. Secret Sales Guy contemplates takeovers, hostile and otherwise.
By Anonymous, July 5, 2006
SalesRants V: The 2.5 Percent Solution
Confession Alert: Once upon a time, our adman on the inside was—gasp!—an editor. He comes clean on why he switched teams.
By Anonymous, June 28, 2006
Excerpt: A Death in Belmont
By Sebastian Junger, June 27, 2006
SalesRants IV: Quid Pro Quo
Three days spent on a report that winds up in the trash? No sweat, so long as our secret salesman gets to watch that sexual harassment video on a continuous loop.
By Anonymous, June 21, 2006
Excerpt: Crime Beat: A Decade of Covering Cops and Killers
By Michael Connelly, June 19, 2006
SalesRants III: Big Man, Small Ball
What makes Rod, the World's Most Amiable Sales Director, run?
By Anonymous, June 14, 2006
SalesRants II: Glanda the Bad Witch
Our ad man on the inside divulges how the magazine sales world turns
By Anonymous, June 5, 2006
SalesRants I: The Pretty Proposal
An undercover magazine ad exec reveals what it takes to get that all-important commission and quarterly bonus
By Anonymous, May 31, 2006
Excerpt: Television Disrupted
The Transition From Network TV to Networked TV
By Shelly Palmer, May 1, 2006
Excerpt: Get a Freelance Life
mediabistro.com's Insider Guide to Freelance Writing
By Margit Feury Ragland, April 25, 2006
Excerpt: Grammar Snobs are Great Big Meanies
A Guide to Language for Fun and Spite
By June Casagrande, March 29, 2006
HR Qs: Forbes.com
A one-woman HR department streamlines the hiring process, so long as you follow directions
By Aileen Gallagher, March 28, 2006
Lead Time: June Editorial Calendar
Your guide to what to pitch, and when
March 16, 2006
Excerpt: The Intern Files
How to get, keep, and make the most of your internship
By Jamie Fedorko, February 27, 2006
Excerpt: Through Their Eyes
Foreign correspondents in the United States
By Stephen Hess, February 22, 2006
Lead Time: May Editorial Calendar
Your guide to what to pitch, and when
February 6, 2006
Excerpt: Journalistas
100 Years of the Best Writing and Reporting by Women Journalists
By Eleanor Mills with Kira Cochrane, January 23, 2006
Lead Time: April Editorial Calendar
Your guide to what to pitch, and when
January 9, 2006
HR Qs: VNU
The media giant will unveil a new, streamlined recruiting system in 2006
By Keith R. Hernandez, December 21, 2005
Excerpt: The Gang That Wouldn't Write Straight
Wolfe, Thompson, Didion, and the New Journalism Revolution
By Marc Weingarten, December 7, 2005
Lead Time: March Editorial Calendar
Your guide to what to pitch, and when
December 6, 2005
Excerpt: Athur Plotnik's Spunk & Bite
A writer's guide to punchier, more engaging language and style
By Arthur Plotnik, November 16, 2005
Lead Time:
February Editorial Calendar

November 1, 2005
Letters to the Editor
Readers sound off on Times Select, Tim Russert, and Walmart-driven media consumption
October 12, 2005
HR Qs: NYC Media Group
New York City has a radio station, five cable channels, and a broadcast channel. There's plenty of work to be done.
By Molly Simms, September 29, 2005
The Aftermath of TimesSelect: Our Completely Unscientific Survey
General reader reaction to the Times' new subscription service: two thumbs down. Three, if we had another to spare. PLUS: Take our informal poll.
September 28, 2005
HR Qs: Google
Google, the dot-com that could, definitely looks at your CV. They also probably, you know, Google you.
By Molly Simms, September 13, 2005
HR Qs: Vibe/Spin Ventures
Breaking in means knowing how to mix passion with professionalism.
By Jill Singer, April 27, 2005
HR Qs: Ziff Davis Media
An HR manager at Ziff Davis, home to the preeminent tech, IT, and gaming books, shares valuable secrets about what it takes to break in. Note to sales personnel: This company could be looking for you.
