• Will Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) ever do C-SPAN? Steve Scully apparently asked the Senator just that at The Week’s Opinion Awards. Courtesy of Politico: “And you never will at 7:30 in the morning,” Graham said with a smile. “I’m not going to read the papers to somebody. … Nothing good happens before 9:30.”

• Want to get inside Mike Huckabee’s green room at Fox News? NYT makes it happen here.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

We’ve mentioned him on the blog a few times (a hat tip from time to time and a recent birthday shout), but we haven’t told you that the GW student and newshound sends us materials, links and edits to our posts throughout the day…just for kicks. Strange, right? Not really.

After coming across this old CNN package about a then 15 year old Daniel, we realize that this kid isn’t strange at all. He was just born for news media. Get to know him now. He might be signing your checks soon.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

• WaPo‘s Tom Shales Obama’s Enchanting Quizfest: “The TV networks always get a little jealous when a president, or any news figure, turns out to be a great communicator. They start looking for ways to distract viewers. During the early minutes of the news conference, ABC ran little poll questions and news squibs at the bottom of the screen. That was just video gingerbread, and wildly unnecessary at that.”

• WaPo‘s Howard Kurtz One Smooth Talker: “The questions were serious but not confrontational, and here’s what was striking: It was 46 minutes before a reporter put the focus solely on the economy, when Andre Showell of BET asked about minority unemployment during the recession. Does that mean it has slipped as a journalistic priority, or that there were so much else on the menu?”

• And someone at The Denver Post was not a big fan of CNN’s theatrics either. Joanne Ostrow writes: “After CNN’s performance Wednesday night, thinking and cable news have never felt farther apart.”

• And Politico brings us “Greatest hits from ’100 Days’ stories.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Zeleny’s “surprised, humbled, enchanted, troubled” inquiry successfully threw the President off of his talking points, but at what price?

Weigh in. Brilliant or BS…what do you think?

UPDATE: FishbowlDC had the opportunity to chat about Zeleny’s question with another WH correspondent this afternoon. This was the response:

Zeleny’s question is exactly what’s wrong with the White House press
corps: Instead of thinking on his feet, asking follow-ups to the intriguing answers by President Obama on torture, abortion, etc., he stuck with a question he wrote down in a vacuum hours earlier. It was an overwritten, overly cute and so ethereal as to be pointless (did viewers really care about what “enchants” Obama?).

In addition, the president clearly mocked him, and enjoyed every second of it. “And what was the last one, humbled?” Obama said. “Humbled. Thank you, sir,” said a relieved Zeleny before finally getting to sit down again. Humbled indeed. But also pathetic. Expect Zeleny to ask Obama at the next presser just what kind of tree he would be, would he — could he — be a tree.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

So why are the other networks “grumbling?” The Hill reports that fingers are pointed at George Stephanopoulos for using his influence to land the A-list lineup.

ABC says the claim is “absolutely false” and that George only invited one guest this year. From what we hear at FBDC, Stephanopoulos’ single call was to Jon Bon Jovi.

Which explains why an ABC spokeswoman told TVNewser: “To quote the singer, we weren’t exactly ‘livin’ on a prayer’ booking guests. We started earlier, worked harder, and these are the results.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Fiat and Flu: The two biggest items of the day didn’t gather much steam in this afternoon’s briefing. A White House conference call and presidential announcement on autos preceded Gibbs, who clarified procedural details and noted that the Chrysler/Fiat deal was promising because the Italian company had experience in restructuring and with producing high-mileage vehicles. Gibbs made a brief but mild announcement on a security official from the administration who had contracted flu but who “never came within six feet of the president.” The official spread the flu to three family members, but each has since recovered.

Please Don’t Stop the Music: It wouldn’t be the first time that raucous cheers from a South Lawn event leaked into an amused briefing room as Gibbs held class, but today’s noise from the Wounded Warrior Soldier Ride included an extensive Indiana Jones soundtrack. Probably safe to say this reporter wasn’t the only one wishing Gibbs had dressed the part.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

NBC’s coverage of the Obama newser came in second with 6.7 million Total Viewers.

Overall, Obama’s news conference was seen by nearly 19 million viewers across NBC, ABC, CBS and according to the early numbers. (Reminder: fast nationals measure only timeslot and not actual program data). Final ratings will be released later today.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

NBC “MEET THE PRESS” (Total) 3,240,000 (25-54) 1,150,000/.9

CBS “FACE THE NATION” (Total) 2,830,000 (25-54) 970,000/.8

ABC “THIS WEEK” (Total) 2,790,000 (25-54) 900,000/.7

FOX “FOX NEWS SUNDAY” (Total) 1,160,000 (25-54) 460,000/.4

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

From today until May 2nd, the channel will feature audio documentary about significant milestones from the presidency as well as commentary and recaps from Obama’s inaugural address, first news conference and the G-20 speech he delivered on his first trip overseas.

