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Cameras Focus on New Orleans Suffering (NYT)
After three days of flood scenes, television crews shifted from recording a devastating natural disaster to exposing human failures. LAT: Viewers flock to Katrina coverage. TV Week: FCC relaxes rules for broadcasters in hurricane area. Baltimore Sun: News media get past logistical hurdles to report on storm's aftermath. Newsday: TV news nearly seemed to hand control of one of the biggest stories in the recent history of broadcast journalism back to the viewer, as if to say, "We can't figure this horror out any better than you can." Variety: Big media's big donations boost Big Easy. WSJ: New Orleans Times-Picayune to resume print edition. LAT: By bringing the devastation and human loss of Hurricane Katrina into the nation's homes, television journalists are reviving their image, writes Robin Abcarian.

Bad Newsday for Staffers (NYT)
The paper is further retreating to its home base of Long Island by shrinking its presence in Manhattan and cutting its city staff by 45 editorial employees. NYDN: The New York staff will be to about 20. Newsday: The cuts will mean less staff coverage in New York, especially outside Queens, where most of the edition's circulation is based. NYP: One staffer called it "treachery" on the part of the parent Tribune Company.

Organic Style Dies of Natural Causes (Folio:)
Rodale's 4-year-old "green" magazine once scoffed at by critics—before being socially conscious became stylish—will cease publication after its October issue. WWD: Staffers had already cleaned out their desks for an office move, so they have nothing to pack. Mediaweek: A total of 38 staffers will be affected.

U.S. Confirms Killing of Journo in Iraq (Reuters)
The military said that its soldiers killed Reuters television soundman Waleed Khaled journalist in Iraq with multiple shots, but said their action was "appropriate."

Mad: Not Just for Nerdy Adults Anymore (Newsday via Baltimore Sun)
The Manhattan-based magazine is expanding. MadKids, geared to the 6- to 11-year-old set, is due out in November. Mad Classics debuted in July.

Nets Use Gimmicks to Hype New Shows (WSJ)
For decades, the big television networks advertised new shows primarily through ads on their own air. But these days they are realizing that a wider array of marketing ploys is necessary.

Did Media Bigs Ignore Gaza Pullout? (Jerusalem Post)
Anshell Pfeffer: Why didn't the top echelon of the international media descend on the country to cover the disengagement? Where were CNN's Christiane Amanpour and the BBC's John Simpson?

Archerd Bows Out at Variety After 52 Years (Variety)
"He's been at it a long time with a long history and he still has no enemies. Now that's an achievement in Hollywood!" said AP correspondent Bob Thomas.

It's a Shame About Ray (Slate)
Bryan Curtis: Ray Bradbury has been dusted with so much glory lately that it's high time his reputation got a good sullying.

Why Investors Love Martha (Economist)
Hard as jail must have been for domestic diva Martha Stewart, from a strictly financial point of view it was great while it lasted.

Icahn Winning Media War With Time Warner (Marketwatch)
Jon Friedman: It remains to be seen if Icahn has a better idea than the company's Chairman Dick Parsons about how to lift its sluggish stock price. Yet reporters are content to parrot Icahn's party line.

With Google Testing Print Ads, What's Next? (DM News)
Google's test of placing ads from its network into magazines may be the search giant's way of moving into selling ad space across a variety of media.

Mag Maven: New Media Won't Spell Our Doom (CNN)
"The reader really chooses to want the environment of a magazine," says Cathleen Black, president of Hearst Magazines. "A magazine is a serendipitous experience."

Here's What They Think of Us (Mediapost)
The Washington Post's website has entered into a deal with blog search engine Technorati that will make it easy for readers to find blog entries about Post stories. WaPo: Post website launches new OPINIONS section.

AP Food Writer Cecily Brownstone Dies (AP via Newsday)
The cuisine maven who wrote cookbooks and twice-a-week feature articles on food for The Associated Press for 39 years, has died at the age of 96.

Howard Stern loses Columbus Affiliate (FMQB)
WBZX (The Blitz)/Columbus becomes the latest station to drop The King Of All Media's syndicated morning program, citing an FCC investigation relating to four separate indecency incidents.

Hatin' on Mugger (Gawker)
Here are some impassioned responses to Matt Taibbi's charge that Russ Smith is responsible for the evisceration of the New York Press. It's now clear that he is. Or else it's clear that he's not.

Bushnell: Success Is the New Sex (Reuters)
Sex and the City never shied away from shocking its audience. But Bushnell, now 46, said it was possible to have too much of a good thing. "Sex in a book has to be used judiciously."

—David S. Hirschman

IN YESTERDAY'S MB BLOGS:

Katrina: All The Networks Add Security In New Orleans [TV Newser]
All of the broadcast networks have beefed up their security in New Orleans. (NBC was the first to confirm it on Wednesday.)

NYT Raids Post Newsroom? [FishBowlDC]
Rumors are swirling this week about a broad raid of Post newsroom talent by the New York Times Washington bureau. We're not sure what is prompting the attempted thefts, but at least four Post reporters have been in active talks this week with the ole Gray Lady--one even for a job in New York.

Huffington Post: blocking comments or just having 'techincal difficulties'? [FishBowlLA]
Journalist Mark Ebner reports that his IP has been banned from leaving comments on Huffington Post blog entries, after he repeatedly posted comments along the lines of: "Laurie - Would you care to comment on your winging in and out of Martha's Vineyard in an environmentally-unfriendly private jet?"

Organic Goes Bad [FishBowlNY]
The October 2005 issue of Organic Style will be the last for the Rodale publication. The bad news broke today, but at least the editorial staff isn't stranded in Emmaus. Happily, they're unemployed in New York. And while being unemployed is terrible, being unemployed in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley is another matter entirely.

BCon mania [GalleyCat]
The nice thing about the World Mystery Convention - aka Bouchercon - being held in Chicago is that it actually means major newspaper coverage. And the Sun-Times's roving publishing reporter, Mike Thomas (who filed many a dispatch when Book Expo was held in the city in 2004) highlights what will happen throughout the next four days.

Not Sure How Much This Really Fixes Anything, But At Least They're Doing Something? [Unbeige]
The World Trade Center Memorial Foundation ... just announced their new logo, designed by "branding expert" Gene Grossman, responsible for Citibank/Citicorp, Lockheed Martin, and Pfizer (we're trying to figure out how those relate in any way whatsoever to being good at designing anything to do with a memorial), came up with a shifted square with two tower icons rising out of it. We're not feeling it, to be honest.

Memoirs of a Music Man [MBToolBox]
It's not all fun and games, being the music critic at a major newspaper, writes former WashPost pop critic David Segal.