By Jill Singer, March 30, 2005
Letters to the Editor: Hopefully (Not) Redux
More usage and grammar nightmares
March 28, 2005
HR Qs: HarperCollins Publishers
Understanding the company's trademark blend of the traditional (it's home to Dickens, Harper Lee, Mark Twain and more) and the unconventional (it's the publishing arm of Rupe's media empire) is key to breaking in
By Jill Singer, February 23, 2005
New Launch Review: The Desk
Alexis Swerdloff reviews Tyler Brûlé's new BBC talk show
By Alexis Swerdloff, February 23, 2005
Letter from the Editor: Relaunch!
A preview of what we've got in store for mediabistro 4.0.
January 26, 2005
Column TK: New Jobs, Old Friends and Amanda Tree
The Absplainicist on job announcement etiquette and too-familiar sourcing
January 10, 2005
Letters to the Editor
(And one letter from the editor...)
January 5, 2005
While You Were Away, Pt. II
A month-by-month chronicle of the year in media, continued
December 27, 2004
While You Were Away
A month-by-month chronicle of the year in media
December 15, 2004
The Year in Review: 2004
A look back at this year's developments in media, from the reassuring to the patently ridiculous.
December 13, 2004
Letters to the Editor
Readers weigh in on Paid Content Week, William Georgiades's essays, and the James Rarus's "Citizen Media Critic" piece
December 7, 2004
ColumnTK: NPR, Purple States and Referrals
The Absplainicist is back with answers to your (slightly) pressing questions
December 6, 2004
HR Qs: Hearst Corporation
From Esquire to CosmoGIRL!, there's something for everyone at this major mag conglomerate.
By Jill Singer, November 24, 2004
ColumnTK: The Absplainicist Absplains Everything
This week's topics: Casseroles-of-dubious origins, taping interviews and moving up
November 24, 2004
Citizen Media Critic: Past Lives and Deja Vu
Something about The New York Times Magazine's "Lives" column seems familiar...too familiar.
By James Rarus, November 22, 2004
Excerpt: Fork It Over
Alan Richman, GQ's longtime food critic, shares the secrets of a professional eater.
By Alan Richman, November 19, 2004
ColumnTK: Copyediting and Cartoons
Introducing mediabistro's new all-purpose advice column.
November 18, 2004
Excerpt: The Record of the Paper
The authors of this new investigative book argue that The New York Times' coverage of foreign affairs was dismal even before the Judith Miller WMD debacle. Here, a dissection the paper's Abu Ghraib treatment.
By Howard Friel and Richard Falk, November 12, 2004
Excerpt: Hardly Working
In this guide to overachieving and underperforming in the office, Chris Morran explains what kind of assistant can help you do as little as possible.
By Chris Morran, November 5, 2004
Excerpt: Food Court Druids
In our quick hit and Q&A, Hipster Handbook author Robert Lanham turns his eye to all the "other creatures unique to the Republic."
By Robert Lanham with Jill Singer, October 29, 2004
Getting It Write
For this writer, freelancing is no solo career.
By Kristen Kemp, October 27, 2004
Excerpt: America (The Book)
The most trusted name in fake news faithfully delivers the most gleefully twisted look at America in recent history.
October 22, 2004
HR Qs: Random House, Inc.
Do you dream of working at a house that has published everyone from John Updike to Bill Clinton? Here's how to break into the largest adult trade publisher in the world.
By Jill Singer, October 20, 2004
Excerpt: Media Monoliths
In his new book on how to breed a successful brand, British journalist Mark Tungate dissects 20 brands from MTV to The Economist and finds they all have seven common keys to survival.
By Mark Tungate, October 15, 2004
Letters to the Editor
Readers on the vagaries of the freelance life and more.
October 15, 2004
Excerpt: Just Enough Liebling
In a piece from the new collection of classic work by the legendary New Yorker writer, the author recounts his first, fumbling attempts at a career in journalism.
By A.J. Liebling, October 8, 2004
Excerpt: The Fall of Baghdad
New Yorker writer Jon Lee Anderson's eyewitness account of the war in Iraq details when the walls of Abu Ghraib came down.
