While CNN's prime time line-up continues to struggle in the ratings, sometimes finishing in fifth place on cable news behind even CNBC, their day time hours are solidly in 2nd place across the board (way behind Fox News). But how about the three-hour morning block, American Morning? Multiple stories yesterday brought up the idea of changes at the program, and while CNN wasn't talking, maybe it's time for a change. (more...)

video 19-year-old Sarah Killen has become America's most beloved celebrity-for-no-reason since Levi Johnston and this time, the love isn't ironic. Killen, whose life changed dramatically when a bored, unemployed Conan O'Brien decided to follow her on Twitter at random, has been making the internet media rounds since last Friday, answering questions about her wedding, her newfound fame, and all the freebies that came with it. Today she made the jump from the internet to national television, sitting down with CNN's American Morning crew to try to explain why tens of thousands of people now want to be in the know about her life. (more...)

The gossip blog Radar Online released an exclusive report suggesting - complete with vagrant links leading to "Top Ten Celebrity Mugshots" and the Bristol Palin child support paperwork - that the resignation of Chief Justice John Roberts from the Supreme Court is imminent. It took about fifteen minutes (and denials from the few news sources quick enough to pick it up) for them to be forced into retracting the statement, but in exchange for some political credibility Radar won an all-important link on the Drudge Report and a small mention on Fox News, besides the internet wildfire of links all through the political blogosphere. (more...)

Fallout When you're Joe Wilson and you heckle the President you are required to quickly make an apology before turning around and stuffing your re-election coffer with all the monies pouring in from voters who consider you a hero. When you are a Supreme Court justice and you quietly mouth back to a President who has just called you out during his first official State of the Union address the result is a lot of intellectual heavy weights using to oped pages to wrestle over the role of the court (does everybody now want to be a cable news talking head at heart? and the appropriateness of the President challenging (threatening) it to their faces in one-sided public forum. (more...)

It's a New Yecade! I am going to keep saying that until it catches on. But either way, we're five days in and everything feels COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. Actually, and weirdly, it sort of does — maybe it's because of all the decade-end stuff, maybe it's because Nexus One is going to force us to buy a new phone, maybe it's because the TSA is about to peep our privates — but "2010" already looks, well, normal. We already feel SO much more mature than 2009, right? Enough to look back now on the year that was with a little of the perspective we didn't have while we were still in it (any 2009 wrap-up that didn't include the phrase "Crotch Bomber" clearly was not complete). Enough to admit some of those things that gave us shame — like secretly loving "Party in The USA" by Miley Cyrus. Which I do. Which I can now freely admit. I also love that song about a shorty fire burning on the dance floor. Am I alone in this secret love for cheesy Aughts-Pop? I refused to believe it — so I pried it out of a few of your favorite media people, or even some people you don't much care for. I also asked them who their favorite villain of 2009 was, and what we should blame on the a-a-a-a-a-a-alcohol. Turns out, maybe also this list. (more...)

video Host of CNN's American Morning John Roberts asked Republican pollster and Fox News Analyst Frank Luntz "When you used charged language like that are you contributing to the anger?" This was but one of many highlights in a spirited interview between Roberts and the author of the new book What Americans Really Want...Really. Was this John Roberts' moment? (more...)

Where were you a year ago today? If you are a political journalist — or media hanger-on — chances are you were living out of a suitcase at the 2008 Presidential Conventions, with the Dems nominating Barack Obama in Denver and the GOP nominating John McCain in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Remember those heady days? (more...)

updated 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! (more...)

Media Matters has really outdone itself with this organized, fact-based post, "Myths and falsehoods about health care reform," that brings clarity to the misrepresentations and obfuscations about the Health Care debate over the past few weeks. (more...)