Jacob Bernstein's editors released a semi-retraction in today's print edition of Women's Wear Daily:

EDITOR'S NOTE: A WWD article on Hollywood writer Nikki Finke, published on July 6, page 16, was pulled last week from the paper's Web site, wwd.com. The article, by WWD features writer Jacob Bernstein, depicted Finke as a highly controversial but infl uential writer in Hollywood circles. The story reflected interviews with more than 40 sources and drew fair conclusions regarding the tone and nature of Finke's ongoing coverage. However, the decision to pull the story from the Web site was based on confusion over Bernstein's taping of a conversation he had with Finke.

What ho! This raises rather more questions than it answers. In California, consent from all parties to tape a "confidential communication" must be obtained when one of the parties reasonably expects that the conversation will not be recorded.

We haven't gotten any information out of WWD or Nikki Finke, but it's early. We have received a few emails/tips from people claiming to have spoken to Bernstein for the story--easy to say, hard to prove.

David Poland has the whole story, if anyone still cares.

Earlier:
WWD Not Talking About Jacob Bernstein, Nikki Finke