This week every blog, newspaper, and media website in the city scrutinized the brand-new site, Mediaite.

Today’s Morning Media Menu featured the site’s senior editor Glynnis MacNicol and TV editor Steve Krakauer, talking about Michael Jackson‘s memorial service, Sarah Palin‘s resignation, and the site’s popular and controversial Power Grid.

GalleyCat took a look at the fledgling site’s book coverage, finding a story about Joe Scarborough’s bestselling book and the Power Grid’s rankings for authors like Thomas Friedman, Michelle Malkin, and Christopher Hitchens (pictured, via) in a scientific popularity contest.

Audible just released a new audio e-book application for BlackBerry smartphones, allowing readers to sample, purchase, stream, and download over 60,000 titles to the handy device.

The free application works with BlackBerry Curve, Pearl, 8800, Bold, and Storm devices. Users also receive a free copy of Thomas Friedman‘s “Hot, Flat, and Crowded” when they download the application.

Here’s more information about signing up: “There are two ways to install Audible for BlackBerry–Send a TXT message with the word ‘blackberry’ to 35620. Browse to www.audible.com/bb in your BlackBerry web browser.” (Via Publishers Weekly)

New York Times columnist and author Thomas Friedman has returned his $75,000 speakers’ fee for a speech at a Bay Area Air Quality Management District gathering last week.

The LA Times reports that the reversal came after a “misunderstanding” about the engagement with the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution — and How It Can Renew America.” The article takes a fascinating look at the world of celebrity speakers, where $75,000 is reportedly the “market rate” for a speech.

Here’s more from the article: “[Friedman's] lecture agent arranged the appearance, [Times spokeswoman Catherine] Mathis told me. ‘He had been under the impression that it was a community group or nonprofit,’ she said. ‘When he found out it was not, he instructed his agent to return the fee and they have notified the organization.’” (Via The Awl)