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

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

The twins for Daily Beast-Newsweek Editor-in-Chief Tina Brown may be obvious, but they veer in an unusual variety of directions. There’s Princess Diana (a stretch, but if you squint it makes sense); Sandy Duncan (think Wheat Thins commercials); actress Edie Falco and talk show host Ellen Degeneres. No doubt Brown will grace Washington with her presence this weekend at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Stop the presses! Has WaPo stolen fashion writer Robin Givhan back from the clutches of Tina Brown‘s failed Daily Beast?

Last month Washingtonian‘s Harry Jaffe reported that Brown let Givhan go. Givhan told Jaffe, “I”m shell-shocked.”

Last night at 8:47 p.m. WaPo published this lengthy story in its Style section by Givhan on inaugural gowns and the global interest the ordeal attracts. Much of the story details the fashion designers who have attracted a flash of attention from various first ladies only to later crash and burn.

As if he predicted the story in WaPo, Jaffe wrote, “Brown could not have picked a worse time, for her, to let Givhan go. The inaugural season is the height of fashion coverage in the capital.”

The headline: “The agony and ecstasy of creating inaugural gowns”

We’re told that Givhan will have more stories in WaPo. But speaking of agony, is she back for good? She left WaPo for The Daily Beast in December, 2010. A click on her name shows her picture and a single word description: “Critic.” We’ve reached out to WaPo spokeswoman Kris Koratti for more details.

Update: “It’s a freelance piece,” Koratti replied. The print version includes the phrase with her byline, “Special to the Washington Post.”

Among the points Editor-in-Chief  Tina Brown made on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” today on shutting down Newsweek‘s print edition was this one: “Obviously a painful piece of this is that it’s going to mean reduction in staff,” she said toward the end of the segment.

Brown played that down and set her sights on the future.

“We just decided to take the plunge,” she said. “We decided that we wanted to embrace the future and not talk about the legacies of the past. It cost $43 million dollars to print, manufacture, distribute, and manage Newsweek before you have hired one writer or one editor. … You’ve only got to walk through an airplane and see the amount of people who have screens and the amount of people who have newspapers and magazines.”

Brand man Donny Deutsch backed her, saying, “It was a brave move for Tina. It was clearly the right move. This is a dinosaur.”

Breaking away from the giddy and spinning Brown and Deutsch, WaPo‘s Gene Robinson, who appears often on MSNBC as a political analyst, was the only dissenting voice. “Let’s hope it works,” he said cautiously and somewhat doubtfully, “and it’s wildly successful.”

Bad form? CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux got called to the carpet Monday and not the red carpet, mind you, but rather conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh tore into her for her gushing tweets during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Malveaux’s Twitter feed looked like it was taken over by a star-crazed teen, the me-walls to end all me-walls. Isn’t this great? There she was with Woody Harrelson, and Valerie Jarrett, and Dave Chappelle. Mediaite has the recap.

Was Tina holding a gun to Howie’s head? You’d have thought The Daily Beast/CNN host Howard Kurtz wasn’t enjoying himself Saturday night from the story he published Monday slamming “Nutty Nerdprom.” Sure he slammed what appeared to be creamed corn on his ballroom dinner plate. But Kurtz is about as nerdy as it gets for Washington. He’s also as enmeshed in the culture as many other members of the media. So how two-faced it is for him to slam what the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has become — which, in his view, is apparently a celebrity invasion of Washington gone wild — and tweeting about his own celeb encounters all the way  through it. Did his boss, Tina Brown, have a gun to his head? If Kurtz really wanted to show strength, instead of knocking the prom with a story, maybe he could show he means business with a boycott as opposed to say, going and fawning, and then writing about how ridiculous all that fawning is.

Hollywood and Congress collide, again — This morning Roll Call has a report on Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) using Hot in Cleveland actresses Betty White and Wendie Mallick in a campaign spot in which they gush about his love of animals and support for community safety. Of course, then he has to release a statement, saying how much of an honor it was to work with Betty and Wendie. Really, congressman, a statement for that? Berman is battling Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif. ) post redistricting. Read the piece here.

By Betsy Rothstein, Peter Ogburn, Eddie Scarry and Piranhamous

Relationships are funny. They can last nights, years, or a lifetime. That can mean an eternity of laughs and love and mutual respect. It can also mean that you get stuck in a rut where it just drags on and on and you can’t stand the way the other person fake laughs at your jokes or crunches their cereal in the morning or never actually FOLDS the laundry, they just throw it on the floor. But, breakups happen. Sometimes, it’s no one’s fault — just simple, obvious incompatibility. Other times, it’s personal. Two people united in a vile hatred for each other. Heated blowups, spitting in food, infidelity, rage-filled silence and threats of lawsuits are all common symptoms of a relationship gone south. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, today we bring you the Top 10 Most Memorable Media Breakups of recent times. Enjoy!

