Dan: 'Courage' (NYT)
Dan Rather resigned as CBS News anchor with the same closing exhortation that brought him such ridicule soon after he took over from Walter Cronkite 24 years ago to the day: "Courage." AP: Rather seemed to savor each word of his signoff, writes David Bauder. USAT: Rather says his time as anchor "has been a privilege and one never taken lightly." E&P: The elite is now nearly united in disdain for Dan Rather, writes Jesse Oxfeld from The Week awards dinner. WaPo: On his last night, Rather did not care about his critics and used his word to say what he had to say, writes Lisa de Moraes.

Tina Brown to Write Book on Princess Di (Reuters)
Random House declined to comment on reports that the book deal was worth $2 million, but said it would be published in 2007 to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the princess's death in a car crash in Paris.

Frontrunners Emerge for FCC Head (NYT)
Michael D. Gallagher, an official in the Commerce Department, and Kevin J. Martin, a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission, are the top contenders to become the next FCC chairman.

'Memogate' Producer Sues CBS Over Job (NYT)
Esther Kartiganer said that she should not have been removed from her position on the Wednesday edition of 60 Minutes over her role in a segment concerning President Bush's National Guard service.

Mugger on Press Flap (New York Press)
Russ Smith: World-weary Matt [Taibbi] appears headed for a long stay at the funny farm, and his latest effort would seem to nail that coffin shut, so to speak. New York Press: Matt Taibbi responds to a week in which he was deluged with hate mail and saw a friend quit because of his "52 Funniest Things About the Death of the Pope." Page Six: Koyen offered a job at Screw, says he wants to go back to editing an ex-pat publication.

Mag Publisher Electrocuted by Third Rail (NYDN)
Patrick Elasik, the co-founder and co-owner of Mass Appeal magazine, a bimonthly urban lifestyle publication based in Brooklyn, was electrocuted early yesterday while walking across the G train subway tracks from one platform to another.

Court Backs Wenner OK! Block (NYP)
The tug-of-war for hot Brit editor Nicola McCarthy is over, throwing the launch plans for an American version of OK! into question. A settlement hammered out yesterday blocks McCarthy from leaving Wenner to work for the American version of OK! at least until April 2006.

Eisner 'Subverts' Mouse Hunt (Page Six)
There's no way Disney will get the best and the brightest CEO to replace Michael Eisner because, according to former Disney board members, Eisner is "going to be present at all the interviews" and part of the selection process.

Rosie Cheek (NYT)
Rosie O'Donnell, who spent most of the last five years extricating herself from public life, is back via blog.

Two Papers Censured Over Circ (Chicago Tribune)
The Audit Bureau of Circulations said its board censured two smaller Hollinger papers—the Daily Southtown and the Tinley Park Star—for misstating circulation figures.

The Alternative War Correspondent (Seattle Weekly)
Geov Parrish: Dahr Jamail left his comfortable existence as a mountain guide and freelance writer in Anchorage to go to Baghdad and become one of America's only unembedded journalists in Iraq.

Study Documents Childhood Media Saturation (Ad Age)
The typical American schoolchild now spends more time engaged with media each week than the average adult spends working fulltime in that same period, according to a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. NYT: Clinton seeks ratings on children's media.

Torch Passing at Nation (NYDN)
Viewers of political talk shows and readers of The Nation have long known Katrina vanden Heuvel as editor of the fiercely liberal weekly; now publisher Victor Navasky is dropping his other title of editorial director, and she finally has the editorial lever all to herself.

Analyzing the Pulitzer Deal (Riverfront Times)
Malcolm Gay: Some say Pulitzer Inc.'s sale to Lee Enterprises blew in quicker than a shotgun wedding. Others saw it coming a mile away. Riverfront Times: Banished from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch a decade ago, Joseph Pulitzer IV lives in self-imposed exile in Wyoming. What went wrong?

The Old vs. el Nuevo (LAT)
The young leader of Spanish media giant Grupo Televisa has his sights on Univision, but the L.A. billionaire in charge isn't budging.

Burnett Lawsuits Reveal Reality of Reality TV (LAT)
Reality TV king Mark Burnett is feuding with a production company over product placement deals, and a pair of lawsuits has pulled back the curtain to reveal how the high-stakes reality business really works. Ad Age: Battle for product placement profits gets nasty.

Freedom to Tell Dirty Jokes (NYT)
Frank Rich: The last week in September 2001 is as much a marker in our cultural history as two weeks earlier is a marker in the history of our relations with the world. Even as we're constantly told we're in a war for "freedom" abroad, freedom in our culture at home has been under attack ever since.

Racy Rodale Self-Help Book (NYP)
Galleys for a racy new self-help book co-written by Rodale vice chairwoman Maria Rodale and her daughter Maya are being hotly passed around by employees at the health-conscious publishing giant.

Ocean Thrive (Miami New Times)
Brett Sokol: Call it what you will—mindless fluff, starstruck drivel—but Ocean Drive has perfected a formula that's the envy of the publishing world.

—David S. Hirschman