Powell Exits FCC Without Successor (LAT)
Michael Powell's final meeting as commissioner turned into an emotional affair. Addressing his colleagues, Powell choked back tears, saying, "Government service is not lucrative; it takes a painful toll on you." But, he added, "I've loved every single moment of it."

Globe Completes Metro Deal (Boston Globe)
The paper has completed its purchase of a 49 percent interest in the Metro Boston newspaper, a deal that had been delayed by concerns over racial insensitivity in the Metro culture and by a Justice Department antitrust inquiry. Boston Herald: The Globe yesterday emphasized its bid to reach advertisers targeting young readers through the Metro deal.

Rather's Farewell Bests Competition (WaPo)
Dan Rather beat his broadcast competitors on his final night as anchor of the "CBS Evening News," according to early numbers, attracting 7.3 percent of TV households in the country's top markets.

Circ Probe Triggers Mag Distributor Scrutiny (Newsday)
A federal investigation of newspaper circulation has spread to the magazine industry as authorities examine questionable "swap" payments between top publications and a major Long Island news distributor that may have contributed to inflated circulation.

Wenner Battle Costs Publisher a Cool Mil (NYDN)
Publisher Richard Desmond's costs to settle Wenner Media's suit against his company will total $1 million—and he still can't get a former Wenner editor to launch a rival celebrity weekly.

Min There, Done That (NYP)
The much-watched AdWeek/Mediaweek Hot List is due out next week, and sources say Us Weekly editor Janice Min will cop Editor of the Year honors

Op-Ed Gender Battle Rages (LAT)
What started as a series of emails from writer Susan Estrich to LAT opinions editor Michael Kinsley has escalated into an all-out war between the two, and is raising some questions about the lack of female columnists on Op-Ed pages at newspapers around the country.

Weinsteins Still Thinking Big Post-Disney (Hollywood Reporter)
Where any other executives might feel diminished in similar circumstances, Harvey and Bob Weinstein are thinking big, and have already begun to float plans for their new endeavor.

How Tsunami 'Hogged' Headlines (Guardian)
The Asian tsunami attracted more media attention in the first six weeks after it struck than the world's top 10 "forgotten" emergencies did over a whole year, according to a report from Reuters.

The Case for 'Comics Journalism' (CJR)
Kristian Williams: Since the comics renaissance of the mid-eighties, more and more writers and artists have been producing serious nonfiction comics about current events, from war crimes to hip-hop.

Tapping Consumers (Marketwatch)
Jon Friedman: It seems to me that Jason Binn, who publishes city-themed magazines for the well heeled, has a simple but effective publishing philosophy. When he contemplates his audience, Binn tends to see consumers, not news junkies.

Study Notes Declines in 'Quality' Newspaper Circ (E&P)
The Prudential Equity Group issued a biting 72-page report on the state of circulation and found that both quality and quantity continue to decline.

Disney Board Spars Over Eisner (NYT)
Two former Walt Disney board directors have asked that the chief executive, Michael D. Eisner, not be allowed to sit in on interviews of his possible successor.

Okrent to Harvard (E&P)
While The New York Times remains mum on who will succeed Public Editor Daniel Okrent when his contract ends May 31, Okrent's next stop seems a bit clearer: a fellowship at Harvard University's Joan Shorenstein Center on The Press, Politics, and Public Policy

Frank Rich's Column Back to Op-Ed (NYT)
The New York Times announced yesterday that columnist Frank Rich would move next month to a redesigned Op-Ed package that will be expanded to two pages in the Week in Review section, following the editorials.

We're All Journalists Now (Slate)
Jacob Weisberg: With the proliferation of new modes of communication online, deciding who is and who isn't a journalist has become pretty much impossible.

Alterman vs. the Globe (The Nation)
Eric Alterman: The Boston Globe is a great newspaper, but the paper's opinion columnists have proven a constant source of embarrassment in recent years. Having recently been the target of an ad hominem attack by one of them, here's my side.

Rolling Stone Offers Tribute to Thompson (Folio)
Jann Wenner, Johnny Depp, Sean Penn, Jimmy Carter and Douglas Brinkley are among those paying their literary respects to the late, great Hunter S. Thompson in the magazine's March 11 issue.

—David S. Hirschman