10. Keith Olbermann and MSNBC  — Calling Keith Olbermann a “big fish in a small pond” overstates the ratings at MSNBC. He was more like a goldfish in a cereal bowl. But still, he was MSNBC’s biggest fish. So when they split last year, it came as a shock to his fan(s). It was an abusive relationship, for sure. Tales of Olbermann’s temper tantrums are the stuff of legend. The world in which his ego lives is one in where he his popular and influential, the world in which his body lives is the real world. When Olbermann abruptly announced on January 21, 2011, that that night’s Countdown was his last, his fan(s) cried, and throngs of Americans he painted as enemies, laughed. Both knew he would be back, his ego wouldn’t allow him to keep his opinions to his favorite and most loyal audience – himself. He returned to basic cable last fall, on something called Current TV. With production values just this side of public access and an audience almost as small, Keith quickly returned to his abusive habits. After some couple’s therapy, things seem to be going more smoothly. Not audience wise, no one watches Current TV, but at least Keith isn’t abusing the staff anymore.  Winner: MSNBC. They unloaded an angry man for whom no one enjoyed working. Loser: Olbermann. He’s now in the basement (both in ratings and, from the looks of it, his set). His contract with Current TV is technically larger, but based on company stock which, if the black hole that is his ratings don’t improve, is less valuable than a plastic bag filled with chewed gum. — Piranhamous

9. Pat Buchanan and MSNBC — As the closest thing to a Republican as MSNBC will allow on its air, you’d think Pat Buchanan would’ve had some job security simply based on the network’s desire to hold on to the last thread of a plausible claim of credibility and objectivity. If you thought that you’d be wrong. Buchanan, a former Republican and Reform Party candidate for President, was suspended for having opinions that strayed from the progressive orthodoxy MSNBC has sacrificed its objectivity for. Color of Change, the race-based thought police group, with the help of other left-wing groups, paid for an Astroturf campaign against Buchanan, to which MSNBC brass was only too willing to cave. Buchanan has a long history of saying stupid things, but had comfortably settled into the role of “right-wing” dancing monkey for MSNBC’s left-wing organ grinders. When the pennies stopped flowing he was cast aside for a newer, incredibly stupid model – Meghan McCain. While Pat is smart, McCain is not. Pat would probably call it  “affirmative action,” but it’s really, like our credit rating, a downgrading. Pat could make points and use facts that would stump and contradict MSNBC hosts, Meghan confuses the words “modicum” and “emoticon.” Winner: No one. They’re like the couple that should’ve broken up years ago, but stayed together for the kids. The kids are grown now, though they still live at home, so this break-up was a long time coming. Buchanan is ready to retire, and he’d actually have a larger audience if he retired to The Villages and just gave speeches in the rec room. MSNBC now has a pure line-up of progressive mouthpieces, so their audience won’t be threatened by being exposed to opposing viewpoints. It’s win-win. Well, technically it’s lose-lose, but who’s counting? — Piranhamous

8. Eliot Spitzer and Kathleen Parker–  Almost immediately after ex-New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and WaPo‘s Kathleen Parker were teamed up for a primetime show on CNN, there were rumors that things just were cooling between the two. The show, titled “Parker Spitzer,” started in October 2010. Ratings were terrible, usually putting the show in last place in the cable news race. Then,  just four months after its debut, Parker announced she was leaving. A report in the New York Post said that Parker often felt upstaged by Spitzer who was more adversarial in his questioning of guests. The report said Parker “stormed off the set” during one taping of the program in November. But who ever thought Parker and Spitzer, who once had a thing for prostitutes, would make good bedfellows? After Parker scrammed for good, Spitzer was back the following week flying solo with a new program, “In the Arena.” That show itself was canceled nine months later. — Eddie Scarry

7. Politico and EVERYONE – Few media outlets have broken more hearts than the behemoth that is Politico. Last year alone, we saw them lay waste to several high profile reporters. Amie Parnes left her perch as FLOTUS-ass-kisser-in-Chief to cover the White House for The Hill. Chris Frates left Politico last year and jumped to NJ. This was particularly heartbreaking, since Frates had been with Politico since the beginning. Soon enough Politico threatened with threats of a lawsuit after Frates allegedly used a reader list for his new job — a charge NJ has always denied. Nonetheless, he pulled names to appease the situation. Kendra Marr resigned after she was busted plagiarizing the work of NYT writer Susan Stellin. We could go on and on and on with all the reporters that left Politico last year, but the most notable was Ben Smith, who left to become Editor-in-Chief at BuzzFeed. Sure, he’s still associated with Politico, but let’s not kid ourselves. They’re friends with benefits at best. — Peter Ogburn

