It's easy to understand why reporters love a good lawsuit -- the histrionics necessary to argue that you really need $3 million in punitive damages makes for great copy -- but should anyone really be surprised that former Men's Journal editor Michael Caruso is suing his old boss at Wenner Media? Lawsuits are as standard there as exit interviews are elsewhere. Before Caruso, there was Terry McDonell (a former Men's Journal editor himself), who sued Wenner for $130,955 per year for life in retirement pay after he left for Sports Illustrated. (The two sides eventually settled.) Janice Min's suit, due around 2008 or so, should be a doozy...

"So...who are these people that you write about, just other people who write about other people?"

It was a fair question, posed by a friend of mine. It's been hard to explain to civilians, as it were, why exactly this job has been so all-encompassing for the last ten months. How can I explain to them how funny TimesSelect jokes are? Why Katie Couric's legs are a symbol of the seismic shift in the world as we know it? Why referring to Jack Shafer as "Our Dark Lord" cracks me up, even now as I'm typing?

I haven't been able to in ten months, which is why my best friend has no clue who Maureen Dowd is (though I can tell you that she considers men very, very necessary) and a recent boy I dated didn't know the difference between Anderson Cooper and Stephen Colbert...when they were both on the TV screen at the same time. (I swear to God that one's true.) I've candidly admitted in the past that I knew very little coming in; now, thanks to a 24-hour diet of news and spin, I can at least hold my own in an email exchange with Jay Rosen (but not a long one).

It's kind of goofy (but if you are a regular Fishbowl reader you expect no less), but I now have a genuine affection for this beat and for those it covers (even the ones I've never met. I'm lookin' at you, Howie Kurtz, oy what a punum). I had a mini-epiphany last night about why, and it goes back to the notion of being a mensch. I do actually believe that most of us genuinely are in this to add something to the equation and effect a little good. That's one of the reason the outrage over James Frey is so heartening -- it's kind of amazing that such a cynical bunch of bastards can be so offended that someone lied.

As it turns out, it's kind of a prerequisite for being one of those people who people like me who write about other people who write about other people write about (yes, we're the luckiest people in the world). If you didn't get that well, be grateful that I'm returning to the world in which I am actually edited. In the meantime, before this gets too maudlin, I just wanted to thank all of you for being a mensch (there, Brian Williams, a Golden Girls shout-out just for you!). For the FishFriends™ amongst you -- you know who you are, all of youse -- I thank you so much for every bit of fact-checking, tip-dropping and media-whoring (just kidding, Bucky!). It has been so much fun to do this with all of you, and I can't even believe you let me for so long.

Or that you read this ridiculously long post. What, you don't have work to do? Look forward to prose far more elegant and precise come tomorrow when MB stalwart Greg Lindsay steps into the fray, with support from MB's own Dorian Benkoil and Aileen Gallagher. In the meantime, "The Fishbowl Final" will resume tomorrow, and I'm excited for that. But otherwise, this is so long, and farewell, and auf wiedersehn. You know the drill.

Thanks so much for this wonderful, amazing, inspiring experience. Sorry for being sentimental, I'm Canadian. So, by the way, are Bonnie Fuller, Sheelah Kolhatkar, Graydon Carter, Samantha Bee, Pat Kiernan and Malcolm Gladwell.

On Tuesday night, Wenner Media No. 2 Kent Brownridge --quintessential right-hand man to Jann Wenner for these thirty-two years -- was fêted with a heartfelt farewell at the Four Seasons Grill Room before 150 well-wishers, business associates, and colleagues. Fishbowl had a spy or two in attendance, and they ate hors d'oeuvres on our behalf.

