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Rupert Murdoch's Newspaper War (Newsweek)
When readers open their Wall Street Journals today, they will discover a paper fashioned to the tastes of its owner. With its increased focus on politics, international news, culture, and sports, Rupert Murdoch's reconceived Journal represents nothing short of a formal declaration of war on that most venerable of journalistic institutions, The New York Times.

Les Moonves Is Biggest Loser in Paramount TV Deal (Deadline Hollywood Daily)
Nikki Finke: The joint premium TV channel announced yesterday by Viacom, Paramount (including Paramount Vantage), MGM, and Lionsgate, in the words of one insider to me, "royally screws" Les Moonves. His CBS Inc.'s Showtime had been in protracted discussions to renew its theatrical-output deals with Paramount, MGM, and Lionsgate, which have now left him hanging. LAT: The venture, as yet unnamed, could be risky, because the cable scene is already crowded with contenders airing feature films and developing original programming. What's more, cable companies might resist adding a channel to their lineups, and if they did tack one on, consumers might balk if it meant an extra monthly charge.

Times May Be Target for a Bloomberg Merger (NYP)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg may emerge as a white knight for The New York Times. Bloomberg aides are reportedly encouraging him to consider merging financial-information giant Bloomberg LP with the Times, which is under pressure from dissident shareholders to revive ad sales and unload assets to boost its sagging share price.

Tension Over Sports Blogging (NYT)
Tension over sports blogging is one of the strains between sports franchises, leagues, and reporters to have emerged during the digital age. The dispute has grown lately over issues like how reporters cover teams, who owns the rights to photographs, audio and video that journalists gather at sports events, and whether someone who writes only blogs should be given access to the locker room.

Protesters Target CNN After Jack Cafferty's Remarks on China (LAT)
Throngs of Chinese Americans protested outside CNN's offices in Hollywood on Saturday morning, calling for the dismissal of commentator Jack Cafferty, whose recent remarks about Chinese goods and China inflamed a community already angry about international condemnations directed at the host country of the upcoming Olympic Games.

At CBS, a Public Show of Support for Couric (WaPo)
CBS chief executive Les Moonves gave his embattled anchor and her news division a vote of confidence Friday, telling a staff meeting that Katie Couric "is my anchor today, tomorrow, and in the future." But the public display does not change the reality that Couric is likely to relinquish the anchor chair after the election, according to two top network executives who declined to be named. LAT: For her part, Couric thanked Moonves for the show of support and called the news division "very much a family."

'Baywatch-ifictation' of White House Correspondents Dinner (WaPo)
Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts: Pamela Anderson, Jenny McCarthy, Donatella Versace, Rupert Everett, Marcia Cross, and Colin Firth are hitting D.C. this weekend for Saturday's White House Correspondents' Association dinner. The annual press prom has devolved from an insidery-wonkish night with reporters and sources to stargazing with A-, B- and C-listers with no connection to Washington or politics.

How Gossip Girl Is Changing the Way We Watch Television (New York)
Jessica Pressler & Chris Rovzar: There should be no shame in a love of Gossip Girl. After all, it is (and we have come to this conclusion honestly) the most awesomely awesome show ever. And so on the eve of the show's return from writers'-strike limbo, we are here to give you the six best reasons you should openly love Gossip Girl, even if you've never seen it before.

Men's Health Spies Way to Meld Mags, Mobile (AdAge)
One of magazines' biggest strengths in the dawning digital age — that engrossing environment often said to be so conducive to glossy branding campaigns — isn't much help when the economic downturn is pressing advertisers to cut any ad spending that lacks quick, quantifiable results. But now Men's Health is planning a June/July issue that will test its ability to deliver just such immediate consumer reactions.

Gridskipper Editor on Gawker Media: 'The Whole Pageviews Thing is a Fallacy' (FishbowlNY)
Gridskipper assistant editor Hunter Walker gave his take last week on where Gawker the company, as well as Gawker the site, is going these days (quick answer: nowhere good if you prefer your blogs free of every Internet meme that sweeps the Web at traffic-spiking 12-hour intervals) and the "fallacy" of pageviews as a metric for Gawker and other blogs.

New York Times Mag Publishes First-Ever Green Issue (Folio:)
The New York Times magazine released its first-ever "green issue" — a "low-carbon catalog" of ideas for environmentally-conscious living boasting a slew of new advertisers — Sunday. But, in what's becoming increasingly common for magazines that publish "green issues" — and increasingly irritating to bloggers and "green publishing" experts that monitor them — it was not printed on recycled paper.

Marines Recruit in Women's Mags, TV (NYT)
Faced with the difficulty of recruiting during a long and unpopular war, the United States Marine Corps has started marketing itself to women in a concerted way for the first time. It is running ads in magazines like Shape, Self, and Fitness, which appeal mainly to female readers, as well as through more mainstream outlets like American Idol, where the message is a unisex one of patriotism.

Revolving Door Newsletter: No Interviews for New Hires (mediabistro.com)
Fabien Baron and Glenn O'Brien, hired as Interview's editorial directors ostensibly for their connections as much as their editorial discretion, have begun leveraging those connections with new hires. Novelist Max Blagg and poet/performer Davitt Sigerson join the mag in contributing editor roles, while Gary Indiana re-ups in the same job. Greil Marcus and Graham Fuller will also transition to contributing eds.

Could Interactive Media Help Save the Airline Industry? (AdAge)
Simon Dumenco: Earlier this month, as the airline industry was imploding once again, I was happily flying on my new favorite airline, Virgin America. An airline that, amazingly, knows how to make passengers happy because it understands not just the business of travel but the art of interactive media.

Pulitzer Judges Use Bob Dylan to Punch Their 'Cool' Card (Marketwatch)
Jon Friedman: How many roads must a man walk down, before he gets a Pulitzer Prize? Traditionally, you've had to work for a daily newspaper or wire service to win the most coveted award in journalism. Now we know it also helps a lot if your name happens to be Bob Dylan. The gesture tells us a lot more about the empty state of the Pulitzer — and of journalism — than it does about Dylan.