CNN and Daily Download‘s Howard Kurtz sure is lucky he has American Journalism Review smooching his behind. In their April/May issue, Rem Rieder gives him props for facing the firing squad on his “Reliable Sources” program last week.

He writes,

“Kurtz, who began the show with an apology for his misdeeds, looked absolutely miserable as he found himself on the other end of the questions. But he did what he absolutely had to do if he was going to dig himself out of his predicament and preserve any credibility as a media commentator.”

Reider is full of compliments. He also gives a nod to the two reporters who grilled Kurtz, writing, “It should be said that the questioners, media reporters David Folkenflik of NPR and Dylan Byers of Politico, did a good job of pressing Kurtz.”

He concludes by declaring Kurtz gave himself “breathing room” by agreeing to CNN’s decision to grill him on his own show. But really, did he have a choice?

Appalling WHCD aftermath — HuffPost has an intriguing first-person account from the wife of a journalist who attended pre-parties with her husband. The woman, Seema Jilani, maintains cops at the Washington Hilton treated her in a racist manner. The worst of it? A cop, who wouldn’t let her downstairs to obtain keys from her husband, remarked, ”We have to be extra careful with you all after the Boston bombings.” Read the entire piece here.

Double take — The Atlantic Wire has the scoop today on a weird split screen interview from Phoenix at the site of the Jodi Arias murder trial.  There’s CNN’s Ashleigh Banfield interviewing HLN’s Nancy Grace on the increasingly gruesome Cleveland kidnapping story. The story insists the networks are trying to make it seem like the reporters are on opposite sides of the globe despite being in the same parking lot. Hey, haven’t we seen those trucks someplace before? If you’re a complete idiot, not to worry. Atlantic Wire points out similar background scenes in excruciating detail. Have a look here.

Meghan McCain at odds with father’s views — The Daily Caller has a piece today on Meghan McCain‘s obvious disappointment with Rep.-elect Mark Sanford‘s win last night. They point out that her father, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), donated to her campaign and that he doesn’t believe that sex is the only criteria for a politician’s ability to serve in Congress. See the story here.

Hmmm what could they possibly be insinuating? This morning Gawker has a blunt story on the unquestionably close relationship between CNN’s Howard Kurtz and Daily Download Editor-in-Chief Lauren Ashburn. They wonder about her having her own office at The Daily Beast, which raised office eyebrows. They crack on the cornball videos produced by Kurtz and Ashburn that have run on the Daily Download. Sam Biddle writes, “Many of the episodes look like they’re filmed in a janitorial closet—perhaps inside the Beast’s digs. It sure looks cozy in there, and we hear the duo were ‘inseparable’ around various DC social and political functions, too.” He concludes, “Heard anything else? Let us know.” Read the full story here.

Nearly two months ago Washington Examiner “Yeas and Nays” gossip columnist Nikki Schwab was notified that as part of the publication’s restructuring, she would be one of many staffers let go. We hear she has until early June at the Examiner, but she’s already on the move.

At the start of May, Schwab began posting at The Daily Download, the web media site run by Lauren Ashburn and publicized by Howard Kurtz. Schwab has written four posts to-date on topics like new YouTube and LinkedIn features and a smartphone application that allows users to mimic Michelle Obama‘s fashion.

Schwab is with Daily Download on a freelance basis. She will also be freelancing for Washington Life. “Yes, just doing some freelance, trying to figure out what’s next for me,” she told FishbowlDC.

In an unprecedented move, on Sunday CNN put “Reliable Sources” host Howard Kurtz in a time out and made him answer for his mistakes. To his credit, Kurtz didn’t try to fight the internal decision, despite its horrible awkwardness.

The longtime media critic’s most recent blunder involved Jason Collins, an NBA player who announced that he’s gay. But Kurtz was also forced to answer for other mistakes he has made, including writing that he’d spoken to a congressman when he had spoken to his aide. Even when he learned the truth, he waited months to divulge his error. Another instance involved attributing a quote to House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi that had her criticizing President Obama‘s messaging. Only problem was it wasn’t hers. As for Collins, Kurtz insisted in a story last week for The Daily Beast that the NBA player had not mentioned that he had once been engaged to a woman, even though he had told Sports Illustrated as much. Kurtz downplayed his error. Worse, he cracked jokes about Collins in a video with Daily Download Editor-in-Chief Lauren Ashburn. As bad luck would have it, the mistake happened on the day before Newsweek-Daily Beast‘s Tina Brown canned him as Washington Bureau Chief, which Kurtz explained was unfortunate timing. In his own defense, he said the “amicable divorce” had been in the works.