6. David Shuster and MSNBC – This one goes back to 2010. MSNBC just didn’t know WHAT to do with David Shuster. He was their utility man, filling in for Keith Olbermann and various MSNBC shows. He had his own show with Tamron Hall, but no one could decide on which time slot to put him in. All of the back and forth and non-committal behavior from MSNBC prompted Shuster to explore his options. He filmed a pilot with CNN, which is a HUGE no-no. When MSNBC boss Phil Griffin heard of the news, Shuster was “suspended indefinitely” and later, sent packing. Shuster has landed on his feet after the ordeal. Or maybe he’s just landed. He is at Current TV as the primary substitute host for Olbermann and he hosts a weekend radio show on 1480AM. He also has plans to launch an investigative journalism website. Shuster gushed about MSNBC. Think warm fuzzies. “The breakup with MSNBC was amicable,” he told FishbowlDC. “We parted on mutually respectful terms… and I continue to have many close friends there.  Furthermore, leaving MSNBC opened up some amazing doors for me — a rewarding internet venture, weekly radio gigs that are as much fun as one can have in broadcasting, and the opportunity on Current TV to deliver the kind of analysis/commentary that I’ve always desired.  So, I have no regrets and wish the best to everybody at MSNBC.” — Peter Ogburn

See the five remaining breakups…

Read more

For some, Greta Van Susteren harkens back to vivid images of the mid 1990s when all eyes were peeled to the O.J. Simpson murder trial. Van Susteren, a former criminal defense and civil trial lawyer, appeared regularly on CNN and helped make sense of the complexities of the trial. She spent eight years at CNN. Then in 2002 she moved over to Fox News where she has been ever since hosting “On the Record” in the 10 p.m. time slot. She isn’t afraid of a good tussle – in January 2011, she blasted a launch party thrown by Tina Brown for Piers Morgan. “It is so different over here at Fox than CNN,” she wrote on her Gretawire blog. I can’t imagine Fox News Channel or a friend of Fox News Channel having some fancy “launch party” at a fancy NYC upper east side address with a bunch of celebrities for a new cable news show.  It seems so out of touch with the rest of the country, doesn’t it?” Today Greta celebrates 10 years at the network. We caught up with her this weekend and asked her to reflect on the last decade of her life.

Congratulations to her on this momentous occasion.

1. When you look back at the past decade, do you feel sentimental about it? I don’t feel sentimental, I feel extremely lucky!  I have had a ring side seat to every major news story in the last ten years.  I have had the thrill to travel the world for Fox News Channel – Saudi Arabia, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, North Korea, Haiti, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Kuwait, Jordan, UAE, Egypt, Aruba, Peru, Uruguay, and Honduras.   I have been all over the USA, too, and who can forget sleeping on a bus during Katrina with all my Fox colleagues?  I have had the chance to interview so many fascinating people (Presidents, world leaders, Cabinet members, Senators, Members of the House of Representatives, General Musharraf, Benazir Bhutto) that I can’t help but feel lucky…very lucky.  I have flown with the Thunderbirds, the Blue Angels and even chased the F/A 22 in an F-16.  I have been on a helicopter in Afghanistan and in other parts of the world.  I have also been lucky to interview those in the entertainment world: Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Ron Howard, William Shatner, Katharine McPhee, the Backstreet Boys, B.B. King, Winona and Naomi Judd, Shakira, Josh Groban, Jessica Simpson, Paris Hilton, and Kim Kardashian. I have also interviewed many many athletes: Brett Favre, Joe Theismann, Joe Namath, Cal Ripken, Jr., Bart Starr, Tony Dungy, Michael Vick, Mike Tyson, Bob and Mike Bryan, Joe Montana, and Manny Pacquiao.  Having read the foregoing list, and that is just a sample, can you understand why I feel so lucky?

I am grateful to Fox because Fox has spent a fortune over the past 10 years making sure I can do real reporting.  It is very, very, very expensive to send anchors and correspondents into the field and I know that news organizations have had to cut back. But Fox never has said no to me.  There is a giant difference between getting your news, reading the internet and THEN hosting or anchoring, and actually going into the field and seeing it yourself.

2. Anniversaries are typically times of reflection. What are you thinking about it all? I don’t reflect very much. I really don’t have the time to reflect. I am just excited about the next story whatever that may be.  Each time I do a story I wonder, can there possibly be another as fascinating?  So far, the answer is yes.

3. What are your tried and true interview techniques? First, work at a network that supports you.  That makes a HUGE difference.  Fox has done that for me over and over and over again.  Second, as to specific technique, I learned the trick from Larry King: be curious.  Interviews, as Larry taught me, are not about me — they are about the guests and the topic.  Viewers tune in for the news, not to see the set or the anchor.  It sure worked for Larry and it is working for me. I have been a cable news anchor since Oct. 1995.

