Every year cable channels and network broadcasters hold "upfronts," where they pitch advertisers on their new shows. Hulu, the online service that streams network TV programming, is pitching its own original programming this year, competing with the very stations it relies on. Brian Stelter, media reporter for our partner The New York Times, joins us to discuss how TV will fare in the age of the Internet.

The media giant News Corp. announced yesterday that it would close its most successful tabloid paper, News of the World, over claims its journalists hacked the private phones of celebrities, crime victims, bereaved military families and people involved up in the 2005 London bombings — a terrorist attack that killed 52 people.

After deliberating for 10 hours yesterday, the jury in the Casey Anthony trial reached a not guilty verdict. The Florida mother was accused of killing her two-year-old daughter Caylee in 2008. Ultimately, jurors rejected the prosecution's allegations that Anthony had suffocated her daughter with duct-tape and dumped her body in a wooded area. The case captivated the nation for three years and the methods news outlets used to cover the trial may have permanently changed they way the media will report on high-profile court cases in the future.

On Sunday a deadly tornado devastated Joplin, Missouri; in its wake, a six mile path of destruction and at least 116 people dead. Today its people begin to survey the damage, as rescue efforts for those potentially trapped in the rubble continues. Brian Stelter has been reporting on the disaster for The New York Times.

When national disaster strikes, it is often members of the National Guard who are tasked with the major search, rescue and relief efforts for victims on the ground. But how do they prepare for devastation like that left in the wake of Sunday's deadly tornado in Joplin, Missouri? For more on the relief efforts, and the rigorous training that goes into it, we speak with Major Tammy Spicer, Missouri National Guard State Public Affairs Officer.

Today the Federal Communications Commission will announce new rules for how service providers filter the spectrum of websites to their consumers. The issue of net neutrality has drawn passionate debate from all sides, including consumers who want equal access to all corners of the Internet, and companies that want to drive those consumers to their own services first. Brian Stelter, reporter for the Media Decoder blog at our partner The New York Times, weighs in on the FCC's new net neutrality regulations, and what they might mean for the future of the Internet.

According to White House officials, combat in Iraq ends on August 31, 2010, yet Brian Stelter, media reporter for The New York Times, wouldn't blame you if you thought that yesterday was the official end to Operation Iraqi Freedom. All the news channels, led by MSNBC, reported that the last U.S. combat brigade left Iraq yesterday. We'll take a look, along with Brian, at the media's coverage of yesterday's historic event.

After decades of inflexible TV schedules, American home entertainment is swiftly shifting from something we watch live, at a scheduled time, to something we watch on-demand, whenever we choose. And the changes are visible almost everywhere. Our gaming consoles now offer us ESPN-on-demand. Netflix allows us watch movies instantly. This week, the FCC announced that they'll be paving the way for home viewers to watch theatrical film releases on opening day, and Comcast announced yesterday that they’ll be tripling the number of films they make available on-demand.

But how do all these on-demand technologies work, and how will they affect our entertainment options outside the home?

The Obama administration has made universal access to broadband Internet a top priority, but a new FCC study says that access or no access, 31 percent of Americans can't afford the cost.

• CONGRESS TAKEOUT: Massachusetts Senator-elect Scott Brown arrives on Capitol Hill, and our Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, looks at what's next for the Democrats and health care reform.
• MEDIA TAKEOUT: Liberal radio network Air America will cease operations, filing bankruptcy after six years on the air. New York Times reporter Brian Stelter looks at why the network failed.

When Cablevision subscribers turned on their televisions on New Year's Day, they found that they had no Food Network or HGTV.  Viewers are not happy about this, and one called us to find out what she could do.  Brian Stelter, media reporter for The New York Times, tells us what's happening and where upset viewers jonesing for gardening tips and 30-minute-meals can direct their ire.

• Congress Takeout: From Washington, Todd Zwillich looks ahead to the continuing tussle over health care reform in the Senate.
• Sports Takeout: Ibrahim Abdul-Matin discusses half-time Twittering in the NBA and upcoming NFL games.
• Media Takeout: The New York Times' Brian Stelter says the couple who crashed President Obama's first state dinner are asking for big bucks for their first interview about the incident, hoping to cash in before everyone stops caring ... unless it's already too late.

 

The couple that crashed President Obama's first White House dinner, Tarek and Michaele Salahi, managed to slip through several layers of security in order to pose with such Washington luminaries as Vice President Joe Biden and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel. The couple aren't new to (fleeting) fame. They're reportedly in the running to be one of the couples on the Bravo reality show, "The Real Housewives of Washington." And the New York Times reports that the Bravo cable TV network followed the couple up to the entrance state dinner. For more on this, we're joined by Brian Stelter, who writes the Media Decoder blog for our partners, The New York Times.

• Media Takeout: Oprah Winfrey's production company announced an end date for her talk show: September 9, 2011, Winfrey will reportedly start her own cable channel. Brian Stelter, who writes the Media Decoder blog for The New York Times, tells us whether this apparent end is really just a new begininng.
• Sports Takeout: Our own Ibrahim Abdul-Matin talks about a fundraising event that marks the traditional, unofficial start of college basketball season.
• Arts Takeout: Takeaway correspondent Femi Oke reports on Michelle Obama's new action figure. Read Femi's blog, where you can find a video about the dolls.

Walter Cronkite, an icon in television news, had retired in 1982. In his post-anchorman career he had become critical of the state of journalism today, even having a few regrets from his own career. Joining The Takeaway to talk about Cronkite's criticism of journalism is The New York Times Media Reporter, Brian Stelter.

NBC is hunting for the war criminals among us. The network is working on a series about international war criminals living in the United States, due to air this month or next. One of their first investigations involves a Maryland college professor who the network claims participated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. A letter from the network to the university led to the school suspending the professor. Hot on the trail of the fallout of that investigation is Brian Stelter, media reporter for the New York Times, and he joins us now.

For more, read Brian Stelter's article, On Trail of War Criminals, NBC News Is Criticized in today's New York Times.

Hollywood production companies are waging a war against Internet pirates who rip, stream and swap millions of copies of movies like Dark Knight and Slumdog Millionaire, often when the movie has just debuted. But, as our next guest, Brian Stelter, a media reporter for the New York Times, will tell us, they’re losing.

For more, read Brian Stelter's article, Digital Pirates Winning Battle With Studios in today's New York Times.