But more unfortunate for Kurtz was the fact that 15 minutes of his own Sunday show would be devoted to NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik (below right) and Politico media blogger Dylan Byers (below left) firebombing him with questions about his mistakes. It was the equivalent of parents siding with the teacher, who, in this case, were right to do so.

And still, it was tough to watch. As we witnessed Folkenflik and Byers gnaw away at Kurtz’s bony corpse, we wondered, how do they feel being cast in the roles of media police and how do they think Kurtz did? Up close, did he appear sincerely remorseful? Are they satisfied with his responses?

“He certainly appeared to me to be visibly contrite,” Folkenflik told FishbowlDC in a phone interview Monday. “I think his audience will have to reasonably think about what they saw and heard and figure out how to absorb what they’ve learned, to incorporate what seemed to be a contrite presentation and evaluate what they think about him going forward.

“It was a very human and humbled moment for him. It’s very difficult to have been in the room with him and asking him these very direct questions without getting the feeling that he was genuinely contrite about the circumstances that created that exchange.”

Byers, no less sharp-tongued than Folkenflik in his questioning of Kurtz, was far less forthcoming about his thoughts about the interview, but we may learn more from him at a later date. Still, we’re eternally grateful he came up with this bold and admirable quote. “CNN made a bold and admirable decision by inviting reporters from outside the network to interview Howie on his own show, and I’m grateful to Howie for allowing that to happen,” he told FBDC.

Meanwhile, NPR’s forthcoming and frank Folkenflik told us he noticed… Read more

Howard Kurtz‘s apology, delivered on live national television Sunday, has been received as any dramatic apology would be. Some people are buying it. Some aren’t.

On his CNN media news program “Reliable Sources,” Kurtz offered his side of the story on what led to the mea culpa in the first place: Deadline pressure and his own lack of due diligence were to blame for his erroneous report last week that NBA player Jason Collins, who had just come out as gay, didn’t disclose that Collins his prior engagement to a woman. Collins had, in fact, been open about the engagement, mentioning it in a column for Sports Illustrated.

On Friday we questioned whether Kurtz would cover his own ass by covering his own ass on the show. He did. And for the occasion, CNN brought in NPR’s David Folkenflik and Politico‘s Dylan Byers to probe him.

There was plenty of in-house love for Kurtz. In a separate segment on the show, attorney Lisa Bloom was on to discuss coverage of the Jodi Arias case. Before offering her legal analysis, she said she would take a second to “go off script.” She praised Kurtz for “raising the bar” for journalistic accountability (while rattling off her own media resume).

“Kudos to Howard Kurtz,” tweeted Kurtz’s CNN colleague Piers Morgan. “He took his Jason Collins-clanger on the chin today like a Mike Tyson right hook.”

The compliments also poured in from elsewhere. FNC anchor Greta Van Susteren wrote on her Gretawire blog that everyone should “stop slapping Howie Kurtz.”

“Not one of us is perfect.  We all make mistakes,” Van Susteren wrote. At the start of the year, Kurtz had to offer a separate apology for wrongly attributing a quote to Van Susteren about then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

At TVNewser, our sister site, Gail Shister wrote after the apology that she hopes CNN head Jeff Zucker will continue to support Kurtz.

On the other side of the fence… Read more

Washington Bureau Chief Howard Kurtz is parting ways with The Daily Beast.

As of Thursday, Kurtz no longer works there, according to Politico. But wait. Will Kurtz address the issue that led up to this fallout on his Sunday CNN show “Reliable Sources”?

It was a massive blunder the longtime media critic made Wednesday when he wrote in The Beast that NBA player Jason Collins, who recently came out as gay, failed to disclose he was once engaged to a woman. Kurtz said the same thing in a video for The Daily Download, though Collins did, in fact, make clear in a Sports Illustrated story that he had been engaged to a woman.

The good news for Kurtz, though, is that he can cover his ass by covering his own ass. On “Reliable Sources” Kurtz can redeem himself in the eyes of at least himself if not Gawker, Salon, BuzzFeed and Politico.

The show has a “Media Monitor” segment in which Kurtz notes the debatable issues of the day, like whether a reporter’s erroneous column was appropriately amended. We’ve reached out to Kurtz and one of show’s producers to find out if he’ll be addressing the matter. But in the highly unlikely event that he decides not to cover his own bungle, we’re going to preempt Kurtz’s media monitoring and do it ourselves.

