Media Watch September 12, 2007

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

By PJH Staff

When wrong doesn’t matter
Lawsuits follow him around like stray dogs swarming a guy with steaks in his pockets. The entertainment news industry has viewed celebrity blogger Perez Hilton as a threat for years, but “hard news” never worried about him – until now.

On Aug. 24, Perez took a break from Lindsay, Paris and Britney to post: “Sources reveal exclusively to PerezHilton.com that U.S. officials will be holding a press conference shortly to announce the death of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.”

In entertainment, Perez often scoops other magazines, and people took him seriously about Castro – sort of. But when it wasn’t true, they didn’t care, which has far-reaching implications for the news industry.

Everyone wants to be the one to break a story. But CNN or Time Magazine can’t go out on a limb like bloggers can. Reputation is the name of their game. So how do they stay relevant? If breaking news is ceded to bloggers – which it may be – what territory remains for the big news outlets?

I’m staying tuned for changes in format, shifts to in-depth coverage and beefier online content. Otherwise, expect more risks, wrong stories and apologies as they try to keep up.
— Grace Hammond

Sex sells. Who knew?
The October issue of Outside Magazine, as was called to our attention by David Gonzales’ blog, TheSnaz.com, featured another Jacksonite getting a second wave of exposure for a slightly risqué cover photo that ran a few years ago.

Sara Carlson was featured on the April 2005 cover of the magazine – sans clothing, with her shoulder and back to the camera, getting cozy with a big rock – as part of a story titled, “Women in Rock.”

Outside recently conducted an online asking readers to vote on their favorite cover. The winner? Carlson’s sexy but artful black-and-white image. Her cover won with 25 percent of the vote, while big, bad Lance Armstrong, staring down a 6th Tour de France win on the July ’04 cover, came in second with 15 percent.

As one reader of TheSnaz.com commented, “…my faith in humankind is justified. A nude woman just beat out the greatest pair of legs and lungs ever seen on the planet.”
Enough said?
— Ben Cannon

Preps vs. Thugs
On Tuesday, Kanye West debuted his latest album, “Graduation,” and on the very same day 50 Cent debuted his latest release, “Curtis.” Although perform Hip Hop, the two rappers couldn’t be more dissimilar. In a genre that thrives on rivalries, this one is unprecedented because the two are from opposite sides of the Hip Hop spectrum.

Kanye’s from the Chicago ’burbs; Half-dollar is from the South Side of Queens. Kanye went to college’ 50 sold crack. Kanye broke his jaw in a car accident; 50 got shot in the face. In a record industry that has been in a constant decline in the past 10 years, industry folk are hoping this will build hype and boost record sales.

At press time, Kanye’s single “Stronger” sat at number 2 on the Billboard Top 100 singles, where it’s been for the past 6 weeks. Mean while 50’s “Ayo Technology,” featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, peaked at 18 and currently sits at number 20, where it’s been for the past four weeks. Fi’ty has out-sold Kanye album for album over the past several years, and he has reportedly threatened to retire if this one doesn’t, too. …

If you think Hip Hop is irrelevant in Wyoming, just ask your kid which album he’s about to buy at you’re local KMart.
— Sam “Li’l Sammy” Petri
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Media Watch September 12, 2007 | Planet JH News Article: Media Watch

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