Brags The American Spectator: “As other publications downsize or cease printing altogether, The American Spectator – a magazine renowned for going against the grain – is returning to a tabloid size beginning February 2013.”

The Spectator says it’s returning to its roots — after all, they published as a tabloid from 1979 to 1992. They also want to “stand out against the bland, cookie-cutter newsweeklies and opinion journals that clutter today’s newsstands and recycling bins.” They came to their ultimate conclusion by conducting an informal focus group of Washington conservatives.

“Our re-design offers a fresh look and an opportunity to focus on the panache and humor that made the magazine famous,” said managing editor Kyle Peterson in a statement. “We aim to bring the Spectator’s trademark wit and wisdom to a new generation.”

Editor-in-Chief and Founder Emmett Tyrell, Jr. makes a journalistic threat to Obama. “A new design hearkening to our old design – what is new is what is old. That is a conservative’s ideal vision of progress. That is my idea of progress!” said Tyrrell, Jr. in the release. “At the Spectator we are entering a new era full of the old investigative vigor and our timeless sense of the absurd. Mr. Obama, watch out!”

Say hello to Josh Rogin, staff writer for Foreign Policy magazine, who writes the daily online column The Cable, a look inside the foreign policy machine of the Obama administration. Before that he reported for Congressional Quarterly, Federal Computer Week magazine, and The Asahi Shimbun, Japan’s leading daily newspaper. Hailing from Philadelphia, he’s a GWU grad and lived in Tokyo, Japan. Much to FishbowlDC’s delight (after reminding and threatening him), Rogin got it together and met our deadline.

If you were a carbonated beverage which would you be? Yuengling beer – good taste, not bitter, and from eastern Pennsylvania.

How often do you Google yourself? Never. I’m not interested in reading about the “other” Josh Rogin, former Wexler aide. He somehow got awarded all my U.S. airways miles and I’m still bitter. (true story)

Who is your favorite working journalist? E.J. Dionne Jr. of The Washington Post, who gave me my first DC internship years ago. He writes with a clarity that cuts through and convinces. A true gentleman and scholar.

Did you see “Twilight” and “New Moon?” If so, who is more your type, Edward or Jacob? Never saw either. I like True Blood on HBO, but from what I gather I’m more like Edward. He sparkles in the sunlight, drives a Volvo, and can read peopleÂ’s minds.

Who would you rather have dinner with – First Lady Michelle Obama or Bestselling Author Sarah Palin? Michelle Obama – Maybe I could get her to give me some tips on how to tone up my biceps.

When did you last cry and why? When I was run down on the street by a D.C. taxi cab and then issued a ticket for “reckless walking.” Adding insult to injury, Jim Bunning refused to sign my cast!

What swear word do you use most often? Asscrackistan.

If you were trapped on a deserted island, which public official would you want to be trapped with and why? Senator Scott Brown – I figure he has the hunting, trapping, and fishing skills to keep us alive until the rescue team arrives.

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Jonathan Krohn, the 14-year-old conservative pip-squeak who caught the attention of former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) after a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference(CPAC) earlier this year, is coming back.

In mid-February, Krohn, dubbed “The Little Conservative” by The New York Times, will again attend CPAC. He’ll have no official speaking role, but has been honing his oratory skills by speaking at Tea Parties around the country.

His upcoming book, Defining Conservatism: The Principles That Will Bring Our Country Back, has sparked praise from Gingrich and syndicated radio host Mike Gallagher, who says: “Any time I am depressed about the state of the country or the future of the modern conservative movement, I consider two words: Jonathan Krohn.”

By the way, he dedicates his book to the late Ronald Reagan, the late William F. Buckley, Jr. and the late Barry Goldwater.

Krohn, who turns 15 in March, is a homeschooled only child who lives in Atlanta with his parents.

The Chronicle of Higher Education today announced the appointment of Harvey W. Hill, Jr., as Associate Publisher, Corporate Client Group. Harvey will lead the sales team in New York and Sacramento, as well as the display production team in Washington.