To review… Read more

HuffPost media writer Michael Calderone investigated the writing habits of  Howard Kurtz and something curious has emerged. Some of Kurtz’ Daily Beast colleagues are baffled about why he’s spending so much time promoting another Daily site. This one, the Daily Download, where Kurtz sits on the board, instead of his other employers, Newsweek-The Daily Beast and CNN. Lauren Asburn is Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Download. She’s also a Daily Beast contributor and appears often on Kurtz’ CNN program. Are things getting just a tad incestuous?

In a story published Wednesday afternoon… Read more

Quotes of the Day

“You really shouldn’t sleep this week. Professionally, it’s unadvisable.” — Matt Spence of The Times of London.

Kudos to Boston Globe

“Great work all night by #bostonglobe team covering Watertown/MIT mayhem.” — WaPo Executive Editor Marty Baron, who has to be kicking himself right now for leaving the Boston Globe late last year to come to Washington.

A Social Media editor learns lessons

“I think I learned my lesson to wait for confirmation about what network/cable reporters say their ‘sources’ tell them.” — Reuters Social Media Editor Anthony De Rosa.

Huh?

“‘I don’t know if that’s a fashion statement or what.’–guy on CNN, inspecting sunglasses on face of Boston suspect.#seriously” — HuffPost‘s Jennifer Bendery.

Up all night with Jake Tapper

“When Jake Tapper is at the helm at CNN, CNN is what it’s supposed to be.” — Former White House Speechwriter Jon Lovett.

“God love @jaketapper: Almost everything he says begins with ‘Here’s what we don’t know…’ #JohnKingLesson” — Don Van Natta Jr., Senior Writer for ESPN.

“Hmm. @Jaketapper is really good in this sort of situation. Calm solid presence.” — Daily Caller columnist Mickey Kaus.

Network redemption plan

“CNN took ton of heat earlier, but props tonite-only news net going live w nu photo+MIT shooting. Isn’t that what news net is supposed to do?“– NYT TV Industry reporter Bill Carter.

“CNN should replay the interview with Dr. David Schoenfeld for laughs. Every A: “I can’t tell you that.” WHY ARE YOU ON THE PHONE W/CNN?” — Conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who also wrote this morning: “It’s too bad Suspect #1 won’t be able to be legalized by Marco Rubio, now.”

A word of advice: “I don’t actually recommend going back to sleep, just did it, had bad nightmares.” — Dave Stroup, digital director for Aneesh Chopra for Va. Lt. Gov. 

The Observers

“One thing I learned serving in Lebanon is that young men & boys  with guns/bombs can be deadliest as they’ve yet to appreciate value of life.” — Peter Daou, political blogger and advisor.

“If these two are actually foreign trained terrorists, then this is the event we’ve been fearing; small-scale attacks on the softest targets.” — The Atlantic‘s Jeffrey Goldberg.

In awe of NBC’s Pete Williams (who broke the names of the Boston Bombing suspects)

“Pete Williams is a machine.” — BuzzFeed‘s Rosie Gray.

“Journalism professors take note: @PeteWilliamsNBC has put on a free journalism clinic all week.” — Chris Donovan, producer, NBC News/”MTP.”

“Pete Williams is dominating all the “social media experts” on Twitter by… reporting.” — Andrew Golis, Boston-based director of digital and senior editor at PBS’s “Frontline.”

“Yay Pete.” — PBS’ Gwen Ifill. She later added, “FYI for all new @PeteWilliamsNBC fans, he’s been on this beat for bout 20 years #ExperienceMatters”

“How does @PeteWilliamsNC not have 100K Twitter followers? (Hint, Peter, start tweeting).” — Justin Green, contributor to The Daily Beast.

“Among the many excellent things about @PeteWilliamsNBC this week: Very clear about what he doesn’t know, or is unsure of.”– The Hill‘s Niall Stanage.

“NBC’s Pete Williams proving that reporters don’t always have to be on the ground to get all the scoops and get them right.” — ThinkProgress‘ Igor Volsky.

Meanwhile, Oversharing Sherri goes to Boot Camp

“Going 2 my 2nd #bootcamp session-anything called “bootcamp” scares me to death, but I must put fear of going over the fear of dying #health” — ABC “The View’s” Sherri Shepherd at 7:30 a.m. this morning as news of the bombers dominated the news cycle.

