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Iraqi TV Station Hits on the Daily Show Formula: Fake News (NYT)
The show, Hurry Up, He's Dead, has became the talk of Baghdad, delighting and shocking audiences with its needling of anyone with a hand in Iraqis' gloomy predicament. The acerbic newscasts, each lasting about 20 minutes, are broadcast on Al Sharqiya, an Iraqi satellite station, which is in discussions about turning the show into a weekly program.

Barack Obama at AMC Convention: 'I Inhaled — That Was the Point' (FBNY)
The softspoken Obama, who during an appearance on Meet The Press Sunday admitted he would consider a run for the White House, openly criticized the Bush administration in front of 500 or so magazine executives during a wide-ranging, 45-minute discussion, occasionally with New Yorker Editor David Remnick's prodding.

NBC to Drop Megan Mullally? (Jossip)
After both WNBC and KNBC dropped The Megan Mullally Show from its afternoon slot based on dismal ratings, NBC may be looking to drop the ex-Will & Grace star entirely. With NBC Universal looking for any room to make cuts, this would serve Jeff Zucker nicely: An easy excuse to dismiss Mullally in favor of the bottom line.

Tribune Feeling Out Bidders (Chicago Tribune)
Late last week, both supersize and midsize private-equity firms began firming up teams to decide whether to pursue a leveraged buyout of the owner of the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, WGN-TV, various other media properties and the Chicago Cubs. Those interested in making a bid for Tribune are supposed to inform the company by month's end.

MPA Chief: Embrace Verified Circ (Mediaweek)
Jack Kliger, CEO of Hachette Filipacchi Media and chairman of the Magazine Publishers of America, repeated his call for the industry to emphasize building engaged readership over the rate base and push for more timely audience measurement. "Too often, our industry strategy has been to get the most number of copies into circulation," he said.

'Sting Journalism' Under Fire in India (BBC)
With 40-odd news channels vying for viewership in India's raucous media scrum and cheap secret cameras flooding the grey market, sting operations have become essential fodder in the news mix. But, not surprisingly, politicians and authorities who have been at the receiving end of the stings are demanding legislation to rein in the news channels.

J-School Course: How to Evaluate Credibility of News (E&P)
Since the Internet has created the opportunity for an infinite number of news outlets, the ability to distinguish news from gossip and credibility from popularity is an increasingly useful skill. Now, Stony Brook University School of Journalism in New York has created a course in News Literacy that will attempt to teach its students how to distinguish fact from fiction.

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