By Jon Lee Anderson, October 1, 2004
Excerpt: The Know-It-All
In which A.J. Jacobs, an Esquire editor, sets out to become the smartest person in the world by reading the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica, from A-Z. Here, one of our favorite sections from the Ms.
By A.J. Jacobs, September 24, 2004
Letters to the Editor
Readers give high marks to our outspoken intern, poor marks to employers who don't pay well, and dubious achievement to the worst pilot ever—Cop Rock, natch.
September 24, 2004
Getting It Write
With per-word rates shrinking and salaries sinking, our freelancer rethinks how she measures success.
By Kristen Kemp, September 22, 2004
Excerpt: Lying Together: My Russian Affair
In her new memoir, Emmy-winning television producer Jennifer Cohen optimistically recalls quitting her job, flying to Russia, and falling in love with a college crush. On the first day of her new job, things start falling apart.
September 17, 2004
HR Qs: American Express Publishing
Breaking into the high-end publishing arm of the high-end financial services company.
By Jill Singer, September 15, 2004
Excerpt: Freedom Fries
Steve Brodner, one of the country's most scathing political cartoonists, puts out a collection of his caricatures and satirical drawings.
By Steve Brodner, September 10, 2004
Excerpt: Lads
In his new memoir, former Maxim editor Dave Itzkoff recalls the frenzied, iniquitous life of a lad mag.
By Dave Itzkoff, September 3, 2004
Letters to the Editor
Readers, both envious and gracious, sound off on this week's content.
September 3, 2004
Excerpt: The New Media Monopoly
In the seventh edition of his now-classic critique of media consolidation, the author looks both back and ahead at the power of the media to effect political change.
By Ben H. Bagdikian, August 27, 2004
Getting It Write
Raindrops keep falling on our freelancer's head—but that doesn't mean her eyes will soon be turning red.
By Kristen Kemp, August 25, 2004
Letters to the Editor
Lots of letters on Bruce Apar's grammar, plus a few on the President's spin.
August 20, 2004
Survey Says: Free Matt Cooper!
We're putting the mb poll on hiatus, but, before we go: There's overwhelming support for the Time reporter's decision to face jail time rather than reveal his source.
August 19, 2004
HR Qs: Reed Business Information
How to break into the publisher of media's most high-profile trades.
By Jill Singer, August 18, 2004
Excerpt: Polling Matters
The editor-in-chief of The Gallup Poll explains why people need opinion polls.
By Frank Newport, August 13, 2004
Survey Says: Shopping!
Shopping mags might just be a fad, but the line between editorial and advertorial grows ever murkier.
August 12, 2004
Excerpt: All the President's Spin
In the introduction to their new book, the editors of Spinsanity.com set out to expose the Bush Administration's tactics of media manipulation.
By Ben Fritz, Bryan Keefer, and Brendan Nyhan, August 6, 2004
Letters to the Editor
Readers sound off on Kristen Kemp, political cartoons, and Fox News.
August 6, 2004
Survey Says
Didja hear? Apparently there were bloggers at the Democratic National Convention.
August 5, 2004
Excerpt: 'Fact Checker's Delight,' from The Reluctant Metrosexual
In a humor essay from his new collection, Peter Hyman reflects on his mid-'90s stint as a Vanity Fair fact checker.
By Peter Hyman, July 30, 2004
Survey Says: Outsourcing
Business 2.0 proved it could outsource editorial for its current issue. Could your job be next?
July 29, 2004
Getting It Write
Can a freelance career survive a misdirected email that burns a bridge with an editor—and an entire magazine?
By Kristen Kemp, July 28, 2004
Found Media: The Boston Globe's Ferris Wheel
A snapshot from the Globe's party for media folks at the Democratic National Convention.
July 26, 2004
Excerpt: Attack of the Political Cartoonists
A new collection pays homage to 150 editorial cartoonists from across the political spectrum.
July 23, 2004
Survey Says: Outfoxed
Robert Greenwald's documentary divided readers, but not along the party lines you might expect.
July 22, 2004
HR Qs: Playboy Enterprises
What's the secret to getting a job with Playboy?
