This NYT analysis looks at the fallout from the Scooter Libby Plamegate trial with respects to the journalist/government relationship.

From globeandmail.com:

The Canadian satirical magazine Frank fooled most of the people for most of the past month during which it had a hoax website up and running. Most notably the hoax took in Conrad Black himself, who after corresponding by e-mail with the site's creator Alastair Smith (in truth, Frank editor/publisher Michael Bate) concluded that it was genuine and invited Mr. Smith and his group of like-minded, Bay Street, thirtysomethings to his home for cocktails. (As part of the pose, the supporters were planning a chartered jet "Caravan to Chicago" to attend Lord Black's trial on fraud and other charges — all of which he denies — and proposed wearing black ribbons of support. In an e-mail exchange with Mr. Smith, Lord Black wrote: "I am again flattered by such a thing. I will give you all CONRAD WILL WIN shirts when you are here.")

Since the prank was revealed by Frank magazine earlier this week in an 11-page package in its latest issue, some of the news organizations taken in by Frank have hurried to cover — ed: manage, surely — the news. The U.S. industry publication Editor & Publisher — which interviewed by e-mail the fictitious Mr. Smith — concluded it was a "serious undertaking." This week, E&P's editor at large Mark Fitzgerald writes under the heading "Pro Conrad Black Web Site Fesses Up to Hoax" that "E&P's role in publicizing the website is recounted at some length."

Mr. Bate, who said yesterday that various broadcasters have also booked him for interviews, explained that the ruse was necessary because "Lord Black is one of the few satiric assets we have left in this frozen backwater and we are eager for his safe return."

Here's the original E&P column by Fitzgerald. In his defence, he did start out by writing, "At first sniff, the Web site www.supportlordblack.com has the piquant aroma of the satirical weekly The Onion." He then asked if the site's creators were kidding

As noted, Fitzgerald also wrote the fess-up. "'Mark [Fitzgerald], you were right the first time. We were kidding,' (wrote) Frank Editor Michael Bate."

Black himself, who had corresponded with the site's creators, apparently also wrote this:

"It is very clever of you, and I would enjoy it as a joke, but you will understand that it is a bit distracting right now," he wrote, according to the magazine. "I do receive a great volume of supportive comment these days, and you passed under the radar screen."

Last week, John Reiss, executive producer with NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.

This week? From the NYT story:

CBS News replaced Rome Hartman, the executive producer of the “Evening News with Katie Couric,” with the long-time TV news executive and producer Rick Kaplan, said several people who were informed of the move.

The decision follows a run of disappointing ratings for the CBS newscast, which had introduced Ms. Couric as its anchor with great fanfare in September. Though the program initially scored impressive ratings, and had increased ratings among some audience groups like younger women, it had sunk back to its long-established spot of last place among the three network newscasts in terms of total viewers.

In recent weeks, the newscast had fallen short of the audience totals achieved this time last year by Bob Schieffer, the anchor that Ms. Couric replaced. CBS executives had made it clear that they expected the program to be more competitive.

Ah, the Asian economic miracle ... fueled in China by burning coal for electricity. Research is finding that Asia's pollution is having a much wider impact that suspected, boosting storms in the Pacific and the formation of large clouds that affect climate regulation.

From the BBC:

Daniele Mastrogiacomo is married with two children

An Italian newspaper editor has rejected Taleban claims that journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo, kidnapped in Afghanistan, is a spy.

La Repubblica editor Ezio Mauro said his writer had no intelligence links.

The Taleban said on Tuesday that it had captured an Italian journalist and two Afghan nationals.

A source close to the Islamist group told the BBC that they were seized for travelling in Helmand province without permission, and were accused of spying.

Mr Mauro said in a statement that Mastrogiacomo, 52, "has no relationship whatsoever, neither with military organisms nor with police or intelligence services of any kind or country".

"He is in Afghanistan... exclusively and solely in order to write news reportages," he added.

The two Afghans were named as Ajmal and Syed Agha.

Europe has to figure out how to walk the walk towards its stated goal of a 20 per cent GHG cut by 2020. They will work on it at a forthcoming summit.

I missed this Jan. 29 New Yorker piece the first time around, but writer Michael Specter was on The Colbert Report tonight talking about how excessively idealistic reporters in President Vladimir Putin's Russia have a propensity to be murdered.

The article's headline is a play on the popularized name of a Jewish-Italian gang in the U.S. that committed contract killings in the 1930s and 1940s.