Mediagazer: Reboot — An open letter to the FCC about a media policy for the digital age (Steve Coll/CJR)

7:35 AM ET, November 1, 2010

Top News:

Rally to Shift the Blame — In his new role as a political leader, which is what you call somebody if he hosts a rally on the Washington Mall for over 200,000 people, Jon Stewart was a little hemmed at the Rally to Restore Sanity on Saturday. Because sanity should know no party, partisan rhetoric was not on the teleprompter.

Discussion: Lost Remote and Big Hollywood

Brian Montopoli / CBS News:
Jon Stewart Rally Attracts Estimated 215,000

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The New Yorker Blog, New York Magazine, Mediaite, Examiner, The Wire, Gawker, MetaFilter, New York Times, TPMDC, FrumForum, Runnin' Scared and TBD All News

Russell Adams / Wall Street Journal:

Michaels Weighs Comeback Plans — Barely a week after an ignominious end to his career at Tribune Co., Randy Michaels said he hopes to return to the industry that didn't exactly embrace him. — “I may go buy some media, I may go run some media, I don't know,” he said. “My phone's been ringing.

Discussion: Tower Ticker

Meg Pickard / Guardian:

Open door — The Guardian's head of digital engagement on ... the rules of participation — The US department-store chain Nordstrom famously gave new starters an 8in by 5in card as an employee handbook. As well as welcoming the employee and outlining the company's commitment to customer service …

Thanks:martinsfp

Jessica E. Vascellaro / Wall Street Journal:

Gawker to Drop Old Blog Look — Founder Denton Favors Newsmagazine Style, Refashioning Face of Online Media — Gawker Media founder Nick Denton, whose snarky approach has shaped the blogosphere's tone for years, is overhauling his sites to broaden their appeal, an attempted transformation …

Arthur S. Brisbane / New York Times:

Sharing Secrets at Arm's Length — THE two stories stood side by side: one said that Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, was on the run, in fear of Western intelligence agencies and seen by some colleagues as “delusional,” “erratic” and “imperious.” The other story?

Greg Sargent / The Plum Line:

Alaska station says Breitbart Web site audio attack is bogus — Is another Andrew Breitbart Web site production about to be unmasked as bogus? — Breitbart's Big Journalism site is making an incendiary accusation: That reporters at the Anchorage CBS affiliate KTVA were caught conspiring …

Discussion: The Daily Caller, Big Journalism, Media Matters for America and The Huffington Post

P.J. Salvatore / Big Journalism:
Anchorage CBS Affiliate Caught on Voicemail Conspiring Against …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, Media Matters for America, The Daily Caller, The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, The Daily Dish, Mediaite and FrumForum

Brian Morrissey / Adweek:

Publishers' iPad Apps: Hot or Not? — Such editions have disappointed, despite high hopes — The iPad dreams of magazine publishers could be the latest death by irrational exuberance. — Despite the optimism that greeted the new device, there is a danger that publishers are squandering …

Thanks:steverubel

Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:

Politicians Are Fighting Mad, at the News Media — This year will likely go down in the history books as the year of the angry voter. But 2010 will also be an election year notable for another kind of ire: when politicians let their contempt for the news media boil over.

Keisha C. Frazier / ONA10:

Online Journalism Awards honor the best of the best — Online Journalism Awards recognized journalists for their compelling pieces this year. General Excellence in Online Journalism award winners include msnbc.com, California Watch and the Center for Investigative Reporting, The Texas Tribune …

Steve Coll / CJR:

Reboot — An open letter to the FCC about a media policy for the digital age — Welcome back to Washington, belatedly. It was a year ago that the Federal Communications Commission announced your appointment as senior adviser and leader of the Future of Media Project …

Peter Preston / Guardian:

Murdoch's paywall: those who leap are an engaging lot — The Times can take comfort from the fact that its few hundred thousand unique visitors are jolly good sorts — For a totally technical, mechanically precise medium, the internet is a hopeless measuring tool.

Sam Schechner / Wall Street Journal:

Keeping the Party Going at Viacom — Philippe Dauman says he paid his way through college in part by playing poker. Now the Viacom Inc. CEO is making bets in an arena with high stakes for the media business: putting traditional content on the Web. — Viacom, a media company …

Peter Lauria / The Daily Beast:

A Storied Record Label Hits the Skids — Private equity financier Guy Hands has brought the storied record label—once home of The Beatles—to the edge of ruin. Now a court will decide its fate. Peter Lauria reports. — Forget The Social Network or Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps.