So what's behind the mystery of Rebecca Dana's employment status? Dana, you'll remember, was plucked from the Observer to join the Times. Yesterday's Broadcasting & Cable suggested that she might be staying at the pink paper after all. Why would that be? The following rumor is making the rounds:

Rebecca was overheard saying something like, "I'm going to kick [Times TV reporter]Bill Carter's ass." She was just joking around with her friends, but somehow word got back to the NYT. They called her this weekend and essentially said, "We had concerns, because of your age, about your maturity, and this kind of behavior unfortunately confirms our suspicions." And then they RESCINDED THE OFFER. Rebecca argued her case and they relented, but offered her basic trial status. Kind of like: "We don't want you on staff or here at all, but fine, we'll let you come in and try to climb the ladder like everyone else." Rebecca, who had originally been issued the golden staff status ticket, was less than thrilled; supposedly she's negotiating with [Observer editor Peter] Kaplan, even though she already quit.

Update: A source with knowledge of the situation informs us that the Times never actually rescinded the offer, they simply changed the status of the job to a "probationary period of three years." We'd be kind of less than thrilled too.