Jon Stewart of Comedy Central's "Daily Show"An article in the New York Times asks whether Jon Stewart of Comedy Central's Daily Show has become the most trusted man in America, pointing out that his fake news comedy show has emerged in recent years as a "genuine cultural and political force." While 24-hour news networks like FOX, MSNBC and CNN have been pumping out infotainment-style news about topics like dead celebrities and sexual predators, the Daily Show has been critically tracking the cherry-picking of prewar intelligence, the politicization of the Department of Justice and the efforts of the Bush Administration to increase the power of the executive branch. Stewart has proven to be a master at calling out government and corporate spin, hypocrisy and red herrings, and helping his audience see them, too. A 2008 study from the Project for Excellence in Journalism at the Pew Research Enter for the People and the Press found that the Daily Show has had an impact on American dialogue and that it is "getting people to think critically about the public square."

The UK Advertising Standards Authority ruled that a Shell ad that repeatedly referred to extraction from Canada's oilsands as "sustainable" was "misleading." The advertising regulator noted the "considerable social and environmental impacts" of oilsands development, adding that Shell has not explained how it will manage "carbon emissions from its oilsands projects in order to limit climate change." The World Wildlife Fund filed a complaint accusing Shell of "greenwashing," after the ad appeared in the Financial Times. Shell agreed not to run the ad again. Oilsands development "uses enormous amounts of fresh water and natural gas and produces about three times as much greenhouse gas emissions as conventional oil output." The Canadian province of Alberta, where the oilsands are located, "launched a three-year, $25-million campaign" earlier this year, "to market Alberta and correct what the government insists is misinformation about the oilsands." Calgary Herald business editor Charles Frank opined, "We have to reframe the debate ... if we are to have even the faintest hope of making sure this province's most valuable resource isn't sabotaged by people and organizations who do not have our best interests at heart."

The Whooping Crane population has recovered in large part due to being designated as endangeredCurrently, the Endangered Species Act requires independent scientific assessment by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service of proposed construction projects. But the Bush administration has proposed allowing construction to proceed, if the agency whose project it is sees no problem -- even if the agency has no biologist on staff. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne "described the new rules as a 'narrow regulatory change' that 'will provide clarity and certainty to the consultation process under the Endangered Species Act.'" Others see it differently. Rep. Nick J. Rahall II, the chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, said, "I am deeply troubled by this proposed rule, which gives federal agencies an unacceptable degree of discretion to decide whether or not to comply with the Endangered Species Act. Eleventh-hour rulemakings rarely, if ever, lead to good government -- this is not the type of legacy this Interior Department should be leaving for future generations." Bob Irvin of Defenders of Wildlife called the change "a case of asking the fox to guard the chicken coop."

Medialink Worldwide -- the largest producer of fake news products such as video news releases (VNRs) -- is in financial meltdown. Almost two years ago the Center for Media and Democracy reported that Medialink had placed its faith in selling off assets, trying to boost international income and investing in the digital watermarking system Teletrax. The company's latest quarterly report reveals that, faced with accelerating losses, the company has agreed to sell Teletrax to Philips Electronics and sold "certain assets of its UK-based media communications services operation" to World Television Group. Not surprisingly, Medialink's share price has collapsed to an all-time low of just 30 cents, down from $3.65 at the start of the year. PR Week reports that, according to industry sources, Medialink is "considering offering itself up for sale."

The senior editor at The Atlantic Monthly, Joshua Green, thinks some commentators may be too quick in claiming that a political consulting career is over for Mark Penn, the CEO of Burson Marsteller and former "chief strategist" for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. Penn has been widely criticized after an internal memo he wrote for the Clinton campaign was recently made public. In it, Penn suggested that Clinton criticize Barack Obama's "lack of American roots." Penn wrote, "I cannot imagine America electing a president during a time of war who is not at his center fundamentally American in his thinking and in his values." Obama is reportedly considering Indiana Senator Evan Bayh as a possible vice-presidential running mate. However, Green notes that "for years, Penn and his wife, Nancy Jacobson, have been close advisers" to Bayh. If Obama picks Bayh, Green writes, "Penn is right back in the presidential race -- if not in an official capacity, then certainly in a functional one."