FRIDAY'S LINKS: How the Media Remember Anniversaries, Tribune and Chandlers Talk, How to Twist a Quote

By: E&P Staff In today's edition, David Sirota examines New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman's wealth, Jon Friedman talks about how the media should cover the Katrina and 9/11 anniversaries, and Paul McLeary examines how the Washington Times twisted a congressman's quote to mean the exact opposite of what he said.


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How the Media Should Remember 9/11, Katrina (Marketwatch)
Marketwatch: "The media love to commemorate the anniversaries of important events," writes Jon Friedman. "Whenever print organizations and television programs tug at the public's heartstrings, circulation figures and audience ratings invariably soar. Usually, however, we journalists take such a heavy-handed approach that our best intentions come off as mawkish."


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AOL Will Eliminate 5000 Jobs
Los Angeles Times: As it implements a major shift in strategy, Time Warner Inc.'s AOL unit said Thursday that about 5,000 jobs, or one-quarter of its worldwide workforce, would disappear in the next six months. AOL Chief Executive Jonathan Miller told employees Thursday that the worldwide workforce of 19,000 would shrink to about 14,000, spokeswoman Tricia Wallace confirmed, declining to provide details of where and how the jobs would be eliminated.


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Tribune and Chandlers Resume Talks on Differences
Wall Street Journal: Putting aside the public rancor of the past few months, Tribune Co. management and the Chandler family, the company's biggest shareholder, have resumed discussions on an informal basis to try to resolve their differences about the future of the newspaper and broadcasting concern, people familiar with the matter say. The talks, which started at a board meeting last month, follow a bitter falling-out between the family and Tribune management that became public in June, when the Chandler family called for Tribune to be either broken up or sold. Calling the company's strategy "disastrous," the family threatened a proxy fight to replace Tribune management. Tribune's board rebuffed the family and defended the company's management.


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How to Twist Words By Not Using Them
CJR Daily: O"n Wednesday, the Washington Times ran an editorial slamming Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) for his 'appalling refusal to condemn Hezbolla'" in a recent interview, and for his vote against House Resolution 921, which supported Israel while condemning Hezbollah," writes Paul McLeary. "Problem is, by ending the clip at the word 'No,' the Times so briefly excerpted Dingell's quote that he is left appearing to say the exact opposite of what he really said."


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Ex-'Big Dig' Safety Official Admits He Sent Memo to Newspaper
Boston Globe: A former safety official for a Big Dig contractor who has said he wrote a memo in 1999 warning that the Interstate 90 connector ceiling was unsafe acknowledged last night that he mailed the document to the Globe with another man's name and address on the envelope as the sender. John J. Keaveney, former safety official for Modern Continental Construction Co., had previously denied sending the document to the newspaper.


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Is Online Journalism Changing All the Rules?
Public Eye: "The rules and media atmosphere has changed over time and politicians have learned how to use those changes to their advantage," writes Vaughn Ververs. "How they will react to today?s technology is the question. But something?s going on in Hollywood that demonstrates the depth of change."


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Examining Thomas Friedman's Wealth
Huffington Post: "As the July edition of the Washingtonian Magazine notes, Friedman lives in 'a palatial 11,400-square-foot house, now valued at $9.3 million, on a 7?-acre parcel just blocks from I-495 and Bethesda Country Club,'" writes David Sirota. "He 'married into one of the 100 richest families in the country' -- the Bucksbaums, whose real-estate Empire is valued at $2.7 billion. Let's be clear: I'm a capitalist, so I have no problem with people doing well or living well, even Tom Friedman. That said, this does potentially explain an ENORMOUS amount about Friedman's perspective."