Presidents and Pirates

Voice of The People

Citizen journalism is getting a boost in D.C.:

"The Washington Times' news gathering is about to become a whole lot bigger as the newspaper launches one full print page per day of news stories reported and written by average citizens in local communities . . .

"Community-driven news has been a long mainstay in American newspapers. The Times' version ramps up the intensity and the outreach, focusing on six communities within the larger Washington area: academia on Monday, the Maryland and Virginia suburbs on Tuesday, the District on Wednesday, local military bases on Thursday, faith communities on Friday and the charitable and the public service community on Sunday."

Translation: We Blew It

That front-page "ad" in last week's L.A. Times -- designed to look like a news story about NBC's "Southland" cop drama, with a tiny disclaimer line -- was an embarrassment. I was surprised that the publisher continued to defend it after the newsroom revolted.

Now Sharon Waxman reports that the paper's executive editor, John Arthur, is calling the ad "unfortunate" and a "mistake." He says he was on vacation at the time.

Chuck TV

Is MSNBC developing a weekend show for Chuck Todd?

Print Ain't Dead

So says a Nieman Foundation researcher: "All generally accepted truths notwithstanding, more than 96 percent of newspaper reading is still done in the print editions, and the online share of the newspaper audience attention is only a bit more than 3 percent."

Recession Watch

"The Chicago Tribune plans to cut another 20% of its newsroom staff in yet another bid to reduce expenses amid continuing advertising declines. Staffers were told of the impending layoffs last week, according to three people who attended a meeting on the topic."

Mad Money Man is Mad

After his browbeating by Jon Stewart, Jim Cramer didn't have much to say. But now the CNBC commentator is opening up about the ordeal:

" 'It was a complete and utter ambush,' Cramer said in an interview with The Lantern. 'He told my staff that it was going to be fun, convivial, no clips, but [it] doesn't matter, he's a comedian, he can do whatever he wants.' . . .

" 'Was it a fair fight? No, it wasn't even a fight. I came on with the idea of taking a high road approach and discussing the issues, obviously [Stewart] came on strictly to try to humiliate me,' Cramer said. 'It was brutal. Was he stand-up? Absolutely not. Did he comport himself as a gentleman? Hardly. It was a deposition; he wants to be a prosecutor.' "