By Jill Singer, July 21, 2004
Letters to the Editor
Readers on recent provocateurs: Jim DeRogatis, Michael Moore, Dr. Phil, and more.
July 16, 2004
Survey Says: Who Picked Gephardt?
After the infamous Kerry-picks-Gephardt "exclusive," not so much love for the New York Post.
July 15, 2004
Excerpt: Michael Moore Is a Big Fat Stupid White Man
People nationwide might be lining up for Fahrenheit 9/11, but two writers are dedicated to exposing what they see as Michael Moore's manipulation, spin, and grandstanding.
By David T. Hardy and Jason Clarke, July 9, 2004
Survey Says: Fahrenheit 9/11
Surprisingly—or maybe not so much—mb readers don't have a clear, strong opinion on Michael Moore's anti-Bush film.
July 8, 2004
Excerpt: Homeland
A Pulitzer-winning writer-photographer pair set out to examine Homeland America in the post-9/11 era.
By Dale Maharidge and Michael Williamson, July 2, 2004
Letters to the Editor
Readers on Kristen Kemp, David Brooks, and hot editors.
July 2, 2004
Survey Says: Reading My Life?
Surprise, surprise: Readers either hate Bill Clinton or love him.
July 1, 2004
HR Qs: The Penguin Group
Our new monthly series takes you inside major media companies' human-resources departments.
By Jill Singer, June 30, 2004
Excerpt: Obliviously On He Sails
New Yorker humorist and best-selling author Calvin Trillin writes a weekly news-based poem for The Nation. Here's a sample from his latest collection.
By Calvin Trillin, June 25, 2004
Survey Says: O.J.'s Media Legacy?
On the tenth anniversary of the low-speed police chase, what do mb readers think is the lasting legacy of all the O.J.-trial press coverage?
June 24, 2004
Getting It Write
Our freelancer wonders: To get a job, or not to get one?
By Kristen Kemp, June 23, 2004
Letters to the Editor
Readers on hot editors, closeted authors, and unmotivated freelancers, among other things.
June 18, 2004
Survey Says: Too Much Reagan?
Poll respondents either think Reagan was "a vacuous ideologue" or the greatest thing since sliced bread.
June 17, 2004
Excerpt: The Sound on the Page
In the introduction to his new book on style and voice, author, critic, and University of Delaware professor Ben Yagoda argues that what writers say is not always as important as how they say it.
By Ben Yagoda, June 11, 2004
Survey Says: Judith Miller?
Even after all the criticisms, mb readers still don't think New York Times WMD reporter Judith Miller has been reprimanded enough.
June 10, 2004
Excerpt: Google: The Missing Manual
Every journalist knows how helpful Google can be. But a new guide teaches some even more useful tricks to using the search engine.
By Sarah Milstein and Rael Dornfest, June 4, 2004
Letters to the Editor
Readers on sales pitches, the liberal media, freelancers, and rookies.
June 4, 2004
Survey Says: What Happened to Graydongate?
Turns out, no one expects much from Vanity Fair in the first place.
June 3, 2004
Excerpt: Stand Up Fight Back
In his new book, Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. examines why today's political environment is the bitterest he's ever seen—and, in this excerpt, deconstructs the myth of the liberal media.
May 28, 2004
Survey Says: What happened on Meet the Press?
In our first poll of mb users, we see that media people's characteristic dislike for publicists outweighs media people's allegedly characteristic distrust of Republicans.
May 27, 2004
Getting It Write
Michele Scherer returns—using her real name!—and wonders if she's just wasting her freelance days away.
By Kristen Kemp, May 26, 2004
Excerpt: The Origin of Brands
A father-and-daughter team of marketing experts argue that great brands, like successful species, simply evolve from existing ones. Here, the rules of nature are applied to launching those brands.
By Al & Laura Ries, May 21, 2004
Excerpt: Mortification
In a new collection, 50 writers tell tales of their public humiliation. Here, bestselling novelist Margaret Atwood shares three of hers.
By Margaret Atwood, May 14, 2004
Letters to the Editor
Readers on salaries, temp jobs, The Source, and other things.