And NBC Matt Lauer’s bad luck streak continues…

“Meanwhile Matt Lauer is shown live in West, Texas – doesn’t look very happy.” – Washington Examiner‘s Charlie Spiering.

Howard Kurtz’s brilliant morning sentiment

“Wish I hadn’t gone to sleep and missed all the action in Boston. Hope that manhunt ends soon.” — CNN, The Daily Beast-Newsweek‘s Howard Kurtz. (Photo credit: Politico)

At least Weingarten was joking: “You people really should have woken me up last night.” — WaPo’s Gene Weingarten. Read more

We all spread ourselves too thin. If you work in daily online media you know the feeling of working late, being bleary-eyed and making brainless errors you kick yourself over later. Until you make more and land in a monster pit of despair. We’ve been there and we’ll be there again.

But today, Daily Download founder, CNN “Reliable Sources” regular and Daily Beast Contributor Lauren Ashburn goes to the well of mistakes 10 times in a story timestamped April 8 on cable’s gender wars and the snarl between FNC’s Bill O’Reilly and conservative radio host Laura Ingraham last week.

One. Two. Even three errors? Fine, forgivable. A terrible given at times in a world where copy editors are scarce. But 10 looks like you took too much Ambien and wrote the story while driving to 7-Eleven after consuming a midnight snack you can’t remember eating. Let’s be honest. Ten looks like Denzel Washington in Flight in which he gets obliterated, wakes up to lines of coke, downs one or five screwdrivers and turns the plane upside down.

Does someone need a few days at the beach?

Also curious, at the bottom is a note explaining that the story first appeared in The Daily Beast, which, in fact, it did on April 5 under Ashburn’s byline and this headline:

Bill O’Reilly’s Macho Moment in On-Air Confrontation With Laura Ingraham

Compare this to Daily Download‘s headline:

Cable’s Gender Wars: Bill O’Reilly Vs. Laura Ingraham

The explanatory note reads: “This piece brought to you through our content partnership with The Daily Beast, where it first appeared.”

As many know, Howard Kurtz, on the board of The Daily Download, also writes for Daily Beast-Newsweek and hosts CNN’s “Reliable Sources.” And Ashburn herself is a Daily Beast contributor, as stated above. But strangely enough, only a fraction of the errors turned up in The Daily Beast‘s story — just one, the incorrect spelling of “smoothe.” Which means something went incredibly awry when they transferred the story. Maybe try cut and pasting?

We requested comment from Ashburn on the “content partnership” between The Daily Download and The Daily Beast and what exactly that means. We also mentioned the 10 errors in case she has a comment on those.

See the parade of errors in the Daily Download story…

Read more

A networking event to mark a business partnership between two fiercely ideological magazines isn’t exactly a wild time. But it’s part of the job for some media professionals in D.C.

Even so, freelance journalist Murray Waas, in the dimly-lit setting shown here, believes that if you’re attending such an event, you shouldn’t be on your phone.

“What is the point of going out when you’re texting?” Waas said to National Review reporter Andrew Stiles Thursday night. Apparently unsure what to make of the unsolicited social commentary, Stiles awkwardly replied, “I don’t know. To look like you have something to do.”

Waas floated around the party, hosted by The Nation and National Review at the Mayflower Renaissance hotel, butting into conversations, preferring to talk directly into people’s ears despite being audible at a normal conversational distance.

The writer made a name for himself during the Bush (43) years, reporting on the White House and, in the early 1990s, reporting on the Gulf  War. He was even nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1993. Howard Kurtz, then a media critic for the Washington Post, wrote in 2006 that Waas was “getting his day in the sun.” Nowadays Waas updates his personal blog and freelances. He has written for the Los Angeles Times, The Hill, The Boston Globe, Talking Points Memo, The Atlantic and Reuters, among others.

He’s been featured in a lengthy 2007 WCP piece by Erik Wemple and Jason Cherkis (in the least flattering way) and in a rebuttal by Matthew Yglesias at ThinkProgress (the most flattering way).

“He was one of the biggest creeps I’ve ever talked to, saying things like ‘I’m your friend, right? We’ve been talking for five minutes, [and] I’m your best friend here?’” one attendee at Thursday’s gathering remarked to FishbowlDC. “And he smelled like garlic and booze.”

Yum.

About 100 people showed up for the event, all wearing name tags. Among them was National Review‘s star Capitol Hill Editor Robert Costa. Read more