Reporter Quits After Being Exposed as Fraud (WaPo)
Conservative reporter Jeff Gannon, who asked President Bush a loaded question at a news conference last month resigned yesterday after liberal bloggers uncovered his real name and raised questions about his background. Salon: Why was a partisan hack, using an alias and with no journalism background, given repeated access to daily White House press briefings, wonders Eric Boehlert. Boston Globe: Probe of journo "mean-spirited," says media ethicist Kelly McBride. Seattle Times: White House queried on media policy. E&P: Reporter admits he used fake name.

Indecency Measure Advances (Reuters via NYT)
Fines for broadcasting material deemed indecent would be raised to as much as $500,000 an incident under legislation that won approval Wednesday in the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Talbot Stepping Down at Salon (NYT)
David Talbot will step down as the online magazine's editor-in-chief, chief executive, and relentless cheerleader.

Eisner Wants to Hang On (NYT)
Michael Eisner indicated that he wants to stay on as chairman of the Walt Disney Company after he steps down as chief executive in September 2006. NYT: Janet Maslin on James Stewart's tale of treachery in the Magic Kingdom. NYP: CalPERS would oppose keeping Eisner on as chairman.

Mum on Possible Enquirer Move (NYP)
American Media boss David Pecker yesterday dodged questions on whether he was going to uproot the National Enquirer from its home in southern Florida and move it to New York City.

BBC Producer Shot Dead in Somalia (Guardian)
Kate Peyton, 39, was shot in the back just after arriving in Somalia with BBC reporter Peter Greste to make a series of reports about the country.

White House Blasts WaPo (Drudge Report)
For the second time in less than a week, the White House has issued a rare public demand for The Washington Post to correct stories about the cost of President Bush's domestic initiatives.

Court Ruling Upholds Judgment Against Boston Globe, Reporter (E&P)
The paper and a former reporter must pay more than $2 million to a doctor who said she was wrongly blamed in the paper for the death of the newspaper's health columnist, the state's highest court ruled today.

Project Runway Flies On (AdAge)
The Bravo network's fashion reality show, which was due to end this week, has been extended for an additional episode because of a spike in ratings, according to the network.

Trump Biopic in Works (Boston Herald)
ABC has given the go-ahead to an unauthorized movie about real estate mogul Donald Trump, who is enjoying a resurgence as host of NBC's hit series The Apprentice.

Timesman's Splitsville (Page Six)
David Shipley, who edits the Gray Lady's opinion page, has separated from his wife, Naomi Wolf, the feminist author of The Beauty Myth, and mother of two.

From Media Darling to Target (NYDN)
Paul Colford: Carly Fiorina's tumble from the top of Hewlett-Packard seems steep and hard because she was a darling of the business news media for so long.

Primetime Hard Times (USAT)
Peter Johnson: Viewership is down 23 percent at ABC's Primetime Live, and that, coupled with staff complaints about the program's management, spells double trouble.

Conservatives Rev Up With Oscar Pic Scandal (NYT)
Frank Rich: A campaign is brewing against Clint Eastwood, a former Republican officeholder, citing "liberal propaganda" in his Oscar-nominated film Million Dollar Baby.

Blogger Hits a Nerve With CNN Exec (Miami Herald)
Businessman Rony Abovitz has touched off a firestorm of controversy with an Internet report that the news chief of CNN accused American troops in Iraq of deliberately killing journalists.

Yankee Star in Steroids Flap to Break Media Silence (Newsday)
Jason Giambi has agreed to meet with a small group of reporters this afternoon at Yankee Stadium, and the entire baseball world is eager to hear what the Yankees slugger has to say about steroids.

Married by America (SFBG)
Lynn Rapoport: Reality TV contestants take the boy-meets-girl formula in their passionate embrace.

Digital Doesn't Ensure Good Data (Wired News)
Adam L. Penenberg: Forbes magazine overstates how many ad pages it has been publishing, but a gaffe like this couldn't happen in the wired-up world of the web, could it?

Book Reviewer in Chief (Chronicle of Higher Education)
Carlin Romano: George W. Bush has never been known for his literary tastes, but they are increasingly coming under scrutiny.

—David S. Hirschman