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Editors Question AP Reporting on Iraq (NYT)
Some editors have recently expressed concern that a kind of bunker mentality was preventing reporters in Iraq from getting out and explaining the bigger picture beyond the daily death tolls.

People Scandal Brewing (Radar)
The top brass at the magazine have been trying to contain a problem in its L.A. office where the weekly's west coast bureau chief has been accused of sexually harassing a female reporter.

Bancrofts Selling Down Dow Jones Stake (NYP)
After burning through half the family fortune, built on owning the Wall Street Journal empire, the clan is talking again about selling its golden goose to keep future generations flush.

Two Steps Back, Two Steps Forward (TV Week)
An investigation by the network concluded that there was no evidence of an inappropriate sexual relationship between American Idol judge Paula Abdul and former contestant Corey Clark.

Google Suspends Book Scanning Project (AP via CNN)
Responding to an outcry by publishers, the company temporarily scaled back plans to make the full text of copyrighted books in five of the world's great libraries searchable via the Internet.

WaPo's Coll Jumps to NYer (NYT)
Steve Coll started at The Post almost 20 years ago as a reporter in the Style section, working with another cub reporter, David Remnick, who is now editor of The New Yorker.

GOP Winning Roberts Media Battle (CSM)
"The Bush administration did a very good job of introducing Roberts as a sensible, pragmatic, just-right-of-center fellow," says Charlie Cook, editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

How Novel Diffences Shaped Book Battle (WSJ)
Two of the most closely watched U.S. fiction releases this year have been The Historian and The Traveler, both by writers whom publishers plucked from obscurity and made big bets on.

Iger Plans Disney Revitalization (NYT)
Robert Iger, the handpicked successor to Michael Eisner, does not officially get the keys to the Disney castle for another six weeks, but he is already well along with his restoration plan.

Conservative Press 'Sliming' Iraq Mom (Huffington Post)
Opinion: The right-wing media is working overtime to discredit bereaved mother Cindy Sheehan, who is protesting outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas.

Murdoch and Hillary in Unlikely Alliance (NYT)
There has been significant rapprochement between Hillary Clinton and Rupert Murdoch. A very real détente, born of political and business exigencies, is clearly under way.

Dennis the Menace (Guardian)
Britain's most colorful magazine publisher is celebrating. It's 10 years since Felix Dennis launched Maxim and The Week—two highly successful yet totally different publications.
Plus: Do You Read Maxim? Like to Shoot Pool? Welcome to the Club (NYT)

BBC Denies Pro-Israel Slant (Guardian)
The Muslim Council of Britain said in a letter that it appears that the station is "more interested in furthering a pro-Israeli agenda than assessing the work of Muslim organizations in the U.K."

The Graphic Novel as Serious Art (Newsweek International Edition)
In order to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy, cadets from the class of 2006 must study Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel Persepolis, a coming-of-age tale set during the Iranian revolution.

Spoofing the FCC's New Decency Guidelines (AdAge) Simon Dumenco: As you know, Penny Nance will be joining us here in the Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis. She'll be a paid adviser to us as we rethink the regulation of the broadcast, cable and satellite industries.

No False Idol (NYT)
"The people who think they're gospel singers, trying to be something they aren't, that's Satan sneaking in," said Joseph Slocumb, host of the new Gospel Channel reality show Gospel Dream 2005.

Cable Making Inroads on Late Night (LAT)
Late night has long been ruled by the network shows, but now the after-hours dial is appealing to a younger audience with cable programs that bear little resemblance to the traditional talk show.

In the Times, But Not of the Times (NYT)
Byron Calame: Monitoring and maintaining the paper's ethical and reporting standards among the growing and far-flung army of freelancers is a crucial and complex task.

Lach: 'Good to Be Back' Down Under (The Age)
'Tanned and tubby' former News Corp executive Lachlan Murdoch jetted into Sydney Saturday morning, ready to make the city his home.

'Street Fiction' Moving on Up (Salon)
James Norton: African-American street fiction is hitting megastores, but should these gritty novels of drugs, gang wars, race and romance replace James Baldwin and Toni Morrison on bookstore shelves?

Reporter Defends Herself Against Libel Ruling (New Yorker)
Like other authors, Rachel Ehrenfeld drew attention to the role of Khalid bin Mahfouz, a member of a prominent Saudi family, who was, she wrote, allegedly involved "in the funding of terrorism."

Did Six Feet Under's Nate Die for Our Sins? (New York Mag)
Heather Havrilesky: Nate's untimely demise felt suspiciously like a message: that death is an appropriate karmic gift for the guy who has everything—and takes it all for granted.

Calling for the Blitzer (Marketwatch)
Jon Friedman: CNN's Wolfman pretty much always looks intense on camera. Come to think of it, I bet he looks intense when he brushes his teeth.

Anchors Away (New Yorker)
This week, Ken Auletta profiles Dan Rather on the eve of his departure. Here is a recording of a conversation Auletta moderated last year between Rather, Tom Brokaw, and Peter Jennings,

—David S. Hirschman

IN FRIDAY'S MB BLOGS:

"Eyebrow-Raising Expletive" On Friday's CBS Evening News [TVNewser]
"CBS News left an eyebrow-raising expletive in view on its early evening broadcast" on Friday, the New York Daily News reports.

CONFIRMED: Steve Coll To New Yorker [FishbowlDC]
The Washington Post newsroom is atwitter this afternoon with confirmation of last week's rumors that Steve Coll, former managing editor, is heading to the New Yorker.

Girl Crush [FishbowlNY]
Today's NYT Styles piece on girl-on-girl platonic leurvefests seems to have struck a nerve...

LAT: AMI paid hush money for Arnold [FishbowlLA]
The Los Angeles Times reports that around the same time that American Media was negotiating Arnold Schwarzenegger's now-terminated consulting deal-- and right after Schwarzenegger announced his gubernatorial run-- the media company signed a $20,000 exclusive-rights deal for the story of Gigi Goyette, who claims she was having regular 'outercourse' sessions with Schwarzenegger.

Gregg Pasquarelli: The Extra G Stands For Awesome [UnBeige]
Last week we brought you the sage words of Michael Bierut. This week, we're getting freaky with Gregg Pasquarelli. Founding partner of
SHoP, which we thought of as a cute small firm with eight or so people who do great stuff with a small staff until we discovered that the firm has exploded and has forty architects and takes them to London, where they sometimes make questionable discoveries.

Pop Quiz: James Frey [mbToolbox]
Today I speak with James Frey, whose newest book, My Friend Leonard, has recently appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. He's also got the acclaimed A Million Little Pieces under his belt, along with several screenplays as well, plus he's working on a television pilot.