May 14, 2004
Excerpt: Exception to the Rulers
In her new book, Amy Goodman, the lefty host of public radio's Democracy Now!, exposes "oily politicians, war profiteers, and the media that love them."
By Amy Goodman with David Goodman, May 7, 2004
Excerpt: The Other Side of the Story
Bestselling author Marian Keyes sets this summer's great beach read in the world of London publishing.
By Marian Keyes, April 30, 2004
Letters to the Editor
Readers on Ellies, Iraqis, Pulitzers, and more.
April 30, 2004
Excerpt: Things Worth Fighting For
Writer, reporter, and editor Michael Kelly was the first journalist embedded with U.S. troops to be killed in last year's Iraq war. In a Manhattan bookstore Monday night, notables like Dan Rather, Tina Brown, and Kelly's young son read from a new collection of his work. From that book, here's "Rolls-Royce Revolutionaries," one of the three New Republic articles from the first Gulf War that won a National Magazine Award in 1992.
By Michael Kelly, April 23, 2004
Excerpt: This is a Bad Time
For New Yorker cartoonist Bruce Eric Kaplan, his drawings—often about the angst of the creative process—double as his private journal.
By Bruce Eric Kaplan, April 16, 2004
Letters to the Editor
Readers on "pukey mags," punctuation peccadilloes, and Pulitzers.
April 16, 2004
Excerpt: Eats, Shoots & Leaves
This appreciation of punctuation—of all things—became a runaway bestseller in the author's native England and is reaching U.S. bookstores this month. Why would someone bother to write such a book?
By Lynne Truss, April 9, 2004
Excerpt: A Fist in the Hornet's Nest
While most journalists during the Iraq war embedded with U.S. troops, Richard Engel forged his own path, working as a freelancer for ABC News. A new book vividly details his experience inside the action in the Middle East before, during, and after the war.
By Richard Engel, April 2, 2004
Letters to the Editors
Readers on Jayson Blair's Diamondback, Susan Patton's career advice, and Myrna Blyth's Spin Sisters.
April 2, 2004
Excerpt: Attacks on the Press in 2003
In the preface to this year's unfortunately bloody edition of the Committee to Protect Journalists' annual report on crimes against journalists—the death toll in 2003 was 36, up from 19 in 2002—the Nightline anchor talks about the many modes of media survival.
By Ted Koppel, March 19, 2004
Letters to the Editor
Readers have lots to say about recruiters, and also about Jayson Blair, Tina Brown, and a walk to Vermont.
March 19, 2004
Excerpt: Spin Sisters
A longtime women's-mag editor argues that powerful women in the media business use their positions to sell American women unhappiness and liberalism.
By Myrna Blyth, March 12, 2004
Excerpt: Walking to Vermont
On the last day of his distinguished career, ex-New York Times foreign correspondent Christopher Wren left his Manhattan office and walked 400 miles to his home in Vermont. A new book traces his oddball journey into retirement.
By Christopher S. Wren, March 5, 2004
Excerpt: So 5 Minutes Ago
In a Hollywood journalist's first novel, our heroine Alex Davidson fights her way through the down-and-dirty world of movie-biz publicity.
By Hilary de Vries, February 20, 2004
Letters to the Editor
Readers on Googling, flacking, and editing their own work.
February 20, 2004
Excerpt: The Savvy Author's Guide to Book Publicity
In her new book, a successful book publicist explains how to get attention for your own opus.
By Lissa Warren, February 13, 2004
Excerpt: Love Monkey
A People magazine editor writes his first novel, the tale of a callow New York tabloid hack who falls in love with his bookish coworker.
By Kyle Smith, February 6, 2004
Letters to the Editor
Readers spout off on Gavin McNett, Lingua Franca, and lots of other stuff.
February 6, 2004
Excerpt: Miss Media
Lynn Harris, the Breakupgirl.net co-founder who brought her site to Oxygen and then fought a battle to get it back, writes her first novel--a comic look at a woman who brings her relationships website to a new, girl-power media company only to find herself up against powers greater than even incompetence.
By Lynn Harris, January 23, 2004
Letters to the Editor
Our readers weigh in on Cullen Murphy, Ken Auletta, and being ready for that dreaded call from the boss.
