I'm at today's discussion (thanks to Verizon for the great meeting space), and will update here and there with any notable comments and links...

12:35pm: David Almacy of Waggener Edstrom is the first speaker, talking about the early evolution of the White House web site. Interesting stuff on trying to measure impact and negotiate government regulations -- PLUS the inside scoop on the genesis of the BarneyCam.

12:38pm: Almacy -- who was Internet & E-Communications Director in the Bush White House -- talks about the ad hoc syndication efforts as they tried to get outside WhiteHouse.gov. Getting iTunes to create a government podcast section, getting RSS feeds into Google News, etc.

12:40: Tivo distributes podcasts. Who knew?...

We'll be doing some upgrades and housekeeping here this weekend, so please bear with us if the site is down for a few minutes here and there.

Scott Karp, a former colleague at Atlantic Media who's now the brains AND brawn behind Publish2, is a fervent advocate of link journalism -- and in general, I agree with him.

The last few days, however, Scott has been pushing the idea that every news site should have a headline-aggregation ticker on its homepage. And I have to say, I'm skeptical.

Jeff Jarvis is -- as usual -- right on target with this post that pillories Los Angeles Times staffers for suing Tribune owner Sam Zell when their own complacency and hubris over the past 15+ years is at least as much to blame. Far too many journalists are whiny, arrogant, cynical and hyper-critical -- that hard-wired suspicion, pessimism and self-regard can be a huge help when channeled into thorough, dogged reporting, but it's a royal pain when it comes to life in the newsroom.

That said, it's worth noting that the LA Times actually has been an innovator and experimenter in the world of online journalism. Way back in the early 1990s -- when the paper was still the Times Mirror Corp. flagship -- it launched TimesLink, a subscription-based online news service on the Prodigy platform.

TechCrunch has the details on a federal-court summary judgement involving Veoh.

The judges guidelines for what consitutes "reasonable precautions" for a sites that serve up user-posted video seem reasonable. Combined with last week's ruling on fair use, it's almost like there's some sanity emerging in the world of digital copyright...

In this era of buyouts, shrinking circulations and general mainstream-media malaise, it's easy to poke fun and point fingers. But there are lots of smart people fighting the good fight, and finding new ways to weave their print and broadcast businesses into the Interweb. To wit:

Our first lunch of 2008 will focus on "Old and New: What they're publishing and what they're buying" -- a panel discussion on how existing outlets are transitioning to the new media landscape.

Peter Corbett, CEO of iStrategylabs, will introduce the discussion and offer his insights on how social media is affecting media consumption habits.

... until the next Media Future Now lunch. If you haven't RSVP-ed but plan to come, please let us know -- details on the location and speakers are below.Tuesday, Dec. 4 -- 12:15 to 1:45 pmGibson Dunn & Crutcher1050 Connecticut Ave. NW, 2nd Floor(corner of Connecticut & L, at Farragut North Metro) Jeffrey Litvack, Associated Press' Global Director of New Media, based in New York, will discuss licensing and syndication issues and opportunities in a digital world, and how the AP is addressing the issue of content mobility and micro-syndication.

A quick reminder that the next Media Future Now lunch discussion is fast approaching: Tuesday, Dec. 4 -- 12:15 to 1:45 pmGibson Dunn & Crutcher1050 Connecticut Ave. NW, 2nd Floor(corner of Connecticut & L, at Farragut North Metro)Speakers on Dec. 4 will include:

1. Jeffrey Litvack, the Associated Press' Global Director of New Media, discussing the AP's ideas for "micro-syndication."
2. Peter Greenberger, Google's Director of Elections & Issue Advocacy, discussing online advertising for Campaign 2008

A few quick posts and updates that might be of interest to the group...