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Couric: 'I Have No Regrets' (NYT)
Despite the low ratings and the reports of sniping from colleagues, the mood inside CBS News remains unshakably upbeat. In an interview in her office overlooking the set, Ms. Couric sought to convey the message, backed up by CBS management, that she was not going anywhere. Not now, not after the 2008 election, not anytime encompassed by her initial five-year contract.

Murdoch Tilting at a Digital Future (NYT)
A couple of days embedded in the Murdoch camp yields a few clues about what makes Rupert run and why. He remains unblinkingly fixated on the advancement of the News Corporation as though it were a nation state and his relentless corporate march has imbued his company with a maverick culture less apparent at other media giants scrambling to adapt to the hurly-burly of the digital age. Independent: The News Corp. boss orders his entire empire to convert and become a worldwide enthusiast for the environment. WaPo: Murdoch is a throwback to the William Randolph Hearst era, when publishers were openly partisan, made backroom deals and even ran for office, writes Howard Kurtz. NYT: Slim margins at WSJ open the door to Murdoch. WSJ: If Murdoch raises his price or another bidder steps in, the Bancroft family's divisions could re-emerge. Family members plan to discuss the issue again prior to a Dow Jones board meeting scheduled for May 16.

Law & Order Stays With NBC, Spinoff Moves to USA (Hollywood Reporter)
After months of intense negotiations, NBC Universal and Dick Wolf closed a deal to bring back Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent with full-season 22-episode orders. But while the mothership series will return to NBC, the spinoff will move to NBC Universal's USA Network with a second window on NBC. NYT: The extension of the original Law & Order was especially important to Wolf because it keeps alive his long-held hope of eclipsing the record of Gunsmoke, television's longest-running drama, which was on the air for 20 seasons.

The Matt Drudge Primary: How Political Operatives Control the News About the Campaign (Salon)
In the past, the major networks, newspapers and magazines were the primary outlets for opposition research, but the Internet has changed the game. Online reporters and bloggers are often the first to break small pieces of opposition research, like a YouTube video or an embarrassing quote, that would not normally be enough to merit a story in a major newspaper or on a network news show.

CBS Axes Radio Show For Asian Joke (NYDN)
The Don Imus effect has taken down more shock jocks after an Asian-mocking joke left CBS radio execs with another hole in their schedule. The Dog House with JV and Elvis was canned permanently after a prank call three weeks ago ordered "slimp flied lice" from a Chinese restaurant. The show's hosts, Jeff Vandergrift and Dan Lay, were suspended as CBS decided their future.

2008 Election Leads to 2007 Race Among Fox, MSNBC and CNN to Line Up Debates (LAT)
"The jockeying between the networks to have the first debates is sort of similar to the jockeying happening between the states to have the first primaries," said Jenny Backus, a Democratic consultant who helped organize MSNBC's South Carolina forum last month. "There's an enormous amount of interest among not only the media, but also the voters, to start this process right away." NYT: Viewer data could help political advertisers deliver messages to specific audiences. NY Sun: Leading campaigns grumble about debate format.

Nod to Journalistic Integrity Is Seen in PC World Editor's Return (NYT)
Harry McCracken, recently reinstalled as the magazine's editor after a dustup with the publisher made waves, says he did not quit to make a statement. But now, a part of him is glad that the skirmish became public: "With the conclusion we reached, this should tell everyone that computer journalism isn't sleazy."

Was Top Bush Advisor Fired From His Mag Job? (TNR)
James Kirchick: Was Karl ZinsMeister fired from The American Enterprise? Only he and top AEI officials know for sure. David Gerson, executive vice president of the neoconservative institute said in an e-mail: "Any suggestion that he was asked to step down from running the magazine ... is completely false." But other evidence suggests that the move was not so amicable.

ABC Blazes Own Trail Online (LAT)
Its media rivals have struck a flurry of deals with online players, and one another, to try to get their TV shows on as many Web sites and in front of as many people as possible. Disney, by contrast, is relying on the strength of such popular ABC shows as Lost and Grey's Anatomy to draw viewers to the network's online destination.

MySpace Boosts Copyright Filter (Guardian)
MySpace has launched a copyright protection tool that aims to prevent users reposting content that has been removed at the request of media owners. The launch of the free product, called Take Down Stay Down comes a week after YouTube became embroiled in its third lawsuit over repeated copyright infringement.

Imus Producer: Sharpton a 'Race-Baiter' (AP)
Don Imus' former producer on Friday called Rev. Al Sharpton a "race-baiter" who was looking for attention when he led a campaign to fire the radio host, while Sharpton said Imus and his producer got what they deserved for making a racist, sexist remark on the air. Bernard McGuirk and Sharpton appeared together for a combative debate on Fox News Channel's Hannity & Colmes show.

GQ Editor Slammed for 'Asian Whore' Comment (Page Six)
Jim Nelson is drawing fire over his letter to readers in the May issue, where he uses the phrase "Asian whores" twice. In discussing the hit DVD "The Secret," which preaches the power of positive thinking, Nelson's letter coaxes, "visualize what you want (an Alfa Romeo? Leather pants? An Asian whore?), think positively, and 'the universe will ... make it happen for you.'"

After Plagiarism Allegations From Radar, Chilean Mag Withdraws Issue (NYT)
After being accused by Radar magazine of stealing an article, the Chilean magazine Cosas said it had been hoodwinked by a reporter and had withdrawn the issue from newsstands. Radar's editor, Maer Roshan, said he was satisfied that the situation "has come to an amicable end."

Today Could Be Make-or-Break Day for Conrad Black (NYP)
Black's lawyer Edward Greenspan — who so far hasn't eviscerated former Hollinger partner David Radler as many observers were expecting — will get another chance to attack his credibility this morning. If Greenspan fails to undermine Radler's testimony, Black could be forced to take the stand to clear his name, which his lawyers are loath to do because of the risk of self-incrimination.

Message Is Mixed When Reporters Become Advocates (St. Pete Times)
Regardless of whether a journalist's coverage is affected, the decision to vault from reporting to working for an advocate can settle a cloud over the work. "The real problem is the perception whether or not all along you were jockeying for the position," said Jeffrey Seglin, an Emerson College professor who writes for the New York Times Syndicate. "It's the perception that you're fighting."