January 23, 2004
Excerpt: Fools Rush In
Nina Munk's fascinating new book looks at the many reasons why the AOL-Time Warner merger failed so spectacularly. One reason: Jerry Levin never bothered to get his division heads on board.
By Nina Munk, January 16, 2004
Excerpt: Career Comeback
You know to visit mb when you're looking for a new job in the media business. But it's hard to get ready to look when you're out of a job unexpectedly. Here are some tips to prepare yourself in advance, excerpted from a new career-help book.
By Bradley G. Richardson, January 9, 2004
Excerpt: Herd on the Street
The Wall Street Journal recently published a very funny collection of stories about animals from the newspaper's pages. Here's one appropriate for the season, originally published November 28, 1997, under the headline, "The Sad Day Casper, A Friendly Reindeer, Tried to Kill Santa."
By Robert Berner, December 19, 2003
Letters to the Editor
mb readers on Austin, Texas, Amazon.com, and PR.
December 12, 2003
Letters to the Editor
mb readers on Amazon stalkers, Bernard Goldberg, and more.
November 26, 2003
Ask mb
How can I make the editing process go smoothly?
By Celeste Mitchell, November 21, 2003
Excerpt: Arrogance
Two years ago, Bernard Goldberg made headlines with his insider's account of what he saw as pervasive liberal bias in the national media. Now he's back with a plan for how the media should fix themselves.
By Bernard Goldberg, November 14, 2003
Letters to the Editor
Readers on travel writing, interviewing, Stephen Glass, and the depths of the Dark Side.
November 14, 2003
Excerpt: Autumn of the Moguls
In this quick hit from his new book, New York magazine media critic Michael Wolff lays out his 368-page-long quest.
By Michael Wolff, November 7, 2003
From the Dark Side
Why freelance writers make PR people nervous—and how they can overcome it.
By Loren Pomerantz, November 6, 2003
Letters to the Editor
Readers on boxing, pseudonyms, reading, and Doonesbury, among other things.
October 31, 2003
Excerpt: So Many Books, So Little Time
After 20 years of writing about books, a New York reporter, writer, and critic writes one of her own—about reading.
By Sara Nelson, October 24, 2003
Ask mb
How do I get my pitch letters read?
By Celeste Mitchell, October 24, 2003
Letters to the Editor
October 17, 2003
Ask mb
What should I do when a prospective employer wants to know my salary history?
By Celeste Mitchell, October 10, 2003
Letters to the Editor
mb readers on publicists, writers' conferences, and Tucker Carlson.
October 3, 2003
From the Dark Side
Our PR pro is back, this time to explain how much she wants to know about you.
By Loren Pomerantz, October 2, 2003
Excerpt: Politicians, Partisans, and Parasites
In CNN host Tucker Carlson's new memoir, he reveals the strange secrets of what goes on just off camera.
By Tucker Carlson, September 26, 2003
Ask mb
Some tips for getting employers to respond to your online job applications.
By Celeste Mitchell, September 26, 2003
Excerpt: Embedded
In this new collection of war reporters' Iraq stories, Newsweek's Scott Johnson recounts his harrowing tale of getting on the wrong side of the front lines.
By Bill Katovsky and Timothy Carlson, September 19, 2003
Letters to the Editor
Sex and the City, sex on the web, and other mb content worth discussing.
September 19, 2003
Ask mb
How can a freelancer meet editors when she doesn't live in New York?
By Celeste Mitchell, September 12, 2003
Media Bites
The 70th Anniversary Issue of Esquire, Robert Birnbaum's interviews on Identitytheory.com
September 11, 2003
Letters to the Editor
Readers' comments on Quarksmiths, jealousy, fraudulent journalism, and more.
September 5, 2003
Ask mb
What makes a good story?
By Celeste Mitchell, August 29, 2003
Media Bites
Harper's 'Weekly Review,' the Land-Grant College Review, and the lesser-knowns of BBC America, all on our à la carte menu of things worth adding to your media diet.
August 27, 2003
Letters to the Editor
Readers' thoughts on hippos, Dockers, and Prada.