A newspaper veteran, Hill has served as a director for national, retail and classified sales for media companies such as the Baltimore Sun, Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Sun-Times, Washington Times, USA Today, and the Washington Post.

CBS’ Mark Knoller tweets this pic this morning: “Trick or Treat. Gremlins, goblins and Knoller. (Mark o’ Lantern by Fernando Suarez, CBS News).”

Some more Washingtonian’s Halloween costumes, including Fox’s Greta van Susteren: “I had planned on going as either Anderson Cooper or Glenn Beck. As for my husband, John? He was planning on going as Sally Quinn.” We’d like to see that!

Good morning FishbowlDC! What we know and what we’re reading this Friday morning before Halloween…

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

NEWSPAPERS

WSJ is closing its Boston office.

Boston Globe publisher P. Steven Ainsley is retiring.

TV

A Pew Research study find that “Fox News Channel is viewed by Americans in more ideological terms than other television news networks” (mostly conservative). CNN, MSNBC and NBC were found to be perceived as “mostly liberal.” Numbers here.

TVNewser takes a look at cable ratings post-election: Neither HLN nor Fox News has seen near the drop-off year-to-year that the other two networks have. CNBC has also seen audiences shrink compared to last October, when so much public attention was placed on the financial crisis.

Bloomberg TV debuts the new series “Innovators” tomorrow night at 9pmET and 11pmET.

BBC is cutting jobs.

ONLINE

Vote for HuffPost Game Changers… Katie Couric? Henry Louis Gates, Jr.? Tina Brown?

Actor Woody Harrelson is in town- check him out today on CBS’ daily webcast “Washington Unplugged” at 12:30pm.

MAGAZINES

Time mag is expected to eliminate more jobs.

NEWS NOTES

WaPo: Yes, journalists deserve subsidies too.

More DC lists, more media on DC lists.

WEST WING REPORTAGE

Daily Finance: Fox News ‘truce’ with White House is no victory for Obama.

A reporter asked White House press secretary Robert Gibbs in yesterday’s gaggle: “Is there a ceasefire in the war with Fox?” Gibbs replied simply: “I have nothing to add to that.” (h/t Politico 44)

USA Today: Steven Waldman, founder, editor and leading political blogger of Beliefnet.com, the nation’s top Internet spirituality site, is leaving for a post in the Obama administration.

HAT TIPS: mediabistro, TVNewser, Politico

• NYT plans to cut 100 newsroom jobs by the end of this year. No word yet on how that will affect the DC bureau. FishbowlNY has executive editor Bill Keller‘s internal memo, which says, “As before, if we do not reach 100 positions through buyouts, we will be forced to go to layoffs. I hope that won’t happen, but it might.”

• A study by former WaPo executive editor Leonard Downie, Jr. and Columbia University’s Michael Schudson says government should help subsidize local journalism. “Rather than depending primarily on shrinking newspapers, communities should have a range of diverse sources of news reporting. They should include commercial and nonprofit news organizations that can both compete and collaborate with one another, adapting traditional journalistic forms to the multimedia, interactive capabilities of digital communication.” Downie and Schudson make a number of suggestions of public sources of support in today’s WaPo.

• And congrats are in order… The Atlantic‘s James Bennet is Ad Age’s Magazine Editor of the Year.

* Photo by Jay McMichael

CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux will receive Essence‘s Journalist of the Year award this evening. Essence & Southern Company are partnering to host a special awards reception as part of the 2009 Congressional Black Caucus weekend to commemorate the achievements of today’s most influential politicians and architects of change.

The program will honor the accomplishments of The Honorable Congresswoman Barbara Lee with the Advocate Award; Musician & Activist Dr. Henry Panion, III with the Civic & Cultural Advancement Award; Morehouse College President Robert M. Franklin, Jr. with the Hope Award; and CNN Washington Correspondent Suzanne Malveaux as Journalist of the Year.

Congratulations to Suzanne!

Master of Ceremonies CNN’s Lou Dobbs. Photos courtesy of our friends at Qorivs.

