Liveblogging Tabloid Wars: ‘Frattastic Douchebags, Magical Wizards’

By Dylan on August 7, 2006 9:00 PM

9:02PM EST: “Exclusives make good stories great.”

9:04PM EST: Hud Morgan eats with Lizzie Grubman, uses “frattastic” and “blingtastic” in the same segment. We have a new hero.

9:09PM EST: Family of murdered babysitter thronged by press. Lisberg scores interview because they backed off from initial press feeding frenzy. Lisberg equals “not a bulldog.”

9:11PM EST: Kerry Burke covers night of “Harry Potter pahty to Harry Potter pahty.” Questions ethics of shilling for a magical wizard. OK, he’s our new hero.

9:18PM EST: Morgan working on a longer piece on cougar hunting.

9:19PM EST: Morgan wants Maria Sharapova to talk trash about Serena Williams, could care less about her new fragrance. Our hero returns.

9:21PM EST: Monsignor Eugene Clark — videotape and police documents. His alleged lover is his secretary.

9:22PM EST: Ross doesn’t know how to work her cellphone, talks, then remembers to open antenna.

9:24PM EST: Burke on talking with people in line for Harry Potter book: “It’s gorgeous.”

9:28PM EST: Deputy city editor Kirsten Danis wants to “give people their say,” asks if they’re “ethically and morally covered” in addition to being “legally covered.”

9:32PM EST: Michael Cooke and Lloyd Grove ridicule Hud Morgan’s sandals. Grove accuses Cooke of being a foot fetishist. Cooke asks Grove how his diet’s going. This is what’s known as Bravo filler.

9:33PM EST: Hud Morgan continues research on “cougar” story.

9:34PM EST: Kerry wants to be presentable; gets haircut in barbershop circa 1973. Thinks it makes him look like a cop.

9:35PM EST: Young male, black, 29, found in building with head bashed in. Deputy editor Greg Gittrich calls potential story “very good.” Clarification from Daily News publicist expected tomorrow.

9:42PM EST: Adam Lisberg continues to wander around Long Island looking for Monsignor. We’re tired just watching him.

9:44PM EST: Morgan: “Hard not to want to climb the media ladder.”

9:45PM EST: This “urban cougar” story smacks of the infamous Village Voice story that sacked Nick Sylvester.

9:49PM EST: Lisberg has own Jedi-mind shift, flips a bitch on a one-lane highway, hot on the heels of a potential Monsignor-carrying limo. HE-RO.

9:50PM EST: Lisberg finds the Monsignor, snaps picture, gets on-the-record denial in under 15 seconds. “Holy fucking shit,” he says. Well done.

9:51PM EST: Headline guy doesn’t know if he should say the next day’s headline aloud: “Beauty and the Priest.” Proves reporters not immune to the grimace factor when it comes to News heds, even their own.

9:59PM EST: Priest story “unfolded nicely.” Yes, yes it did.

FishbowlNY’s Coverage of Tabloid Wars:

Liveblogging Tabloid Wars: Hud Morgan, Slain Cop and a Public Pool Wedding

Liveblogging Tabloid Wars

14-Year-Old iTunes TV Critic Can’t Quite Wrap Head Around Tabloid Wars

Video: Tabloid Wars Trailer

New York Post Lists Tabloid Wars As ‘Paid Programming’

Tabloid Wars Wars: Telegenic Post Staffers Suffering From Pre-Wars Publicity Envy

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