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Selected items of news and notes from the media, our in box and other LA Observed sources.
Gov. Jerry Brown plans to propose a $113.3 billion general fund state budget today that holds fast in response to the University of California’s threat to raise tuition unless the state gives the university system more money. Bee
After USC Annenberg prof Marc Cooper goaded New York Times Times editor Dean Baquet with a Facebook post accusing him and the paper of "absolute cowardice" for being one of several news outlets not publishing the offensive-to-Islam Charlie Hebdo cartoons, Baquet engaged in the the thread and called Cooper an "asshole." Sample of the back and forth follows. Facebook
Dean Baquet: Dear Marc, appreciate the self righteous second guessing without even considering there might be another point of view. Hope your students are more open minded.Marc Cooper: Dean, of course there is a second view. The one stated in M. Sullivan's note in which you are amply quoted on your point of view. You just happen to be wrong. man. I call you that instead of your word "asshole" as I try to meet long standing standards we have here of decency and refrain from insulting, as you put it.
David Brooks: "As we are mortified by the slaughter of those writers and editors in Paris, it’s a good time to come up with a less hypocritical approach to our own controversial figures, provocateurs and satirists." NYT opinion
In most societies, there’s the adults’ table and there’s the kids’ table. The people who read Le Monde or the establishment organs are at the adults’ table. The jesters, the holy fools and people like Ann Coulter and Bill Maher are at the kids’ table. They’re not granted complete respectability, but they are heard because in their unguided missile manner, they sometimes say necessary things that no one else is saying.
Healthy societies, in other words, don’t suppress speech, but they do grant different standing to different sorts of people.
The NBC Nightly News gave Maria Shriver two minutes of airtime to promote the movie "Still Alice," of which she is an executive producer. Anchor Brian Williams disclosed her tie in the intro, but still. NBC, Washington Post
Citizens for Increased Voter Participation was formed to campaign for charter measures to move Los Angeles city elections to the end of the long state and federal election ballots. KPCC
"Off-Ramp" re-runs Jon Regardie's earlier Downtown News commentary on what new publisher Austin Beutner plans for the LA Times. KPCC
Tribune newspapers, which were Reuters' biggest American clients, are dropping the wire service in favor of AP. The Huffington Post plans to drop AP. Poynter
Media critic Jack Shafer is joining Politico to write a regular column on the press and politics as well as feature-length articles. Huffington Post
Politico's Maggie Haberman is joining the New York Times to cover presidential politics. Her father, Clyde Haberman, was a longtime Timesman. @MaggiePolitico, @AdamNagourney, Capital NY
Macy's plans to close its two stores in the Westfield Promenade in Woodland Hills and replace its Century City store with a new, larger one. DN
Q&A: How Alan Taylor, online photography pioneer, is rethinking The Atlantic’s photo site. Nieman Lab
Andrae Crouch, the award-winning Pacoima gospel singer who with his sister, Sandra, was pastor at New Christ Memorial Church died at Northridge Hospital Medical Center after having a heart attack. He was 72. AP
