In your celebratory Wednesday media column: newspapers still find admirers, Michael Lewis' J-school turnaround, the NYT's a popular target of politicos, Christine O'Donnell gives up on national media, and John Cook's back.

  • Ripley's Believe it or Not of the day: some people out there still want to own newspapers! It's true! There are some vulture investors out there who think that buying the bankrupt Philly papers would now be a good move. THEORY: having trimmed every last ounce of fat (staff costs) and even bone (more staff costs), newspapers are now lean enough to just be considered a well-established media brand. Without all the bloated costs traditionally associated with newspapers, a buyer could get a slim, trim media operation that's well-known in its target area and ready to compete with anyone, online or off. Or alternately, newspaper headquarters are spacious enough to be turned into strip clubs. We'll know soon.
  • Michael Lewis, who wrote a takedown of journalism schools in 1993, is now a Teaching Fellow at Berkeley's J-School. Allow us to be the first to say: fuck yea he is. Do you know how cushy a J-school "teaching fellow" gig would be? We dream of getting a bullshit job like that. Dream of it. All the media critics out there who'd turn this gig down, raise your hands. Anyone? Well then. We salute you, lucky J-school teaching bastards. One day.
  • THE POLITICO notes that the NYT is being attacked more often than usual by political types, according to today's story in THE POLITICO. Also in THE POLITICO today, this actual headline, via Pareene: "Poll: 2010 narrative still isn't written." THE POLITICO.
  • Teen witch Christine O'Donnell has declared that she is not doing any more national media interviews, thanks to advice she got from Sarah Palin. We therefore doubt that she could name any national media outlets, anyhow.
  • John Cook is returning to Gawker, right on time.

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