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Controversial, Iconic Italian Journalist Oriana Fallaci Dies (AP via WaPo)
The Italian writer and journalist was known for challenging interviews with such world leaders as former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Her work — both interviews and books — was translated across the world. New Yorker: Profile of Fallaci by Margaret Talbot from the magazine's June 5, 2006, issue entitled "The Agitator." Guardian: Italy's popular former president, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi said the writer's life was one of courage, struggle "an example for all".

Los Angeles Times Editor Openly Defies Owner's Call for Job Cuts (NYT)
It is rare for an editor to go public with a position on internal budget battles and for the editor's own newspaper to report on it. The decision by The Los Angeles Times to take its battle against Tribune public may signal that editor Dean Baquet is trying to rally support on the paper's behalf.

Chandlers, Tribune Near Settlement (WSJ)
The settlement would award the Chandler family the real estate in which many of Tribune's newspapers and other operations are based. It would also divvy up the cash and stock inside the partnerships and lay out a short process for the two sides to address the strategic direction of the company.

Officials Ordered FCC Report Destroyed, Says Ex-Staffer (B&C)
Adam Candeub, a former lawyer with the FCC's Media Bureau, is alleging that senior FCC officials ordered the destruction of all copies of a report that found local TV covers more local news than national networks.

CBS, Comcast Shift From 99-Cent Downloads to Free Online Fare (LAT)
The two companies reversed course after discovering that few consumers were willing to pay for episodes of favorite shows, even when they cost less than a dollar. "Viewers just didn't want to pay for it," said Josh Bernoff, media analyst with Forrester Research. "It's much easier to get money out of advertisers than out of consumers."

Times Co. Bigs Throw $2 Million Into Staff Bonus Pool (NYP)
In a move aimed at boosting morale within the New York Times newsroom, Chairman Arthur "Pinch" Sulzberger Jr. and his cousin, Vice Chairman Michael Golden, will forgo about $2 million in stock and pump it into a bonus pool for employees.

Outside and On the Go (NYP)
Larry Burke and entrepreneur Don Welsh are launching Outside's Go, which unlike most travel magazines, is expected to have heavily male readership. Men with an income over $150,000, that is. The magazine will launch with seven-figure backing from Mariah Media, the company that Burke founded when he purchased Outside from Jann Wenner 30 years ago.

Big Media Cosying Up to Social Networking Firms (Economist)
After plenty of initial skepticism, investors now accept that MySpace and its rivals can make a lot of money by selling advertising space. Advertisers were wary of putting ads on individual home pages, which often feature lewd and unpredictable content. But they cannot ignore the fact that millions of young people spend hours on these websites.

Murdoch May Swap DirecTV (LAT)
Rupert Murdoch spent more than a decade trying to gain control of DirecTV Group Inc., the nation's leading satellite TV operator. But the chairman of News Corp. appears willing to give that up for something he values even more: bulletproof control of his own company.

Traditional Radio Gets Tuned Out (NYT)
While more than 9 out of 10 Americans still listen to traditional radio each week, they are listening less. As a result, the prospects of radio companies have dimmed significantly since the late 1990's; revenue growth has stagnated and the number of listeners is dropping.

Time Inc. Selling Magazines Out of Necessity, Not Market Conditions (Folio:)
Although the market is prime for publishing transactions, Time Inc.'s announcement this week that it would sell 18 of its enthusiast titles was driven out of a need to better focus its publishing holdings and for its parent company, Time Warner, to improve its profit margins.

NYTimes.com Launches Politics Bestseller List (E&P)
The New York Times' legendary bestseller lists, whose influence in the book community is unmatched, have expanded once again to a new category: politics. But as with many political-related newspaper offerings these days, this list is strictly Web-only.

Spanish Newspapers Spar Over Madrid Bombs 'Conspiracy' (Guardian)
Spain's two largest newspapers are fighting over their reporting of investigations into the Islamist train bombings that killed 191 Madrid commuters two and a half years ago, following the publication of a series of interviews with a small-time Spanish crook accused of supplying the explosives used in the bombings.

The Economist Wants to Put Greenbacks Behind Green Industry (CJR Daily)
Curtis Brainard: Reluctance to take a hard line on global warming ensnares the media. Journalistic norms that mandate "balanced" stories have pushed many writers to give equal weight to dissenting scientific opinion, no matter how trivial or on the fringe, in their articles.

Distribution Is Queen (BusinessWeek)
Jon Fine: In late 2006, owning content isn't enough if you're still pushing it through printing presses, cable systems, even standard-issue Web sites. What works for a media company's stock price right now is the whizbang pairing of content with some kind of next-generation distribution.

Behind The Onion's Makeover (Chicago Reader)
Michael Miner: "I would say The Onion is a shambling zombie cobbled together from the most important parts of what papers are doing," said the paper's art director Rick Martin, who created the paper's new design. "The whole key here is verisimilitude. We're serving the jokes by playing it straight."