The New York Times‘ Media Decoder blog raised an interesting possibility today – MSNBC.com, the NBC/Microsoft co-owned news site, may be re-branding itself as…something else, in an attempt to distance itself from the cable news channel of the same name.

It appears that the terrible ratings finally caught up with him. Brian Stelter at the NY Times reports that beleagured president of CNN Jon Klein is out of his current position, replaced by Ken Jautz, who is currently heading up HLN. CNN’s Worldwide Chief sent a memo to CNN’s staff this morning indicating that Klein was leaving with “our respect and friendship” without specifying the reason why he was out, though certainly CNN’s declining ratings were at issue.

Howard Fineman is the latest big name to depart Newsweek since the Washington Post Company sold it and editor Jon Meacham departed. Brian Stelter at the NYT broke the news this afternoon.

Is Levi Johnston attempting to out-Palin Sarah Palin? That’s certainly what it sounds like. US Weekly is reporting that Johnston’s much-rumored reality show will actually focus on Johnston making a run for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska…the same place Sarah Palin began her illustrious political career.

Brian Stelter of the New York Times takes a devastating look at Larry King, the host of the 9pmET CNN show that is in deep decline; the personality whose contract is up next year with the murky future; the 76-year-old who hosts an “old” program.

But what jumped out the most was a quote from Tom Dougherty that only loosely referred to King personally, and more broadly about CNN as a whole. It essentially asks: Who are you, CNN?

You might have noticed a new hobby lately among journalists: writing and tweeting about efforts to lose weight and live more healthfully. The Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder, the NYT’s Brian Stelter, Deadspin’s Drew Magary – all three have been using media, social and otherwise, to document – and support – their efforts to lose weight.

On Monday, finalists for the Mirror Awards — the Newhouse School’s annual honoring of excellence in writing about journalism and the media — were announced, featuring some of the best writers and thinkers in our industry, including our own Philip Bump.

The work of the finalists is excellent. One of our writers was nominated. So why do you sense that there’s a “but” coming?

Sigh. Because there is. Actually, two.

Mashable, the social media blog, is reporting that a new app for Twitter will allow users to compare the fans of different celebrities and see which group is “stupider”. Stupid Fight was created by Tom Scott, a designer who also created the equally mischievous Tweleted, and will probably cause anyone who uses it to become completely addicted…for at least a few hours. Of course, in a world where complex thoughts are broken down to fit into 140 characters, a few hours is nearly a lifetime.

Ink-stained wretches, it’s not just you! The social media and Twitter elite fret about the future of journalism too — and wonder how it will survive the digital revolution. At SXSWi, there was no shortage of panels obsessively deconstructing this topic (and tweeting about it, natch).

Here’s another great example of how NBC is flubbing the coverage of these Olympics. Everywhere I look people are talking about Shaun White’s Double McTwist 1260 which won him the Olympic Gold yesterday. It sounds awesome. I really want to watch it. Alas, NBC has other things in mind.

We’ve got a packed Mediaite Office Hours today from Livestream.com’s studio at 3pmET. Joining us today will be CBS News’ Mark Knoller, New York Times‘ Brian Stelter and more:

Anyone who works in media these days — especially online — knows that it can be an all-consuming lifestyle, caught up in the immediacy of the 24-7 news cycle and very much given to being swept up by the wildly fluctuating highs and lows of the moment. That’s why it’s so nice to step back [...]

Anne Sweeney, president of the Disney-ABC Television Group, discloses her plan for ensuring the future security of network and cable TV providers everywhere: nail a television set to the wall of every dorm room in America!

Leave it to Nikki Finke to chastise the impure, start firefights with other journalists (cf: The New Yorker), and leak out a bit of personal correspondence to boot. In an unrelenting post, she accuses Bill Carter of “having [never] met a network boss whose knob he didn’t shine” and casually makes mention of a (possibly joky) email Carter sent her in July about his hopes of making bank on a blowout Jay Leno show. How’s that going, btw?

After Harry Potter’s worldwide record-breaking weekend, we got to talking about certain parallels between the magical land of Hogwarts and the equally magical land of headlines, bylines, cutlines, chyrons, blog pickup and declining ad pages. Turns out, the two have a lot in common!

On that note, for your edification and enjoyment, we present our own version – let’s call it “Harry Potter and the Media Muggles.”

It’s hard to envision anyone filling Oprah’s shoes. While she certainly started out as merely a popular talk show host, Oprah became in the last decade or so, evolved into a sort of national mentor around whose ideas and beliefs people (the country, one might argue) shaped their outlook on life. Probably it’s safe to say no one is taking life advice from Katie Couric, or Ellen, or Tyra Banks. Know who some people are taking life advice from these days? Glenn Beck.

The New York Times is reporting that Oprah Winfrey will announce tomorrow that she is ending her syndicated talk show in 2011 at the end of her 25th season.

Earlier this month Nikki Finke reported that Oprah would close up shop and move to cable in early 2011. It looks like she knew what she was talking about.

Mediaite called the showdown between Fox News and the Obama administration back in mid-August. Now that it’s officially here, heralded by an attack-dog performance by White House Communications Director Anita Dunn on Reliable Sources, what does it mean? And which side, if either, will ultimately come out on top? A roundup of pundit reactions from the blogosphere and beyond:

The White House has gone on the offensive against Fox News in the past week, speaking to Time magazine and CNN’s Reliable Sources.

But in a follow-up to all the White House chatter about FNC, Brian Stelter of the New York Times writes about the fight that’s shaping up. It’s important to note, Fox News loves to fight!

Buried in Brian Stelter‘s story about the battle between Fox News and the Obama Administration is a little nugget: Last month, Lou Dobbs met with Roger Ailes. Fox Business Network, which recently picked up firebrand Don Imus, is reportedly interested in Dobbs, whose controversial anti-immigration, anti-Administration stance has sat awkwardly with the rest of CNN’s programming of late.

Amidst this weekend’s wall-to-wall Ted Kennedy coverage, and the growing Sarah Palin anniversary retrospectives it was sometimes difficult to recall that Saturday marked the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans. Even Twitter seemed relatively quiet on the subject. Speaking of Twitter, it’s hard not to wonder how differently the aftermath of Katrina might have played out had Twitter been around just four years ago.

It’s a big day here at Mediaite – the launch of the new and improved Mediaite Office Hours. We’ll be live from Livestream.com’s studio at 3pmET (new time as well), with guests including CNN anchor John Roberts and New York Times reporter Brian Stelter. And of course…you!

When people talk about bias on cable news, they are usually referring to the political leanings of the networks’ hosts, pundits and reporters. But recently discussion has centered more on the bias imposed by corporate influence and interests. Brian Stelter and Steve Rendall discuss at Gelf Magazine’s Media Circus, “The Corporate Influence on Cable News.”

A tourist helicopter and small plane collided in mid-air over the Hudson River on Saturday — showering debris over the area and sending horrified onlookers to their Twitter accounts. The mainstream media joined in with live breaking news coverage shortly thereafter. But when a story like this breaks there is just no beating Twitter.

Well it’s week two of Mediaite Office Hours, and we’ve got a fantastic show lined up for you today.

Guests include ABC’s chief White House correspondent Jake Tapper and New York Times media/business reporter Brian Stelter. And of course…you! Here’s how this works: