Mike Albo's free trip to Jamaica violated the newspaper's freelancer guidelines, or at least the ones we've seen. And now the Times has reversed its defense of the trip, saying it has "concerns."

Everybody's having fun with Robert Mormando, the gay mafia hitman the world learned about today. It's like The Sopranos! Except he only meant to come out in front of the judge, not a bunch of newspaper reporters.

Somewhere in this great land of ours, there is a reporter who holds the single worst reporting job in America. Sure, the guy who has to constantly watch men be filled up with poison in a prison in Huntsville, Texas is a strong candidate. But we know there are many more. What about the reporter who has to cover long-haul truckers? Or the municipal waste beat? Or the St. Louis Rams?

The denizens of cheesy Thrillist junkets were once only shameless bloggers, but now it looks like grandiose outlets are getting on the free-trip teat, too.

In your woebegone Wednesday media column: Rumors of more Conde Nast layoffs at Architectural Digest and the research department, ideas for BusinessWeek's future, Ross Douthat is insecure, and the Weather Channel grows ever more awesome.

ABC White House correspondent and alleged tool Jake Tapper is furious with the White House for saying Fox News is not a "legitimate news organization." He had an argument with Robert Gibbs about it!

Spencer Morgan's newest Profile of an Odd Man is good enough to make you throw up, because you can almost hear the crack bubbling in a fucked up corner of a too-cool subculture. Ugh. Crack.

In your dangerous Tuesday media column: A media employee cries for help from the office bathroom, more details on yesterday's Glamour layoffs, a dangerous liberal media pumpkin, and a newspaper gets cheaper, on purpose.

How did Sabine Heller get an exclusive first interview with the new owner of Harvey Weinstein's former social network, A Small World? Being an employee of A Small World probably helped. (Updated)

New York Times editor Bill Keller just sent out an internal memo saying that the company needs to cut 100 newsroom positions by the end of this year. Buyout offers are going out; layoffs are possible. Full memo below:

The Chamber of Commerce held a press conference in DC today to declare that it's ending its longstanding, controversial opposition to climate-change regulations. No it didn't. [UPDATED with fun media clips below!]

In your malicious Monday media column: computers replace sportswriters (finally), rumored layoffs at W mag and Lucky, a new way for death to save the media, and the salvation of publishing arrives.

Foursquare has a piddlingly small user base. Which is precisely why it's is going to rule the world, say people quoted in today's New York Times story on the mobile-phone social network. This should sound familiar.

Let's make a deal: no more talking about health care reform. For a while, anyway. A couple weeks, let's say. Because no one on TV and few people in newspapers can actually explain what's going on with it.

As if Conde Nast didn't have enough to worry about: the New Guinea tribesmen suing the New Yorker for defamation now want a cool $45 million. Beware, reporters: Even your cab driver is lawyered up these days.

Revelations surfaced in July that pricey, shady, plainly unethical off-the-record dinners between Washington Post reporters and DC lobbyists were planned. It resulted in the firing of the WaPo's marketing director. Now, the NYT calls out their executive editor. SHOTS FIRED!

In your downright fraudulent Friday media column: A fakester is claiming to work for W, Forbes is losing a top editor and National Lampoon will help your weekend arrive sooner.

Sheree Silver, the Wife Swap "spouse" of Balloon Boy dad Richard Heene, is from my hometown. Score! The local paper gets the scoop: Sheree—who is a psychic—psychically intuited exactly what was happening.

In your retro Thursday media column: Vice is having a Halloween party, laid-off journalists get an award, 'Netflix for magazines' is doomed to fail, and the Wall Street Journal is finally as prestigious as USA Today.