Fun Plagiarism Scandal Becoming Funner Lawsuit and Conspiracy Scandal
In your uproarious Thursday media column: Gerald Posner lawyers up, your favorite comic strip goes dark, a reporter's ready to run against John McCain, the internet gets more ad money, and something wacky is going on at Elle.
- World-class plagiarist Gerald Posner has hired a lawyer to "to prepare litigation against the Miami New Times for accusations about his journalism and interfering with his career as an author." That lawyer: Mark Lane, an old JFK conspiracy theorist. Is pointing out plagiarism against the law, now? We look forward to this legal battle in a state of extreme readiness!
- After more than 85 years, Little Orphan Annie will cease publishing as a newspaper comic strip next month. Jesus Christ, first Calvin Coolidge dies, now this.
- John Dougherty, an investigative reporter who broke stories about scandals involving John McCain, is now mounting a bid to run against McCain in Arizona. This journalist participation trend will be even cooler when sports reporters start doing it.
- A new report says that internet ad revenue hit nearly $6 billion in the first quarter—the highest first quarter ever, 7.5% above last year. Hooray for money!
- Crazy things are happening at Elle! WWD reports that three top-level staffers have left the mag recently, and that they're having trouble finding a new publisher. And a tipster writes to us today: "ELLE, under Hachette, will be moving into the Time Inc building come June! It's very peculiar seeing that InStyle and PEOPLE StyleWatch—not to mention Real Simple—is also moving here. Will we see ELLE and InStyle staffers eating together while talking up trends in the 2nd floor caf?" Hmm. Will all this uproar upset the style pictures, or whatever is inside ELLE? Email if you know more.