Four today

1. The daily freakouts that constitute online breaking news coverage do, surprisingly, take a toll on reporters. NYT

2. A fractured media environment and a manufactured-populist backlash against the "lamestream" media give conservative political candidates a rationale for not talking to the media - knowing that they, like Sarah Palin, will get plenty of coverage anyway. Howard Kurtz

3. The acting intelligence chief pushes back against the Washington Post's series on America's bloated intelligence complex. Politico

4. Reality TV continues to shame us all - and with equal opportunity. fishbowlLA