4. What was your most memorable work trip of the last decade? I confess, I do find my trips to North Korea fascinating.  It is stepping into a whole different world, different from any other place in the world. I am headed back to North Korea in a few months for my fourth trip. Each time I have gone, I have seen more, and received greater access by the North Koreans. I have met some of the North Korean hierarchy and I have also met workers in the field. (And of course, my trips with Sec. of State Hillary Clinton to Pakistan, India, Afghanistan have been a thrill…as well as the trip all over the Middle East with then-First Lady Laura Bush.)

5. What are you most looking forward to in the years ahead? What do you most want to accomplish? I don’t know….my eyes are wide open!  Each new story is addictive.

MSNBC contributor Meghan McCain is also, like, totally a blogger! When not dispensing overpriced dime-store insight into the space between her ear she calls the young Republican mindset, she muses about stuff ‘n’ stuff on her website, McCainblogette.

Tuesday, Meghan took to her blog to offer some advice on “How to avoid 140-character regret,” four pearls of wisdom on how she tries to avoid exposing herself as an idiot by making embarrassing mistakes on Twitter.

She describes it this way: “Here are some rules I’ve set for myself to avoid any Tweet-centric mishaps or regrets.”

Overlooking the opening graph that would earn a D- in a third grade writing class, her points are as follows.

“1. Never tweet directly after a breakup, trust me no good will come of this. You are too emotionally raw and you don’t want to take it out on your twitter family.”

OK, not the worst advice ever. But it’s a lot like telling a kid “Don’t stare at the sun.” It’s gonna happen. But still, not a horrible start. Though referring to strangers on Twitter as “family” is a bit odd.

“2. Never tweet when you are angry in response to a follower. Take a step back and breathe- it’s just some anonymous person on the internet.”

First, the word “Internet” should be capitalized. Second, didn’t she just say people on Twitter were her family? Now they’re “just some anonymous person”? Where’s the love, Meghan? Third, if Twitter isn’t for fighting and letting the world see pictures of what you’re eating for dinner, what’s it for?

“3. Make sure that whenever you post a picture, you have looked over numerous times to make sure it’s correct. Tori Spelling’s husband recently tweeted a topless picture of his wife accidentally without realizing it- yikes!”

OK, there’s just a lot of stupid happening here. A LOT! Take a second and read that again, then realize that she’s a Columbia University graduate and PAID to write for The Daily Beast. The first sentence has a missing “it” and “Tori Spelling’s husband recently tweeted a topless picture of his wife accidentally without realizing it…”? Who would Tori Spelling’s husband’s wife be? And could you “accidentally” tweet something while realizing it? If this is what you get with an Ivy League education, community college for everyone! Tina Brown, that sound you hear is your brand tarnishing.

“4. And finally, try not to tweet anything you wouldn’t be comfortable with your mother, grandmother or sister reading – that’s my rule of thumb.”

Um…Uh…Why did she feel the need to make three points about her “rules,” then, in the final point, say THIS ONE is her “rule of thumb”?  What are the other three? General guidelines she thinks people should just ignore as long as grandma, mom and sis are cool with what you’ve said? “Rules of pinky”?

You have to wonder sometimes if Meghan ever reads what she’s written. More than that, you have to wonder how hard it is for colleagues at MSNBC and The Daily Beast to not laugh at her when she’s around. As for the rest of us, it’s a good thing she’s not around.

In an unusual twist this morning, a Washington conservative reporter’s insults to MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” have landed him an invitation on the show this week. So far, it’s not formal — the bookers haven’t called and scheduled the Town Car. But Willie Geist said pointedly on air that he wanted Lewis on this week. He also called him “our friend from The Daily Caller,” so feelings aren’t hostile.

The discussion on “Morning Joe” this morning has centered on GOP Presidential hopefuls. Guests have included Newsweek/The Daily Beast‘s Editor-in-Chief Tina Brown amidst other liberal leaning journalists, including “Hardball” Host Chris Matthews, host Mika Brzezinksi and branding specialist Donny Deutsch, who made a valid point about the weirdness of Herman Cain‘s hat and got unfairly ragged on by the Peanut Gallery.

Speaking of valid points, Lewis’s tweets peaked the curiosity of Geist, who praised the reporter for his criticisms and read two in full: 1. “Great diversity on MoJoe right now: The left and the FAR left — all diagnosing the GOP’s problems.” 2. “MoJoe cast discussing GOP candidates the way anthropologists might discuss a remote tribe just discovered deep in a rain forest somewhere.”

As Geist read the tweets, Mika initially remarked,  “Uh oh.” Willie said, “Not an unfair critique.” And Mike Barnicle: “That’s true actually.” After he read the second tweet, Willie added, “One hundred percent true.” And Mika: “It’s a nicer look at things than the ones I am getting.” Barnicle scolded Mika for reading hateful tweets: “Why are you reading those?”

The conclusion, however, came from Willie: “Let’s get Matt Lewis on this week.”