August 22, 2003
Letters to the Editor
Readers on Spy, Radar, Dwell, and Saroyans
August 8, 2003
From the Dark Side
Our publicity expert returns, with information on guest lists, fancy shoes, and how she learns all about you.
By Loren Pomerantz, August 7, 2003
Ask mb: On and Off the Record
It can be confusing: What are the rules about on and off the record?
By Celeste Mitchell, August 1, 2003
Excerpt: Girl Walks into a Bar
A quick hit from the hot new memoir (by, yes, his granddaughter) of being young, single, and in the theoretically fabulous world of New York publishing.
By Strawberry Saroyan, July 25, 2003
Letters to the Editor
Readers on overqualification, publicists, jacks-of-all-trades.
July 25, 2003
Letters to the Editor
mb readers on Joe Bob Briggs, The Dark Side, boring gays, and anonymous editors.
July 11, 2003
From the Dark Side
Public-relations exec Loren Pomerantz gives the view from the other side of the clipboard.
By Loren Pomerantz, July 3, 2003
Letters to the Editor
mb readers on blogs, nations, George Orwell, and Howie Kurtz, among other things.
June 27, 2003
Media Bites: 'Adult Swim,' Six Billion, and Everyday Food
An à la carte selection of recommendations for your media diet.
June 26, 2003
Excerpt: A New Foreword to 1984
On George Orwell's 100th birthday, a selection from Thomas Pynchon's essay for a new edition of 1984.
By Thomas Pynchon, June 25, 2003
The Media Week in Review
John Ashcroft, Jessica Lynch, various Spikes, and the future of The New York Times.
By David S. Hirschman, June 23, 2003
Ask mb: I Want to Be a Corporate Writer!
You keep hearing "corporate writing" is such a great gig. But what is it, exactly, and how do you get in on it?
By Celeste Mitchell, June 20, 2003
The Media Week in Review
Times it was, and what a Times it was.
By David S. Hirschman, June 16, 2003
Letters to the Editor
Readers' comments on Meghan Daum, Charles Paikert, Rick Bragg, and Guffman.
June 13, 2003
Media Bites: Grand Street, Partyka, and Ready Made
In the first installment of a new column, we offer an à la carte selection of things you might want in your media diet.
June 12, 2003
The Media Week in Review
Howell, we hardly knew ye, and other resignations in last week's media news.
By David S. Hirschman, June 9, 2003
Ask mb: What the TK?
Confused by wacky mag-world jargon? From the lede to the kicker, with a nut graf in between, here's mb's handy glossary.
By Celeste Mitchell, June 6, 2003
The Media Week in Review
In last week's media news, scandal continues to grow at the post-Blair Times. Plus media consolidation and printshop stock tips.
By David S. Hirschman, June 2, 2003
Excerpt: The Quality of Life Report
In this first novel from the prolific freelancer who, famously, packed up and moved from New York to the Midwest, a frustrated New York journalist packs up and moves to the Midwest
By Meghan Daum, May 30, 2003
Letters to the Editor
Readers' comments on Jayson Blair, Michelle Sherer, and working in retail.
May 30, 2003
The Media Week in Review
Nearly all Blair, nearly all the time.
By David S. Hirschman, May 27, 2003
Excerpt: Roone
In his posthumous memoir, the former president of ABC Sports and ABC News recalls the tragic 1972 day when Palestinian terrorists took the Israeli Olympic team hostage.
By Roone Arledge, May 23, 2003
Ask mb
I can't get an assignment without clips, but I can't get clips without an assignment, so...?
By Celeste Mitchell, May 23, 2003
Getting It Write
Is Michelle just a wimp?
By Michelle Sherer, May 21, 2003
The Media Week in Review
Last week's news about the news was dominated by Jayson Blair, with a little Stephen Glass thrown in for variety. Plus: Iran, Iraq, Ted Turner, and an enormous expense account.
By David S. Hirschman, May 19, 2003
Excerpt: Karaoke Nation
Steve Fishman's book tells of his year as an internet entrepreneur. Here's the moment when the magazine writer decided to become a businessman.
