In your jobby Friday media column: Rebecca Dana to Newsweek, Foster Kamer to Esquire, Tim Arango to Baghdad, and Barry Diller to the easy life. And, Emily Brill.

  • We hear that veteran-but-still-young former media reporter Tim Arango is slotted to become the New York Times' next Baghdad bureau chief (he's done a reporting turn in Iraq already). Arango tells us: "looks like I'll be going back as bureau chief some time in the late-feb-early-march timeframe." Some believe that reporting from Iraq is even more heroic than being a media reporter, though we of course would argue strenuously against that assertion.

UPDATE: Tim Arango sends us the recent picture at right, illustrating his diverse interests.

  • Rebecca Dana, formerly of the Wall Street Journal and currently The Daily Beast, is reportedly (according to NYO "sources") moving over with Tina Brown, to edit Newsweek's front of the book. Historical reminiscence: in 2007, Dana started talking about a new job offer (from the New York Times), and it disappeared. We doubt she'll have any problems this time. Moving upwards along with Tina Brown has long been the single most reliable way for people to get jobs at the better magazines in this town.
  • Former Gawkwerer Foster Kamer is leaving the Village Voice to become online features editor at Esquire.com.
  • The day after Barry Diller's abrupt departure as CEO of IAC, the general consensus seems to be that it was not a bad strategic move—first, it got him unraveled from Liberty Media, and second, he won't be stepping away from the media business, just stepping away from day-to-day management, which he didn't love, anyhow.
  • CJR has put Emily Brill's long-awaited story online. We encourage everyone to read it. It is written by Emily Brill.