Before giant mock-ups of Us Weekly and Rolling Stone covers featuring his face (a party trick inspired, no doubt, by similar mock-ups for Wenner's birthday), Brownridge mingled with attendees including his girlfriend Alex Carlin, Wenner (who one-upped him with TWO dates, boyfriend Matt Nye and wife Jane Wenner); Us Weekly EIC Janice Min ; Wenner CMO (and Canadian!)Gary Armstrong (pictured right); Vanity Fair columnist and Michael's-eschewer Michael Wolff; John Rasmus (who launched Men's Journal with Jann back in the day, and is now EIC at National Geographic Adventure); recently-ascended Men's Journal editor (with Wenner) Tom Foster with MJ publisher Will Schenk; Rolling Stone managing editor Will Dana and deputy managing editor Joe Levy; Us Weekly publisher Vicci Rose and News Photo Director Peter Grossman (below, joshing with Brownridge); and Wenner alumni including Michael Hess (former associate publisher of Rolling Stone, now associate publisher of the New Yorker); Carlos LaMadrid (former publisher of Men's Journal before jumping to Jane), as well as newsmen including Nat Ives (AdAge) and Keith Kelly (NYP). (Funnily enough, there were no bloggers in attendance. People, read the memo!)

Wenner toasted his deputy -- known as the guy who "kept the editorial and publishing trains, and Wenner himself, running on time" (also known as "Dr. Evil" by Simon Dumenco) -- and reminisced about their early days together, specifically about how they used to go out cycling and race the younger Rolling Stone staff. On one trip, Wenner and Brownridge faced a big hill. As Wenner told it, Brownridge (apparently quite the athlete and still an active cyclist to this day), pulled up alongside Jann and put a helping hand on his back, while still steering and pedaling his own bike, all the way up the hill. Which is kind of a great story.

Wenner thanked Kent for his loyalty and friendship over the past 30-plus years, and then it was time for presents: Framed Rolling Stone covers of the first and last issues where KB appeared on the masthead (1975, with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and the 1990/91 year-end double issue).

Brownridge made a short speech thanking everyone he'd had the pleasure to work with, and randomly mentioning Michael Wolff, joking (?) that he wasn't invited, but Wolff was either hiding or had ducked out early, because he didn't appear. Probably snuck to Michael's to reclaim the glory of Table #5. At any rate, it sounds like it was a lovely party. Best of luck to you, Kent Brownridge! Best of luck to you, Jann Wenner! God bless us, every one!

Related:
At The Wheel of the Wennermobile [AdAge]
Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Read Me? [NYT]

Move over, MoDo! Step off, Bobo - Ted Koppel is in da house! The veteran and venerated anchor will lend his godly voice to the op-ed page as a contributing columnist starting on January 29th. Pretty cool!

"There is no more respected or influential forum in the field of journalism than The New York Times," Mr. Koppel said, obviously unaware of Jay Rosen's thoughts on the subject. "I look forward, with great anticipation, to contributing to its Op-Ed page."

Editorial Page editor Gail Collins calls it "an exciting, new type of relationship for The Times" and promises super-special treats for TimesSelect, like "conversations with the columnists" wherein Koppel will "use his fabled interviewing skills" (uh, I'd rather see him use those skills on interviewing people who don't give us a big ol' column of their thoughts twice a week).

In any case, it should be lively, and an interesting end-run around the question of what we're going to do without our Great Towering Anchors. Full release after the jump.

Update: This is apparently just one of Koppel's many pies -- in addition to his new gig at the Discovery Channel, he just signed on with NPR to do commentaries and news. Fishbowl DC has more.

continued...

