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MPA Drawn into Abramoff Scandal [NYT]
In 2000, the uber-lobbyist represented the Magazine Publishers Association, some of whose money may have been funnelled to Abramoff's political allies. Miami Herald: Media have tough questions to answer about taking Abramoff's money.

KR To Meet Potential Buyers [Mercury News]
Knight Ridder will begin meeting with potential buyers next week in the next step of offering itself for sale under pressure from unhappy shareholders.

He's a Woman, Baby! [NYT]
It has been one of the most bizarre literary mysteries in recent memory: Who, exactly, is the novelist JT Leroy? An answer, at long last, is taking shape. The Smoking Gun: A six-week investigation by The Smoking Gun reveals that there may be a lot less to love about James Frey's runaway hit, A Million Little Pieces.

Violence Against Journos in Iraq [E&P]
Gunmen kidnapped a female American journalist and killed her Iraqi translator Saturday in western Baghdad. The victim's name has not been released, but she has been described as a freelancer in her 20s.

NYT's Rosenbaum Dies Following Attack [NYT]
David Rosenbaum, a retired reporter and editor in the paper's D.C. bureau, suffered brain injury after being struck in the head during a robbery.

The Life and Times of Len Downie [E&P]
The veteran newsman talks to Editor & Publisher about his 14 years as executive editor of the Washington Post.

U.S. Troops Seize Reporter [E&P]
An award-winning journalist working for the Guardian and Britain's Channel 4 television found American soldiers blasting their way into his home in Baghdad, where he was hooded and taken for questioning.

Soros to Bid for DreamWorks Library [Forbes]
The billionaire financier is said to be interested in buying rights to the 59-title movie library.

CNBC's Global Conversation [Independent]
The business network has come up with a simultaneous broadcast on three continents. It's only two hours a day, but may mark a small revolution in global television.

Where's Courtland Milloy? [Washingtonian]
The 23-year veteran columnist's unexplained absence is "another sign of instability" at the Washington Post's Metro section.

Jocks Draw Listeners to Satellite [NYT]
Howard Stern's decision to jump from free broadcast to subscription radio has bestowed legitimacy to a medium that many had regarded with skepticism. Sirius's subscriber numbers have jumped from 660,000 at the time the deal with Stern was announced in October, to 3.3 million today. USAT: Both Sirius and rival XM are betting on exactly that kind of fan loyalty to drive their start-up businesses.

Picture Editors Speak Out Over Gaza Withdrawal [Guardian]
A growing number of reporters and photo editors say the images of tearful settlers that they beamed across the world in August were largely part of a coordinated PR stunt staged for the cameras.

NPR Pledgers Want Their Money Back [NYT]
When Detroit public radio canceled some local music shows and replaced them with talk and news programs, listeners filed suit for the return of money donated during a pledge drive.

ABC's World Without Jennings [NYT]
The network news broadcast copes with life without long-time anchor Peter Jennings. In the control room, producer Jon Banner wears a blue rubber bracelet that reads, "What Would Peter Do?"

Carr: Media's Glass Ceiling for Women [NYT]
The executive ranks of the national media company's is still a man's world, says NYT columnist David Carr.

MySpacers Lash Out at Murdoch [Indpendent]
Angry members of MySpace, the personal file-sharing website for young adults, are accusing Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation of censoring their postings and blocking their access to rival sites.

Old Media Struggles to Keep Up [BizWeek]
Digital media expert Jeffrey Cole talks to BizWeek's Jon Fine and says traditional media will survive the mobile age, but not before doing some morphing.

The Rise of 'Snark' [Marketwatch]
Thanks largely to the advent of the Internet blogs, "snarky" commentaries are sweeping the craft of journalism, says Jon Friedman.

Clear Channel to Launch Music Video on Demand [Reuters]
The radio conglomerate says between 2,000 and 3,000 vids will be offered on its radio station websites.

ABC's Super Bowl Sellout [Mediaweek]
With the exception of one 15-second spot, ABC has sold out the first half of Super Bowl 40. AdAge: Exclusive list of the ads to expect.

Kinsley: Who Buys Newspapers Any More? [WaPo]
Instead of buying a paper in order to throw most of it away, more and more people are not buying it in the first place.

Blogs Help Bad News Spread Fast for Wal-Mart [WaPo]
The retailer finds that the slightest slip-up quickly turns into a formidable news event thanks to the internet.

Chicagoland Loses Veteran Columnist [E&P]
The legendary commentator Jack Mabley has died, aged 90.