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New Ads Rip Obama, But Democrats Fight Back A new ad linking Barack Obama to a former member of the Weather Underground is playing in key swing states. It's being sponsored by the American Issues Project. Obama's campaign is fighting back with its lawyers and a counter-ad targeting John McCain. Everyone Trashes The Media — Especially The Media It's not unusual to hear accusations of journalistic bias in political reporting. Some of the loudest accusations come from journalists who, like CNN's Lou Dobbs or MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, have made their own biases abundantly clear. Tale Of The TiVo: MSNBC, Fox News Worlds Apart A look at one key hour of cable news coverage of the Democratic convention Monday night reveals less shouting from liberal-leaning MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and company, who soft-pedaled conflict among Democrats. Over at Fox News, Bill O'Reilly remained a full-force conservative Factor. Conventions: Quadrennial Journalistic Junket Journalists will work incredibly hard, and some of them may even produce news. They'll whip up endless speculation and microscopic scoops. How much of their reporting will matter more than a few days? FCC Spreads The Word On Digital TV Switchover In February, people who use an antenna to get television signals will have to begin using conversion boxes to watch their favorite programs. The Federal Communications Commission will start an 80-city tour this week to talk about the changes. Media Coverage Of Conventions Has Changed Political Conventions today resemble a made-for-TV spectacle — and television is rebelling against it. The three TV networks only devote one hour a night. But it was not always so. The media's approach to covering conventions has evolved since the mayhem of 1968. Newspaper Carriers Work With Rivals Frank Saracino, a newspaper carrier spends roughly $300 a week on gas. He now mostly delivers on Sundays and evenings to avoid traffic. Nationwide, more than 40 percent of papers collaborate with a competitor on delivery. Magazines Bring New Voices To Multicultural Experience The growing racial and ethnic diversity of America has encouraged publishers to start magazines that address a new, multicultural generation of readers. In this month's Magazine Mavens, the creative forces behind three such publications discuss their vision — Lori Robinson, of Vida AfroLatina; Christopher Windham, of Human Nature and Navdeep Kathuria, of ABCD Lady. The Media And The Economy Mark Jurkowitz, associate director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, talks about media coverage of the economy and why the news hasn't always kept up with public interest and concern. McCain, Obama Use Olympic Ads To Highlight Image Barack Obama and John McCain are running campaign ads during the Olympics. Evan Tracey, president of Campaign Media Analysis Group, says Obama is highlighting his image as a different kind of politician. McCain is using the games as a stage to attract new voters. Magazine Misses Memo On 'Potter' Postponement Warner Bros. announced last week that it's postponing the release of the sixth Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The news apparently didn't reach the offices of Entertainment Weekly in time for its fall preview issue, which features the star of the film on the cover and a six-page spread on the movie. State-Run Press Downplays Cold-War Tensions The conflict between Russia and Georgia has the media in the United States talking about a new Cold War. For a view from the Russian media, Robert Smith turns to Masha Lipman, the editor of the Pro et Contra journal, published by Carnegie Moscow Center. Beijing's 'O-Lipsync' Games More than 2 billion people watched the Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing. NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr muses on the fakery — from fireworks to a stand-in for seven-year-old singer — employed by a China obsessed with a picture-perfect representation. Guerrilla Ad Campaign Pushes Boundaries Troy Hitch talks about You Suck at Photoshop, a hit series of Web videos created to explore viral marketing concepts. Hitch is the creative director for the agency Big Fat Brain. Sports-Talk Radio Pioneers Split After nearly 20 years as pioneers in sports-talk radio, the Mike and the Mad Dog radio program is no more. Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo has decamped for Sirius satellite radio, breaking up a pair that was the biggest hit on WFAN.