Mediagazer: Jon Stewart Defends Hank Williams, Jr. From ESPN Censors: ‘Have You Met Him?’ (Frances Martel/Mediaite)

Daniel de Vise / Washington Post:

What if the rankers ranked newspapers? — Here we are in the middle of ranking season. The signature U.S. News & World Report rankings came out last month, and the Times Higher Education global university rankings are due later this week. — Lots of people rank colleges these days, and most of the rankers are in the news business.

Discussion: Poynter

Charles Riley / CNNMoney:
Buffett challenges Murdoch on tax returns

Discussion: Fortune, Kempton, Business Insider, Mediaite, New York Magazine and Business Insider

Lynne Marek / Chicago Business:
Tribune bonus plan OKd by bankruptcy judge

Discussion: Poynter and FishbowlLA

Frazier Moore / The Huffington Post:

Roger Ailes: I Hired Sarah Palin Because She Was ‘Hot And Got Ratings’ — NEW YORK — As the most powerful man in the universe, or one of them anyway, Roger Ailes can look back on the first 15 years of his crowning achievement, Fox News Channel, with satisfaction. And he does.

Nina Burleigh / Guardian:

Amanda Knox, Meredith Kercher and the media | Nina Burleigh — The Italian media, cowed, lazy and compliant, allowed a bullying prosecutor to frame Knox and Sollecito for the Kercher murder — As an American journalist covering the Knox case for 10 months in Italy, I was surprised by a number of things.

Discussion: Guardian, newsfeed.time.com, The Week and Telegraph

Discussion: Law Blog, NY Daily News, The Huffington Post, Forbes, msnbc.com and paidContent

Lucia Moses / Adweek:

‘Spin’ Magazine Going Bimonthly — Spin magazine is making the move from monthly to bimonthly—it will publish only six issues next year, down from 11 this year, Adweek has learned. The magazine also plans to cut its rate base to 350,000 to 450,000, an acknowledgment that the Web …

Discussion: Media Decoder and Poynter

Mallary Jean Tenore / Poynter:

35 years ago today, Barbara Walters became highest paid journalist — On October 4, 1976, Barbara Walters became the first female co-anchor of an evening newscast. Walters started her career as a writer for CBS News and then joined NBC's “Today Show” in 1961.

Discussion: ABCNEWS and TVNewser

Ryan Tate / Gawker:

The iPhone 5 Failboard: How Everyone Got It Wrong — A great many Apple fans are hot and bothered that no iPhone 5 emerged today to fill the void in their souls. But you know who should really feel dejected? All the tech bloggers who wasted time typing bold proclamations about new features, designs and phones that never came.

Discussion: Forbes, Crikey, Apple, Business Insider, ZDNet, International Business Times and Globe and Mail, more at Techmeme »

David Goetzl / MediaPost:

Mag Execs Jazzed By Tablets, Claim Print's Longevity — Top magazine executives expressed bullishness about the industry's digital opportunities Tuesday, but made clear they feel the traditional printed page has a lot of runway left. Much of the digital optimism conveyed …

Discussion: eMedia Vitals

James Taranto / Wall Street Journal:

The Gray Lady's True Colors — The proof of the pudding is in the tweeting. — Some readers thought we were too generous to Kate Zernike of the New York Times last January. Zernike had come under attack for a story titled “Bloodshed Puts New Focus on Vitriol in Politics,” …

Discussion: ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/*

Jim Romenesko / Poynter:

The Daily scolds UK's Daily Mail for lifting its Scientology series — Staffers from the Daily iPad newspaper spent more than five weeks of reporting, writing, fact-checking and editing a two-part report on the most prestigious boarding school in the Scientology world.