CNN’s Lou Dobbs was the Master of Ceremonies at the 2009 Horatio Alger Association Induction Ceremony at Constitution Hall this past Friday.

Denzel Washington and ten others were inducted into the association Friday, including Reprise Records & 143 Records producer, composer and arranger David Foster, Wynn Resorts Chairman and CEO Stephen A. Wynn and PepsiCo Inc. Chairman and CEO Indra K. Nooyi.

Also in attendance was CNNfn’s past president C. Shelby Coffey III, Justice Clarence Thomas and T. Boone Pickens.

From their site: the Horatio Alger Association was founded in 1947 to honor the achievements of outstanding individuals in our society who have succeeded in spite of adversity and of encouraging young people to pursue their dreams through higher education.

Dobbs became a member of the association in 1999 and his colleague Wolf Blitzer was the MC at last year’s ceremony.

The full list of honorees and some more pics after the jump…

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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 or let us know in the tips box below.

Its day 53 covering the Obama administration and week six for us. It’s also Friday the 13th- for the second time this year. What we know and what we’re reading this Friday morning…

NEWSPAPERS | TV | RADIO | ONLINE | MAGAZINES | NEWS NOTES | EVENTS | FBDC’S PICKS

NEWPAPERS

Slate has an audio recording guide on how to pronounce the last name of Ross Douthat, the new Bill Kristol at the NYT, announced just this week. (h/t FishbowlNY)

Mark your calendars- The 48th Annual Roll Call Congressional Baseball Game will be June 17th at Nationals Park.

TV

You’ll see this everywhere today… Jon Stewart ripped CNBC’s Jim Cramer on last night’s Daily Show. You can read about it here, watch it here and check out TVNewser’s live blogging of the show here.

On MSNBC Wednesday, Andrea Mitchell agreed with Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) that the media is partially to blame for President Obama’s staffing difficulties by pleading guilty to “gotcha journalism.” “You’re right, and we plead guilty because this culture right now of gotcha has gotten completely out of control,” Mitchell said. Check out the clip here on HuffPost.

Andrea’s interview with Frank earned her the label of “butt boy” from Rush Limbaugh Thursday, reports HuffPost. Listen to that clip here.

In memoriam, from DCRTV: Dr. Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr., one of the last important figures from the old DuMont television network, has died at the age of 99. DC’s Channel 5/ WTTG, once part of the DuMont network, is named from Goldsmith’s initials. He was the chief of research for DuMont. Over the years, WTTG was owned by Metromedia and later Fox. The call letters were never changed.

RADIO

Poynter has the memo from NPR cancelling newspaper subscriptions.

WTOP’s Mark Plotkin is staying on top of the taxation without representation issue for us here in DC, from the Reliable Source.

ONLINE

JSchools need to teach online journalism.

MAGAZINES

From NYPost: Jim Kelly, editor of Time in its last glory days, is about to step down from his post as Time Inc. managing editor, ending a 30-year career with the company, Media Ink has learned.

In other news at Time, Joel Stein explores the possibility of product placement in pieces.

The Atlantic is launching a food channel.

NEWS NOTES

In keeping with the times, the Newseum has opened a “digital news revolution” exhibit, exploring the “next generation of news gathering and dissemination and what effect the changes may have on journalists and the news industry.”

EVENTS

From Politico’s Shenanigans: Washington’s conservative A-listers headed to the Washington Hilton on Wednesday night for the American Enterprise Institute’s annual gala. Karl Rove, Tucker Carlson, Byron York, Alberto Gonzales, Newt Gingrich, David Frum, Fred Barnes, John Bolton, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Charles Krauthammer, Bill Kristol, Grover Norquist, Richard Perle, Justice Antonin Scalia and Paul Wolfowitz (based on the seating chart). Plus former Vice President Dick Cheney.

FBDC’S PICK

From the Daily Beast, excerpts from the Female Force comic book series, starring Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama (in pantsuits, not spandex).

HAT TIPS: Mediabistro; Romenesko

Good morning Washington.

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

We’ve got your morning mix of media Muesli after the jump…

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