Just report the story. Don't be the story.

Two reasons why journalists should just report stories and be done with it.
First, there's Alycia Lane, the Philly news anchor who punched a cop during a traffic stop and mailed sexy pics of herself to a (married) friend. She was fired last week by the station that employed her.
"We have concluded that it would be impossible for Alycia to continue to report the news as she, herself, has become the focus of so many news stories," said CBS 3 (KYW-TV) President and General Manager Michael Colleran, reported the New York Daily News. Colleran, however, made it clear that he was not judging her guilt or innocence, just the fact she became the story.
Then there's Dave Seanor, now a former editor at Golfweek, who was fired for producing this week's magazine cover, reports ESPN.com. It had a noose against a purple sky and the title, "Caught in a Noose." The subtitle said, "Tilghman (referring to the Golf Channel anchor who started the controversy mentioning "noose" and "Tiger Woods" in the same breath) slips up, and Golf Channel can't wriggle free."
Lane used bad judgment not once, but twice. Visible people like Lane should know their actions can be news.
As for Seanor, we suspect he wasn't thinking. Editors (and we know this firsthand) put together covers in a business-like manner and don't always, because of deadlines, give full consideration to what they're using. That's one reason editors need to have dirty minds, even if they don't want to, if you know what I mean.
Like Don Imus, though, we suspect Lane will find another job, probably in a smaller market. Same for Seanor. Dumb mistakes can hurt you, but not always for life.

That silly Fox ...

I love when people get all hot and bothered over Fox News Channel and its supposed right-wing bias.

C'mon? Fox News Channel is hardly political. You ever look at its website? The biggest news the last two weeks has been Rosie O'Donnell vs. Donald Trump? Big Mouth vs. Big Hair! Trump, of course, is dying for publicity for "The Apprentice" so he'll do anything to get it, even "debate" Rosie O'Donnell. Big deal.

And I love some of the headlines on the site. Here's a few I just pulled. And yes, they're real:

- Israeli Woman Inseminated by Dead Soldier
- Empire State Building Parachuter Off the Hook
- "Half-Animal" woman found in Cambodia
- Man serves meatballs cooked in own fat

Jeez, this stuff is better than the National Enquirer and Weekly World News! No wonder Fox pulls in such big numbers. Hell, I'd watch those stories.

So keep it going, Fox News. Who needs loudmouth Bill O'Reilly and conservative pretty boy Sean Hannity when you have meatballs cooked in their own fat.