In the media world, there are a number of stories that merit a moratorium by the press. Coverage should stop immediately about Fox News viewers being tragically uninformed; about Americans wanting a new, huge TV set; and about TV executives dismissing cord-cutting as a threat. Hold off until any of those narratives change. Wait until situations merit headlines such as: "New Poll: Fox Is Top News Source for Rhodes Scholars"; "People Say They Can Make Do With The TV Sets They Own"; or "Cable Chiefs Say Customers Now Believe All Good Content Can Be Found Online."

Top executives at content-creation engines should make sure they send Chris Albrecht a holiday card. Looking out for his own interests, Albrecht nonetheless did them a big favor by moving to cut ties with Netflix early next year. By forgoing hundreds of millions, he no doubt helped out big cash in their pockets.

Attack the news media! One of the best TV story lines makes a comeback in the political scene. But why just stop there? Perhaps a new movement will start up. The rise of Newt Gingrich as a strong Republican candidate brings to the forefront a typical political whipping post of years ago: the news media. Gingrich also has problems with the news media -- he says it looks to pit Republican candidates on each other! Gingrich, during the debates, also has no problems attacking the media for its questioning in general.

Scandals of epic and not-so-epic proportions have fascinated the news business over the past couple of weeks. The BIG ONE, of course rages on at Penn State, where an apparent leadership and moral vacuum has left the reputation of perhaps the most revered college football coach in the history of the game in tatters. Of course all the facts are not in yet, but if Joe Paterno did pass the buck and basically ignore the case of a one-time subordinate coach raping a child in the Penn State showers, well, that's way beyond disgraceful. But apparently not illegal.

In this month's version of Insights & Insanity, Glenn Beck tells of turning down a big ad buy from General Motors because his moral compass wouldn't allow him to take the money, while railing against the automaker's government bailout. Also, a Nissan ad featuring one of its trucks helping a malfunctioning plane land safely lacks sensitivity.

In an endorsement of the would-be flailing industry, one of the most powerful and wealthy brands in media is entering the print game. Even with billions of dollars in TV contracts, its own network and a well-trafficked Web site, the NFL will debut a monthly magazine next month. There continue to be print launches from scratch, but the magazine industry may get to the point where new ventures without an established brand and strong promotional platform become increasingly difficult. The coming NFL Magazine has the NFL network, NFL.com and other popular league-facilitated opportunities for marketing and content sharing.

Networks able to demonstrate an upscale audience would appear to be in a strong position to keep ad dollars flowing, even if there is a general market slowdown. Complementing a New York Times piece not long ago, a new survey shows the 1% -- a term that is quickly entering the zeitgeist and needs no explanation - don't seem to be cutting spending.

Finally, an example of swift and powerful leadership in the Penn State scandal. Finally, someone willing to take a proactive moral stance with no outside pressure. Finally, someone strong enough to say we don't have all the facts, but we've seen enough. Cars.com has expressed its outrage by refusing to attach its name to Penn State football games on ESPN over the next two weekends and pulled its sponsorships.

Early afternoon Thursday, a tweet flashed across computer screens saying Rick Perry would be dropping out of the Presidential race. What followed was mass panic among network executives. How could the Texas governor do this to them! Not when he is just hitting his stride in appearing un-presidential, helping with ratings and Web traffic. The tweet turned out to be a hoax. So, news departments and late-night shows can rest assured he will be around for more debates, speeches to civic groups and a concession speech in Iowa - all of which could bring more of the wacky, wayward material …

During the last "Beavis and Butt-Head" episode, the two misfits consider that someone may actually occupy a lower rung on the intellectual ladder than they do. While watching a clip from MTV's "16 and Pregnant," Butt-Head finds a character that prompts him to say: "This guy looks like he might be stupider than us." Beavis and his deviant cohort have been gone for nearly 14 years before returning to MTV this fall. When the new version of the show premiered Oct. 27, that marked the culmination of months of work by MTV's marketing team to drum up interest in the …