American may be making its way away from the print version of the Gray Lady, but perhaps its past time for her to make her leap from newsprint to big screen star.

Columbia Pictures announced today that they are acquiring the first look rights for film adaptation to the Sunday Styles Modern Love column. That astoundingly marks the second development deal Modern Love has inked lately. Earlier, HBO announced plans to develop a series about a fictional editor of the column.

Variety reports that since signing a representation deal with ICM, the Times has closed "north of 20 option deals for film or TV projects, including the recent sale to Lifetime and Sony TV of the article At an Age for Music and Dreams, Real Life Intrudes."

That story told of a young violinist in Ohio, struggling to find the means to pursue her symphony dreams.

Among some of the other recently optioned journalismisms:

Sensing a pattern? After all this talk about internets, and opening up the media conversation and aggregating vs. reporting, it all comes down to what people want is quirky kids' stories. A few dozen of those a year, feeding directly via ICM into the Hollywood machinery and the Times will be able to shut down those printing presses once and for all and give everybody bonuses to boot! Throw in a couple wacky contemporary romance ideas and the whole Times building can take the day off to go yacht shopping.

However, looking at the Times homepage today, it seems like there's a more than a few reporters on the beat who don't want to be millionaires. Everywhere you look you see, "Pope Sets Plan for Disaffected Anglicans to Join Catholics" and "Hopes Fade for Comprehensive Climate Treaty." Sorry to break the news to John Broder and Rachel Donadio, but that is not what we call entertainment.