Tune in to SIRIUS channel 113 and XM channel 120 to reflect like it’s your full-time job.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Tammy Haddad and BizBash Media CEO David Adler announced the launch of their new project, WHCInsider.com this morning. The two have teamed up with former ABC News producer Linda Schoumacher Rozett, former Variety Bureau Chief Bill Triplett and former 60 Minutes producer Holly Fine to create the website.

The new site is dedicated to covering the reporters who cover the White House and is aimed at giving visitors an insider view of the White House briefing room, the administration’s press office and staff.

“The website will put a spotlight on the White House briefing room – so much has been a mystery until now,” Haddad told FishbowlDC. “We are going to lift the veil between the correspondents and the White House to explain who decides what and why,” she said.

WHCInsider debuted with text and video interviews of Chuck Todd, ABC News’ Jake Tapper and the D.C. Examiner’s Julie Mason. In addition, the site features the briefing room seating chart, a roundup of politically-oriented widgets and news feeds from White House Communications staff and correspondents.

But as LeVar Burton would say…don’t take my word for it. Check out WHCInsider.com for yourself.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Everybody:

I’m delighted to announce that we have hired Mireille Grangenois to be our new publisher.

Mireille is a former vice president for advertising at The Baltimore Sun, where she also served as vice president for marketing and interactive media and as general manager of baltimoresun.com.

Before joining the Sun, she was an advertising executive at Washington Post Newsweek Interactive and at the Philadelphia Inquirer.

She has also been a reporter for the Sun, USA Today, and BusinessWeek, and was director of minority affairs at the American Society of Newspaper Editors.

She is currently a managing director at the Burson-Marsteller public-relations firm, where she is responsible for creation of a new
multicultural practice. Her clients include the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the United Negro College Fund, and Hampton University.

Mireille will join us no later than the end of May. I’m sure everyone will enjoy working with her.

Phil

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Also this morning, check out Ambinder’s take on last night’s press conference, “A look at what YOU don’t see,” here.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Photos courtesy of Trish Barba

Washington’s first family of journos joined Carol Joynt in the Q&A Cafe at Nathan’s in Georgetown yesterday. The interview airs on DC Cable- TV 16 tomorrow at 8pm.

Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn accompanied son Quinn Bradlee on this stop of the book tour for “A Different Life.” As you’ve read here before, Quinn has Velo-Cardio Facial Syndrome. On Joynt’s blog, she says, “It’s fair to say the audience got a good glimpse of the Bradlee family dynamic. We also learned about the lows and highs of the struggle.”

And it was a particularly special occasion for Quinn– his 27th birthday. Happy Birthday!

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Good morning FishbowlDC!

Got a blind item, interesting link, funny note, comment, birthday, anniversary or anything of the sort for Morning Reading List? Drop us a line.

It is day 101 covering the Obama administration and week 13 for us. Happy Birthday to The Hill‘s White House correspondent Sam Youngman. What we know and what we’re reading this morning after the 100th day…

NEWSPAPERS | TV | MAGAZINES | WEST WING REPORTAGE | NEWS NOTES | JOBS

NEWSPAPERS

What exactly does the NYT City Room Bureau Chief do? mediabistro.com catches up with Sewell Chan here.

AP reported yesterday The Baltimore Sun laid off nearly 60 people, including veteran editors and managers, columnists, photographers and designers.

Chicago Tribune: “Financially strapped Tribune Co. plans to pay the legal bills of Chairman and Chief Executive Sam Zell, who has been interviewed as a potential witness in the federal corruption investigation of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, according to a company filing Tuesday in bankruptcy court.” Btw, we’re pretty sure Zell’s a millionaire.

TV

About the news crawl… From NYT: In theory, cable networks that keep their news and information tickers rolling during commercial breaks could upset advertisers, which might feel that viewers are being distracted from their message. But media agency buyers and creative executives say they embrace the concept.

Hardball host Chris Matthews, asked by Jay Leno to grade the first 100 days, (h/t Playbook): “The first family has got an A+, as a family. [Applause] Well, I give the dog an A. I’d give [the president] an A-, because I’m still worried about some of these numbers.”

MAGAZINES

The Daily Beast’s Tina Brown on “The Quake at Conde Nast.”

Folio: Operating income at Time Warner’s publishing division, Time Inc., plummeted 92 percent to $12 million through the end of March.

Speaking of Time, the magazine with the 100 list hits stands tomorrow. Managing editor Richard Stengel: “We tried to… match our subjects with pitch-perfect writers: Oprah Winfrey on Michelle Obama, Ted Turner on T. Boone Pickens (and vice versa), Roger Federer on Tiger Woods, Angelina Jolie on Cambodian activist Somaly Mam.”

WEST WING REPORTAGE

TVNewser live-blogged the President’s press conference last night.

NEWS NOTES

Time Warner filed a report yesterday that confirmed rumors that AOL is going to be spun off into its own company. “Although the Company’s Board of Directors has not made any decision, the Company currently anticipates that it would initiate a process to spin off one or more parts of the businesses of AOL to Time Warner’s stockholders, in one or a series of transactions.” (h/t MediaJobsDaily)

HAT TIPS: Mediabistro, Playbook

JOBS after the jump…

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.