This is a sad day for great, voicey writing and raw, emerging talent: The Black Table, staple of the downtown writing scene and wry, witty, and outspoken web prescence, is ending its three-year run. Started by four scrappy young freelancers-with-day-jobs who craved an outlet -- Maxim's Eric Gillin, Deadspin's Will Leitch, Oddjack's A.J. Daulerio and MB's own Aileen Gallagher -- the Black Table (or "B.T." as the cool kids might say) provided a forum for a whole host of writers with great ideas, offering space for anything from 3,000 word investigative pieces to a 100-word blurb with a kicky punchline. In between there were the mainstays: the ladies of the BT "Waxing Off" on all sorts of uniquely personal things; "Incoming!" assessing the week head; "Believe The Hype?" (from Arcade Fire to "Prep" to Sufjan Stevens); "The Week in Craig," nuggets from Craigslist as interpreted hilariously by Amy Blair; "Rock and a Hard Place," Daulerio's incredibly profane interview series; "Life as a Loser," Leitch's thoughtful, revelatory columns that culminated in a book; and my favorite BT feature, "The Black List," where people from all walks could sound off about what they loved, hated, or were moved by that week.

If you want to see what kind of talent was incubated by the Black Table, take a gander here: EW's Whitney Pastorek, Salon's Lynn Harris, authors James Frey, Jonathan Ames and Tom Perotta, ESPN's Dan Shanoff, Lindsayism's Lindsay Robertson, Paper/The Corsair's Ron Mwangaguhunga, Glamour's Melissa Walker, Gawker's Jessica Coen, plus MB's own Claire Zulkey, Jamie Frevele, Greg Lindsay, Rachel Kramer Bussel, and, yes, your hardy fishblogger Rachel Sklar. (P.S. That's not an exhaustive list.)

Here's my ridiciulously biased pronouncement: it was a great read, a great opportunity, and a great venture. It will be greatly missed. Thanks on behalf of everyone to whom it gave an outlet, and a boost.

Oh yeah, they're having a goodbye party. Now you TOTALLY want to go, don't you.

It hasn't been a banner year for Dow Jones , or its leadership -- falling earnings, shareholder value and morale; calls for regime change; disappointing reception to the Weekend Journal; other, er, indignities -- which is why yesterday's announcement of a new CEO to replacePeter Kann was not surprising.

Richard F. Zannino, Kann's no. 2, will step up to the plate on February 1st, with the distinction of being the first non-journalist to lead the company since 1933. Kann, CEO for almost 15 years, was set to retire at the end of next year. Other notes about this change:

• Publisher Karen Elliott House, who is married to Kann, will retire after 32 years with the WSJ. The position of print publisher will likely be eliminated.
  
• Kann (aka the House Spouse) will stay on as Chairman of the Board until his mandatory retirement at the end of next year.
  
• Word of the management switch sent the stock shooting up 10%. Eek. Guess leadership change was really overdue.
  
• Both Zannino and Kann say that the controlling-shareholder Bancroft family (61% plus Board clout) has no intentions of selling Dow Jones (sorry Rupert)
  
• Zannino isn't planning to slice and dice his way across Dow Jones operations: "The company 'can't expense its way to profitability,' he said." Time Inc., did you hear that?
  
• No, he's not a journalist, but Zannino has been reading the Journal since he was in high school (raise your hand if you were reading the Journal in high school, keener). He says he has a "healthy respect for journalism." You know that's going to come back to haunt him.
  
• Big decision for Zannino in the coming year: replacing WSJ managing editor Paul Steiger, who turns 65 next year.
  
• I'm sorry, but it must be said: "Zannino" sounds a lot like "Zanoni," as in Stephanie Zanoni, the leader of the Pink Ladies and the smokin' hot star of "Grease II," which could probably provide valuable leadership lessons for Zannino going forward.
  
• House and Kann have both been gracious about this, at least according to the in-depth WSJ article (especially House, who was up for the CEO position herself): "Rich deserves to do whatever he thinks is the right thing to move the company forward." She's been with the paper for 32 years. Kann started in 1963 as an intern, reported for the WSJ from Vietnam and went on to be CEO, earning 17 Pulitzers for the WSJ during his tenure
  
• Both House and Kann are Pulitzer winners themselves
  
  Dow Jones Taps Richard Zannino As New CEO [WSJ]

  Related:
  The Journal at Sea [New York]
  Do as We Say, Not as We Dow: Why is Peter Kann still running Dow Jones? [Slate]
  Dow Jones Death Watch, Part 628 [FBNY]

The Post is crowing today after nabbing Les Goodstein from the NY Daily News, its now-former President and Chief Operating Officer. Today the Post happily (and somewhat smugly) introduces Goodstone to its readers as the new senior vice president News Corp, officially switching moguls from Mort Zuckerman to Rupert Murdoch.

