CBS Hired Private Eye to Source Memos (NYO)
Joe Hagan: Though CBS had promised transparency in investigating the memo scandal, the private investigator's sleuthing was not mentioned in the list of interviews and other pursuits in the independent panel's final report on Jan. 10.

Online Ads Rocket (Guardian)
Advertisers spent a record $10 billion online in 2004 in the U.S., the largest amount since the heady days of the dot-com boom five years ago.

Ready to Max Out (NYO)
While Miramax is on the brink of being cleaned out by the behemoth that bought it, the Walt Disney Company, The Aviator is up for 11 Academy Awards, and Finding Neverland is up for seven. NYT: A flush of new Miramax films are set to debut as the Weinsteins depart. Reuters: Disney/Miramax deal seen near.

Italian Journos to Leave Iraq (Reuters via LAT)
Italy's foreign correspondents in Iraq left or were leaving the country Tuesday after Rome warned of threats against the media and urged them to return home.

Gonzogate and Memories of Thompson (Seattle Weekly)
Knute Berger: Hunter S. Thompson, Woodward and Bernstein: the mixed legacy of boomer journalism's icons. Seattle Weekly: The gonzo legacy. VV: Hunter was "often more interesting that the story he's covering," said a Voice piece in '75. SFC: 'Gonzo' behavior made him an icon, but check Thompson's writing, writes David Kipen. Marketwatch: Thompson's writing style influenced a generation of journalists every bit as much as the so-called New Journalism that Tom Wolfe popularized, write Jon Friedman.

Gannon and on and on... (Salon)
Eric Boehlert: Bush's press office gave Jim Guckert access, even knowing his only credentials were from the blatantly partisan group GOPUSA. E&P: James Guckert/Jeff Gannon doesn't believe his recent notoriety as a partisan White House reporter who used a fake name, among other alleged activities, will keep him out of this year's White House Correspondents Dinner.

Sirius Scores NASCAR Deal (NYDN)
In another aggressive move aimed at ramping up subscribers and advertising, Sirius agreed yesterday to pay $107 million over five years to become NASCAR's exclusive satellite radio partner.

Mags Plan Ad Blitz (NYP)
The Magazine Publishers of America, in an aggressive bid to put the industry's best foot forward, is kicking off a massive $40 million, three-year ad campaign.

Halbfinger in Hollywood (NYO)
David Halbfinger is The New York Times' newest reporter covering Hollywood, taking the position recently vacated by Bernard Weinraub, and sharing the beat with Sharon Waxman. WWD: Deputy culture editors Sam Sifton and Jim Schachter are said to be neck and neck in the running for the job as Times culture czar when Jonathan Landman�s year-long term winds to a close.

Pressing for Freedom (CSM)
Editorial: The vote last week by three federal judges—that news reporters should be jailed for refusing to give up their sources—stands as an unfortunate reminder that those who value the protection of the press must remain vigilant.

Media Gear Up for Jacko Trial (WaPo)
Paul Farhi: Unless Jackson intends to moonwalk on the roof of an SUV each day, the restrictions placed on news organizations by Judge Rodney S. Melville seem likely to suppress the media fireworks.

'Journalists Love to Eat Their Own' (VV)
Jarrett Murphy: Embattled reporter Jason Leopold tries to remove a stain by adding more dirt from his past.

Alterman: Journalism Obsessed by Crap (E&P)
Mainstream journalism needs new "giants" willing to stand up for traditional standards of truth-telling, Eric Alterman said in a lecture yesterday.

Sulz Confident, Laughs at Liberal Bias Charges (St. Petersburg Times)
"We are a human institution and we will make mistakes," New York Times Co. chairman Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. told a community gathering of more than 100 people at the Poynter Institute.

Iran Jails Editor 14 Years for Insults (Reuters)
An Iranian journalist was sent to prison on charges ranging from espionage to insulting the country's leaders in an unusually heavy sentence in Iran, where tens of journalists have been tried in recent years.

Rall: Bloggers Suck (Yahoo News)
Many bloggers are uneducated and have nothing interesting to say, writes Ted Rall. They don't have sources, they don't report, and no one holds them accountable when they make mistakes or flat-out lie.

Howard Stern Honored as Radio Rebel (SFC)
Satellite radio-bound shock jock Howard Stern received the title of "Renegade" at the sixth annual Wired Rave Awards in San Francisco.

Clear Channel Rules the World? (Minneapolis/St. Paul City Pages)
G.R. Anderson Jr.: How a small chain of once-struggling radio stations grew into a giant of the media/entertainment complex.

—David S. Hirschman