Media's Goaaaaaaal: Trap, Feed World Cup Buzz [FishbowlNY]
Today marks the first day of the World Cup, and it's not just Henry Kissinger who's excited about it. The New York Times is blogging the Cup. Google is offering live scores on its home page. American journalists are talking down to their readers. Media friends of ours took 3-hour lunches to watch Germany-Costa Rica, and at least one returned drunk. We're contemplating a media hooligans society.

Post-Katie, The Morning Gap Stays Steady [TVNewser]
Some observers have speculated that viewers would leave Today along with Katie Couric. But in the first five days post-Katie, that prediction hasn't panned out.

The Week in Pool Reports [FishbowlDC]
The first week of FishbowlDC's White House Pool Report contest has concluded. Here are some of your choice selections. John McKinnon, Wall Street Journal: "The President seemed to cut off his second standing ovation when he was introduced, perhaps to tamp down any appearance of triumphalism."

Ted Turner Book Goes To Hachette Book Group [GalleyCat]
Keith Kelly's Media Ink column reports that Ted Turner has sold his life story to Hachette Book Group for $4.5 million — in NY Post dollars, of course — after a fairly spirited auction conducted by his agent, Mort Janklow. The bidding probably went as high as it did because people hope he'll dish dirt or say some inappropriate things, because Turner is so good at that.

The Type Of Fellow Garry Would Like To Take Home With Him [UnBeige]
This was nice to read and we hope to hear more about both the Society of Environmental Graphic Designers and Garry Emery, the two of whom just crossed paths as the former gave the latter their highest honor this week, The Fellow Award. It's the first time the group has handed out the award to a non-American.

Interview With Cole Smithey, Independent Film Critic [MBToolBox]
Did you know that you don't have to work for a particular publication in order to review for them? Jenna Glatzer at Absolute Write speaks with Cole Smithey, who has reviewed more than a thousand films since 1997 and interviewed such actors and directors as John Singleton, Woody Allen, Steven Spielberg and George Clooney.

General Motors PR VP Fails To Get Rebuttal Published in NYT, Finds 'Rubbish' Banned [FishbowlNY]
Brian Akre, a rep for General Motors, says he spent the last week trying to get a letter from GM corporate communications VP Steven Harris — in response to an op-ed piece by Thomas Friedman which likened GM to a "crack dealer" in its dealings of SUVs to Americans — published in the New York Times. He failed. He published it — and his e-mail exchange with the Times op-editor — on GM's blog anyway.

Ng Named Executive Editor at Daily News [FishBowlNY]
Ng was most recently assistant managing editor at the Newark Star-Ledger.