The Post goes on to say all sorts of nice things about Goodstein, who, since leaving the Daily News, apparently no longer sucks.

Number of times the Post reminds us that it's America's fastest-growing newspaper: 2

Number of times the Post reminds us that the Daily News actually has a higher circulation: 0

According to Jeff Bercovici at WWD, Mort Zuckerman was not happy about losing his 28-year lieutenant (COO for 5 of them), a guy who "knows where the bodies are buried." Zuckerman apparently flew back to New York from Aspen to cajole his man to stay put, to no avail.

In other news, somewhere in Morocco, a man is smiling.

Daily Defection [NYP]
Less Goodstein at the News [WWD]
Mr. Goodstein, I Love You [Gypsy, as sung by Mama Rupe]

It's the end of the fiscal year, so time for Time Inc. to lay off 105 employees, including Time president Eileen Naughton and Entertainment Weekly president Andy Sareyan. Chairman and CEO Anne Moore also named Nora McAniff and John Squires co-chief operating officers of the company.

Time Inc. reported $5.5 billion in sales last year, but only 2.5 percent growth, according to Hoovers. Time Warner likes to see those numbers go up! up! up!, so pressure's on for Moore to shuffle up and increase revenue. Is this really the best way to do it? Time (Inc.) will tell.

PLUS: Analysis from mb's Revolving Door Newsletter, an AvantGuild benefit:

They should just start calling the company People Inc. In a major reshuffling at the highest levels of the company, announced this afternoon, Time Inc. CEO Ann Moore more or less cemented her loyal deputy Nora McAniff as her eventual heir apparent. McAniff has been promoted to co-COO, along with John Squires -- the first time a COO position has existed at Time Inc. -- and McAniff's direct reports now include just about every publisher of every woman-focused magazine at the company, including People, In Style, Real Simple, and so on. The chief executives of both IPC Media (Time Inc.'s UK division) and Southern Progress -- both of which are larger than some of Time Inc.'s rivals in their own right -- now report to her. Squires will keep the company's "sports and leisure group," i.e. Sports Illustrated and the outdoor titles of Time4Media, and now has oversight of Time Inc.'s interactive division and all of the business magazines. But McAniff appears to be the clear winner, and People magazine's dominance of the company is more profound than ever. Not only is it the most profitable magazine in existence, but Time Inc.'s current and perhaps future CEO both made their reputations there, while People's managing editor, Martha Nelson, will likely succeed John Huey as editor-in-chief one day. What would Henry Luce think?

Press Release: Nora McAniff, John Squires Named Co-Chief Operating Officers of Time Inc.
Time Inc. Cuts Deep Into Top Management [AdAge]

Village Voice EIC Don Forst has resigned after nine years, effective December 31, 205. Interesting timing. Managing editor Doug Simmons will step into the breach. Happy New Year!

After the jump, Forst's farewell memo to staff, sent 4:41 pm and Village Voice Publisher Judy Miszner's response, circa 4:44 pm.

continued...

We're in the middle of prepping "Lunch at Michael's" but in the meantime, a little Thanksgiving irony for you: FEMA's Michael Brown is starting a consulting firm on disaster preparedness.

Here's the part that almost makes you feel for him a little: "My wife, children and my grandchild still love me. My parents are still proud of me." Until you remember this: "Restaurants are getting busy...we need time to eat in leisure, dammit!" and "Sir, you might want to try rolling up your sleeves to so it looks like you're actually working" and "Can I quit now?" Then, you know, there's not much sympathy.

Brown to start emergency planning consulting business [CNN]