Leon Neyfakh wonders who’ll replace departing Random House CEO Peter Olson. "Regardless of whom Bertelsmann CEO Hartmut Ostrowski and his 15-person supervisory board appoint to replace Mr. Olson, it is all but certain that Random House will undergo some radical changes." Plus: James Frey.
Doree Shafrir has the tale of the tape on several heated media feuds, including Jared Paul Stern v. Ron Burkle, Buzz Bissinger v. Will Leitch (thankfully resolved), and Leon Wieseltier v. Andrew Sullivan. Plus: Barbara Walters’ memoir.
Will the Commission on Presidential Debates play nice with Web 2.0? Felix Gillette looks ahead to the general elections and talks to James Carville who says, "That commission has run its course… I think Google and YouTube and other people are seeing a kind of vacuum, and they’re moving into it. I can’t imagine a presidential candidate not wanting to participate in this debate.”
Is Murdoch lieutenant Robert Thomson filling the void left by Marcus Brauchli’s departure from The Wall Street Journal? Mr. Thomson tells John Koblin, "there is uncertainty and thus it is proper for me to stand in front of our journalists and take the tough, challenging questions." Plus Out‘s Aaron Hicklin.
Plus: Meredith Bryan swills with internet wine critic Gary Vaynerchuk and flies among the Society Superheroes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Costume Institute Gala; Doree Shafrir attends a book club; Spencer Morgan takes a bath.