Leena Rao / TechCrunch:

Twitter Now Has 1,600 Advertisers — Twitter's Chief Revenue Officer Adam Bain took the stage at IAB's Mixx Conference today and revealed a few milestones for the communications platform, specifically in the advertising area. Bain said that Twitter now has 1,600 advertisers using the platform …

Discussion: eMedia Vitals, NetNewsCheck Latest and FM Blog

The Independent:

Hugh Grant: ‘The phone-hacking scandal has only just scratched surface’ — The actor tells Oliver Wright there's worse to come on politicians, police and the press — Corrupt policemen tipped off journalists about celebrity victims of crime before other officers had time to respond …

Discussion: Deadline.com, Guardian and Jon Slattery

Bradley Johnson / AdAge:

Digital Takes the Jobs Lead in New Mainstream Media — Staffing at Internet-Media Businesses and Web-Search Portals Soars — When it comes to jobs, digital is the new mainstream media. Consider this: U.S. employment at digital-media ventures is on track to pass employment in broadcast TV and in magazines by early 2012.

Discussion: eMedia Vitals and NetNewsCheck Latest

Frances Martel / Mediaite:

Jon Stewart Defends Hank Williams, Jr. From ESPN Censors: ‘Have You Met Him?’ — Football/country personality Hank Williams, Jr. may have gotten himself kicked off of his regular stint singing about football on Monday Night Football, at least for now, but while his comments didn't find much support …

Amanda Natividad / paidContent:

Industry Moves: Bravo Digital; Bookish; CCC; FRWD —Bravo Digital Media Suejin Yang has been named VP of Bravo Digital Media. She'll manage strategic development, content, operations and new business opportunities for BravoTV.com and report to Lisa Hsia, EVP of Bravo Digital.

Discussion: paidContent:UK

Andrew Pugh / Press Gazette:

Huffington Post steps up UK recruitment — Huffington Post UK has appointed new editors for its media and business sections as it presses ahead with its UK expansion. — Former head of content at metro.co.uk Stephen Hull has joined the website as media editor and Peter Guest has been appointed business editor.

Steve Myers / Poynter:

AP adds to its ‘Beat of the Week’ contest to recognize state-level news — The Associated Press told its employees Tuesday that it's adding to its “Beat of the Week” contest with a category specifically for state-level news. National or international stories usually win “Beat of the Week” …

Jim Romenesko / Poynter:

McCormick Foundation awards millions to journalism organizations — The Chicago-based Robert R. McCormick Foundation has approved $5 million in grants to 22 organizations, including Investigative News Network ($225,000 over two years); Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. ($90,000 over 18 months) …

Discussion: PR Newswire

Richard Sandomir / New York Times:

The NFL Network and Time Warner Continue to Spar — Karen Waldkirch, a freelance writer in Wauwatosa, Wis., owns shares in the Green Bay Packers and buys season tickets to their games at Lambeau Field. — Yet if she wants to satisfy her hunger for news about the Packers on the NFL Network, she cannot.

Jack Neff / AdAge:

As Devices and Distribution Compete, Content Enjoys Renaissance — With Challengers to Apple, Netflix and Hulu, Emerging Media Creators Are in the Catbird Seat — Anyone still doubt content is king? Take a look at the power content owners once again hold as Amazon introduces viable competition to Apple's walled fiefdom.

Michael Malone / Broadcasting & Cable:

Local TV Go-To Information Source During Irene — Study says local broadcast news reigns when it rains — Local television was the go-to source for residents in specific markets affected by Hurricane Irene, with 39% of respondents learning the storm was approaching from local TV news.

Discussion: MediaPost and rbr.com

Sophie Schillaci / Hollywood Reporter:

Andy Rooney's Final Broadcast Draws Largest October Audience Since 2007 — “60 Minutes” ranked No. 4 for the week with 17.11 million viewers. — Andy Rooney left 60 Minutes with a bang on Sunday, drawing the largest October audience for the CBS newsmagazine in four years.

Roy Greenslade / Guardian:

Journalists go to prison to highlight plight of jailed colleagues — Two Swedish journalists have volunteered to go to jail as a way of drawing attention to the plight of three colleagues held in Eritrea and Ethiopia. — Johan Wirfält and Sara Murillo Cortes plan to be locked …

Burgess Everett / On Media's Blog:

Rumsfeld's second Al Jazeera interview less cordial — Just a few days after Donald Rumsfeld praised Al Jazeera English in an interview with David Frost, the network released an interview in which D.C. bureau chief Abderrahim Foukara had an entirely less-pleasant exchange with the former defense secretary.

Discussion: Mediaite, Gawker, Erik Wemple and The Huffington Post