Local public affairs shows account for less than one half of one percent of all programming on local television stations, according to a study released by the Alliance for Better Campaigns. "Broadcasters have relegated local public-affairs programming to the very bottom of the heap - behind cartoons, kitchenware specials, reruns, courtroom dramas, dating shows and late-night talk shows," reports Jennifer Harper. "The analysis found, for example, that there were three times as many 'Seinfeld' reruns as local public-affairs shows on TV stations nationwide.

"North American marketers are finding their closest service partners halfway around the world," writes Betsy Spethmann. Known as "business process outsourcing," the trend began in the 1990s, when U.S. software developers began hiring Indian programmers during the dot-com boom. Now the trend is affecting technical support and marketing, as companies realize that they get those jobs done cheaper by setting up call centers in places like India. "They're staffed by 20-something college grads who learn American accents and get daily briefings on U.S.

The Globe, a tabloid newspaper, is running a titillating photograph of alleged rapist Kobe Bryant's accuser at her high school prom. "In it, the woman is lifting up her prom dress to reveal a garter belt," notes Rebecca Traister. "The headline reads: 'Kobe Bryant's Accuser: Did she really say no?' Next to the photo, in half-inch type, is the 19-year-old woman's name." Traister interviewed journalism professors and magazine editors who are shocked by the Globe's decision.