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Pulitzers Led by Two Awards for Katrina Coverage (NYT)
The Times-Picayune of New Orleans and the smaller Sun Herald in Gulfport, Miss., were awarded Pulitzer Prizes for public service yesterday for their coverage under difficult circumstances of the same catastrophic event, Hurricane Katrina, which devastated their areas along the Gulf Coast. AJR: Impressive winners underscore the enduring importance of newspapers. E&P: Copley's Stern says Pulitzer shows what regional papers can do. E&P: Kristof hopes award will draw attention to Darfur. WaPo: Strikingly, the Pulitzer board honored two reports — on the secret prisons and domestic surveillance — that President Bush personally urged the editors not to publish. WWD: First Pulitzer awarded to a fashion critic. CJR Daily: Winners reflect something of a face-off between the Pulitzer Board and the White House.

NYT Leads Winners at Overseas Press Club Awards (FBNY)
The OPC awards will be presented at a ceremony where the late Knight-Ridder journalist Yasser Salihee will be honored posthumously, Ted Koppel will be honored for his support of foreign news coverage and the family of Peter Jennings will light the Press Freedom Candle.

Time Out Chicago Editor Mark Sinclair Dies at 34 (Chicago Sun-Times)
Sinclair was a skilled writer and graphic designer, an avid baseball fan and a dedicated cyclist who didn't let Chicago's fiercely unpredictable weather stop him from bicycling around the city. He died Friday, a few days after being stricken with a brain aneurysm, staggering friends and family members.

Chinese Dash Hopes for Release of NYT Researcher (NYT via IHT)
The Chinese authorities, who last month unexpectedly dropped a state-secrets case against a jailed researcher for The New York Times, have started an investigation period that could lead to reinstating the charges against him by early May.

Eisner Joins TW in Backing Net TV Firm (NYP)
Former Disney chief Michael Eisner has joined Time Warner Investments — the venture-capital arm of the world's largest media company — in backing Veoh Networks, a small Internet television firm. Eisner has kicked in an undisclosed portion of a $12.5 million round of financing. NYT: Eisner's new company, Tornante, has invested in other content-related ventures.

Village Voice Upheaval as New Editor Is Awaited (NYT)
The alternative weekly, known for its aggressive reporting and flammable muckraking since its first issue was published in Greenwich Village half a century ago, has had to look no further than its own newsroom for turmoil after its merger with New Times Media was announced in October.

Stern Is Only As Good As His Brand (Ad Age)
Simon Dumenco: For a guy like Jared Paul Stern, it wasn't enough to be an enterprising reporter (or, well, an ethical reporter). A reporter just grubs around for facts, but a reportorial "brand" — an instantly recognizable man-about-town — can do business with a billionaire!

Product Placement Hits Comic Books (WSJ)
Over the past few months, Marvel Entertainment Inc. has begun putting the "swoosh" logo from Nike Inc. in the scenes of some of its titles, such as New X-Men. So far, the emblem has appeared on a car door and on a character's T-shirt.

TV's Pundit Professors Need to Be Quick With a Quote (Chronicle of Higher Education)
University administrators applaud professors who engage in public debate, yet they acknowledge that by going on television, academics risk appearing less scholarly. Fellow faculty members may criticize them for oversimplifying complex ideas, yet those colleagues may also envy their popular success.

Silberstein Looks to Revive Penthouse (MIN)
Diane Silberstein is selling a "new" Penthouse, which is more like Bob Guccione's "old" Penthouse from the 1970s (and for that matter Playboy) with nudity that is less hardcore combined with other men's interests.

Knight Ridder Profits Fall on Weak Ad Sales (LAT)
Newspaper publisher Knight Ridder Inc., which is being sold to McClatchy Co., posted sharply lower first-quarter earnings Monday on weaker advertising — particularly at three of the 12 newspapers McClatchy is not keeping — and factors including higher interest costs.

Ignore Bloggers At Your Peril, Say European Researchers (Guardian)
Bloggers and internet pundits are exerting a "disproportionately large influence" on society, according to a report. Although "active" Web users make up only a small proportion of Europe's online population, they are increasingly dominating public conversations and creating business trends.