Media Elites in Vanity Fair‘s “New Establishment 2009” List Still Old and White

There is nothing populist about Vanity Fair‘s annual top 100 Information Age powers list — it is brazen in its celebration of the worldwide corporate aristocracy. But what can we say, we’re suckers for power rankings. Still, the VF list occasionally confuses wealth and excess with actual power or influence. (One category in certain entries is simply “Crib” and runs down details of the glitterati’s domiciles.) But as the media’s old guard works on curbing its exorbitance in the midst of a shifting economic realities and technological innovation, is there any room on the list for the Elite Media?

A quick glimpse at the list says yes! But only if you’re old, white, and preferably male. Media figures occupy 21 out of 100 spots — not including the men behind Facebook, Twitter and Hulu, who are transforming media in ways even they never imagined — but 18 of those spots are white men with at least one gray hair. News Corp. head honcho Rupert Murdoch comes in highest, at number seven, and is flanked further back his Fox News soldier (and Mediaite favorite) Glenn Beck in at 81. Other network chiefs on the list include Leslie Mooves of CBS at 58 and NBC Universal’s Jeff Zucker at 61.

The first journalist in the top 100 is actually a fake journalist, with Jon Stewart coming in at 48 (joined by Stephen Colbert at 79), while PBS’s Charlie Rose is number 60, the New York Times editor Bill Keller (75) and two op-ed columnists, Frank Rich (83) and Paul Krugman (93), are also recognized. Online media made a dent, with Politico’s Robert Allbritton, John Harris, and Jim VandeHei sharing number 84, followed by TMZ’s Harvey Levin at 85 and The Huffington Post’s Arianna Huffington at 88.

And the rest of the lucky ladies to make the cut? Maria Bartiromo and Erin Burnett of CNBC (sharing number 69) and Oxygen/Bravo chief Lauren Zalaznick, last but not least, at number 100.

The remaining media figures on the list can be seen below, but be warned, diverse they are not!

21. John Malone, Liberty Media

53. Philippe Dauman, Viacom

57. Tom Freston,  Firefly

59. Dan Doctoroff,  Bloomberg L.P.

63. Brian Roberts, Comcast

80. Rush Limbaugh, Radio host