In your gloomy Thursday media column: Eritrea is the pits (of journalism), Erin Burnett is unpopular, the WSJ Europe circulation scandal continues, The Guardian U.S. is optimistic, and Michael Miner is an OG (of journalism).

  • Eritrea is the lowest ranked country in the world for press freedom. The detain and imprison journalists. It would be nice if they didn't. "Dawit Isaak, the founder of Eritrea's first independent newspaper...has been in prison in Eritrea for the past nine years without charge or trial." It's unknown whether Isaak is even alive today. Anyone who cares about journalistic freedom could register their displeasure with the Eritrean Embassy, were they so inclined.
  • Who's watching Erin Burnett's new CNN show? No one. And rightly so.
  • Day two of the WSJ Europe circulation scandal, in which the WSJ confirms many of the scandalous details originally published by The Guardian. Here's to hoping it gets salacious-er!
  • Can The Guardian really make a go of it as a US publication, considering the fact that Americans hate all things British, and also are mostly illiterate? The editor of The Guardian believes so.
  • Michael Miner has been a working press critic for 40 god damn years. Put that in your pipes and smoke it, media world. Read all about him here.

[Photo: AP]