By Steve Fishman, May 16, 2003
Letters to the Editor
Readers' comments on Jayson Blair, William McGowan, Bryan Monroe, Stephen Colbert, and Michelle Sherer.
May 16, 2003
The Media Week in Review
Catch up on last week's news about the news.
By David S. Hirschman, May 12, 2003
Excerpt: The Odd Todd Handbook
The online spokesman for a laidoff media generation takes his shtick to the bookstore.
May 9, 2003
Ask mb: What Should I Wear?
With help from a top media hiring exec, our advice columnist tells you what to wear when you go on a job interview.
By Celeste Mitchell, May 9, 2003
Getting It Write
Our girl Michelle scales back her too-intense relationship—with email.
By Michelle Sherer, May 7, 2003
The Media Week in Review
Didn't catch all of last week's media coverage? Check out mb's new weekly roundup to see what you missed.
By David S. Hirschman, May 5, 2003
Excerpt: The Making of Toro
When Mark Sundeen's ill-conceived book on bullfighting was rejected by the publisher that had unwisely commissioned it, he instead turned his experience into a hilarious making-of story.
By Mark Sundeen, May 2, 2003
Letters to the Editor
In the second installment, letters on Keith Olbermann and Michelle Sherer.
May 2, 2003
Excerpt: Media Wars
'News Dissector' Danny Schechter examines media coverage of the war on terror.
By Danny Schechter, April 25, 2003
Ask mb: Becoming an Expert
Tired of getting lost in the pack as the writer who covers everything? Celeste Mitchell lists 10 proven strategies for turning yourself into every editor's go-to girl (or guy).
By Celeste Mitchell, April 25, 2003
Getting It Write
Our Michelle gets by with a little help from her friends.
By Michelle Sherer, April 23, 2003
Letters to the Editor
Our debut biweekly letters column, with reactions to Michelle Sherer, Lizzie Skurnick, and Prada-Wearing Devils
April 18, 2003
Excerpt: The House on Beartown Road
In her new memoir, a smalltown reporter and columnist tells of balancing suddenly single motherhood, care for her aging father, and her newspaper career.
By Elizabeth Cohen, April 18, 2003
Excerpt: The Devil Wears Prada
On the day Lauren Weisberger's book hits stores, mediabistro.com excerpts the mag-world roman à clef everyone's talking about.
By Lauren Weisberger, April 15, 2003
Excerpt: Attacks on the Press in 2002
Serge Schmemann, an accomplished New York Times foreign correspondent now on the paper's editorial board, writes about the importance of press freedom in the preface to Attacks on the Press in 2002.
By Serge Schmemann, April 11, 2003
Getting It Write
Our freelancer gives up the bottle, if not all her bad habits.
By Michelle Sherer, April 9, 2003
Excerpt: Full Frontal PR
The new book from powerhouse PR exec Richard Laermer teaches how to get people to pay attention to your product. Here he shares his 27 Commandments for PR professionals.
By Richard Laermer, April 4, 2003
Excerpt: The War of Art
Internationally bestselling author Steven Pressfield on how to overcome resistance and get moving on your masterpiece.
By Steven Pressfield, April 2, 2003
Excerpt: In Full Bloom
Caroline Hwang's debut novel sets a mother-daughter battle amid the chaos and politics of a glossy fashion mag.
By Caroline Hwang, March 28, 2003
Getting It Write
Freelancers always bitch and moan about their work (or lack thereof). But this one finally does something about it.
By Michelle Sherer, March 26, 2003
Getting It Write
Where is a broke freelancer supposed to live? Self-employment leaves our Michelle scrambling for decent digs.
By Michelle Sherer, March 12, 2003
Hunting a Tiger In Africa, by Ernest Hemingway
A literary parody from a J.B. Miller's new collection, The Satanic Nurses.
By J.B. Miller, March 11, 2003
Getting It Write
Freelancer Michelle Sherer faces a dry spell, financially and otherwise.
February 26, 2003
Getting it Write
Michelle wonders whether to go to war with an evil editor.
February 12, 2003
Bitch Box: The Enfants Terribles of Publishing
Where did all the good interns go?
February 5, 2003