In your finally Friday media column: New York Times reporters under fire, Jack Griffin unceremoniously canned at Time Inc., Joe Conason leaves the New York Observer, and executive moves at CBS News.

  • Reporters in Middle East peril, all over again! In Bahrain, the NYT reports today, "forces in a helicopter that had been shooting at the crowds, opened fire at a Western reporter and videographer who were filming a sequence on the latest violence." In human language that means that NYT reporters are being shot at by government forces, in Bahrain. Everyone stay safe please.
  • Jack Griffin replaced Ann Moore as head of Time Inc. just last August, coming over from Meredith. Now he's been publicly and unceremoniously dumped! "I concluded that his leadership style and approach did not mesh with Time Inc. and Time Warner," wrote Jeff Bewkes. That is a virtual slap in the face, by corporate memo standards. It sounds like, apart from Griffin's lack of immediate financial success, nobody over there really liked the guy. Jack: you'll always have a spot as a Gawker celebrity intern.
  • The fallout of the new Elizabeth Spiers era at the New York Observer begins, sort of: Joe Conason, who's been writing for the paper for 18 years, has resigned. In a manner that indicates he is not happy! That is just life at the NYO, these days.
  • Paul Friedman is out as the EVP of news at CBS News, and Barbara Fedida is out as VP of talent and development, following Jeff Fager's recent installation as head of CBS News.

[Photo: AP]