MONDAY'S LINKS: Rosenthal Remembered, J-Schools Thrive, Snow Tries to Repair WH Press Relations

By: E&P Staff In today's edition, Attytood blog writer Will Bunch has some harsh words for the Canadian company that is considering a purchase of two Philadelphia dailies, politicians and journalists remember Abe Rosenthal, and despite hard times in the profession, j-schools are booming.

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Rosenthal Remembered for 'Tender Ferocity'
"He was pretty much the same kind of father as he was a journalist ? just as passionate, just as complicated, just as hard to predict," Andrew Rosenthal, who is now the deputy editor of the editorial page of The Times, said at the funeral.


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Trouble in Iraq 'Has a Way of Finding Journalists'
There is a kind of journalist who loves a war zone, but only the hardiest of the species can love Iraq. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 69 reporters, producers, and cameramen have died since the conflict began, as have 25 people in their employ (translators, drivers, guards); an additional 41 have been kidnapped, and that number does not include those who?ve been held only briefly, nor does it include those whose disappearances have never been reported at all (generally Iraqi staff, for security purposes).


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Despite Hard Times for Journos, J-Schools Booming
The newspaper industry cut more than 2,000 jobs last year as it continued to lose readers and advertisers to the Internet. Network newscasts are being propped up by older viewers and continue to lose market share to cable. Regular reports of ethical breaches are undermining public trust in all news organizations, bloggers accuse the mainstream media of being arrogant and clueless, and Wall Street expresses little confidence in its financial future. But there is one corner of the profession still enjoying a boom: journalism schools.


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Tracking Down Gay Talese
"Gay Talese is not an easy man to interview," writes Dikla Kadosh. "The legendary writer didn't elude me the way Frank Sinatra eluded him in 1966, which resulted in one of the most celebrated articles ever to appear in Esquire ("Frank Sinatra Has a Cold"), but he was a challenge in other ways."


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The 'Personalized' Newspaper Comes Closer to Being a Reality
The Web has made accessing far-flung news outlets, from tiny local papers to major foreign presses and every Web log and magazine in between, as simple as a couple of mouse clicks. But keeping that deluge of information organized hasn't been so easy for readers. Now, some Web sites are taking a stab at a new solution: more-sophisticated personalized news pages.


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Tony Snow Seeking to Repair Administration's Relationship With Press
The president, while calling Snow a "nice guy," doesn't see a problem that needs repairing. "I don't feel the friction, I really don't," Bush said in a brief interview. He said he was aware of "institutional friction" -- a top aide said he was referring to secrecy issues and leak investigations -- but not any personal difficulties. "I understand the reporters have a job to do," the president said. "I talk to them every day. I don't like what they write, but they don't like what I say," he added, half jokingly.


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Newspaper Writer Jane Day Dies at 82 (UPI)
A journalist who worked for the National Observer newspaper and United Press wire service, Day died of cancer in Camden, Maine. A prolific writer and editor, she worked in and around Washington for a variety of publications -- including the Southern Maryland Times and the Sentinel in Rockville.


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Philly Writer to PNI's Canadian Suitors: Get Lost, Eh!
I only have four words for Onex and its managing director Seth Mersky. Do not come here. You would be making the mistake of a lifetime, because my colleagues and I will do everything in our power to make you wish you had never heard of Philadelphia and its "Enquirer," let alone the Daily News.


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Is 'Convergence' the Next Media Disaster?
"It would be too bad if the elders of the news business decided that the way to apply the marvels of the Internet to their operations was by a bold new push for reporting that's hasty, fragmented and half-baked," writes Edward Wasserman. "It would be even worse if redirecting newsrooms to online news ended up by degrading the working conditions of journalists and diverting energies away from the kind of richly detailed, thoughtful reporting that exemplifies the best in journalism."