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Amid Swirling Sale Rumors, L.A. Times Publisher Rallies Staff Via Memo (FishbowlLA)
Jeff Johnson: "Since last Thursday, there has been considerable media attention given to the Los Angeles Times, Tribune Company, and our future. While it's awkward to see one's internal deliberations covered so broadly, the issues are important and I believe warrant further comment to bolster your confidence in our resolve to work through these issues together." LAObserved: Hundreds of staffers have signed a petition supporting editor Dean Baquet [left] and Johnson, whom they fear might lose their jobs. NYT: At the Los Angeles Times, a civil executive rebellion. WaPo: If the company keeps slashing away, colleagues say, editor Dean Baquet is prepared to leave the paper.

Senator Leads Drive for Federal Media Shield Law (SF Chron)
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., chastised a top Justice Department official who testified that a proposed bill to shield journalists from revealing their sources was a "solution in search of a problem." "I disagree with you," Specter told Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty. "My view is that it's something that must be addressed legislatively." AP via BoGlo: Bush officials say a federal shield law for journalists would lead to leaks.

Tribune to Consider Radical Action (WSJ)
Tribune Co.'s board, under growing pressure from shareholders, is expected to consider dramatic options for the company's future at its board meeting today, including taking the company private in a leveraged buyout or spinning off its TV-station group. NYP: FitzSimons in the hot seat.

One Year in, TimesSelect Nears 200,000 Subscribers (E&P)
Since it launched on Sept. 19, 2005, the paid service from the New York Times has drawn 198,690 users who do not subscribe to the print paper, but pay a special online fee for access. That is up from 156,000 in January and 183,000 in June, suggesting growth may be leveling off.

HP E-Mail Reveals 'Sting' Operation on Reporter (WaPo)
Internal e-mails show senior Hewlett Packard employees who were given the task of identifying anonymous news sources concocted a fictitious, high-level HP tipster who sent bogus information to a San Francisco reporter in an attempt to trick her into revealing her sources.

National Book Awards to Honor Adrienne Rich, NYRB Founders (AP via San Jose Mercury News)
The 77-year-old Rich, known for her passionate, socially conscious verse, has been awarded a "Medal for Distinguished Contribution." The Literarian Award, given for "outstanding service to the American literary community," goes to Robert Silvers and the late Barbara Epstein, who helped start the New York Review of Books.

Getty Confirms: Brent Stirton Was Baby Shiloh Photographer (PDN Online)
Photojournalist Brent Stirton can now claim his proper place in the annals of photo history. Getty Images confirmed that Stirton was the secret shooter who captured the multi-million dollar pictures of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's newborn daughter Shiloh. Radar: Pitt/Jolie announce that they gave the money from the photo shoot to the hastily-formed Jolie/Pitt Foundation, which has pledged $1 million to Global Action for Children and $1 million to Doctors Without Borders.

Fox to Run Static TV Ad to Beat Fast-Forwarding DVRs (AP via FoxNews)
Fox is running a 30-second television spot with just one static image in an effort to reach viewers who fast-forward through ads using digital video recorders like TiVos. U.K. advertisements for Fox's new drama Brotherhood simply show an image of Providence, R.I., where the show is set, and the program's logo.

Bill O'Reilly Calls Himself 'T-Warrior' (ABC News)
Standing at 6'4" tall, Bill O'Reilly can resemble a formidable culture warrior at times. He even calls himself, "T-Warrior," short for "traditional warrior." When 20/20 pointed out that he had one of the loudest voices in the media, O'Reilly said he and his fellow traditionalists were outnumbered and had been since the days of Walter Cronkite.

Giorgio Armani Designs Special Edition of Independent (Independent)
The fashion maven guest-designed today's (RED) edition of The Independent; the issue includes inteviews with George Clooney, Bill Gates and Leonardo DiCaprio about verious world issues and half the revenue from the edition will be donated to the Global Fund to Fight Aids.

Edgy Times at Washington Times (The Nation)
A nasty succession battle is now heating up at the paper, punctuated by allegations of racism, sexism and unprofessional conduct, that has implications far beyond its fractious newsroom. The paper's management is now looking to bypass editor-in-chief Wesley Pruden's handpicked successor, managing editor Francis Coombs.

Rosie to Oprah: Admit It, You're a Little Gay (TMZ)
Rosie O'Donnell trained her gaydar on Oprah Winfrey and best friend Gayle King on The View, saying that the talk-show queen and King are, despite their protestations to the contrary and despite their not being full-blown lovers, "a tiny bit gay."

Powerful New Tool Tries to Corner the Market on Gossip (FT)
Market gossip is to take on a more high-tech form thanks to a new automated system that will trawl through more than 40 million internet sources — from blogs to regulatory filings — on behalf of hedge funds. Ten hedge funds are currently trying out the system.

Lawsuit Disrupts the Symbiosis of a Mag and a Celebrity Store (NYT)
The idea that a retailer would sue to demand coverage in a magazine strikes many in publishing as bizarre, and some magazine editors have deemed the lawsuit frivolous or a publicity stunt. But the owner of Kitson's argues in his suit that his fight is about a contractual obligation.

Writers March in L.A. to Support Top Model Strikers (LAT)
More than 700 writers marched Wednesday to show their support for striking colleagues on the hit reality TV show America's Next Top Model. Organized by the Writers Guild of America, West, the rally and march were the first in a series of planned events aimed at sending a larger message to studios in advance of contract talks.

Toronto Sun Editor Steps Down (E&P)
Jim Jennings, editor in chief of Canada's Toronto Sun, stepped down amid rumors of further staff cuts at the paper, as well as a major reorganization of how its news is collected and distributed.

What Next, a Pound of Flesh? (CJR Daily)
Gal Beckerman: Among the various tightropes that the modern newspaper walks — between objectivity and subjectivity, patriotism and dissidence, commercial interest and public good — is the one between appealing to its readers' better natures or basest instincts. But what about xenophobia.