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Discusses the loss of American readers by supermarket tabloids. The effect of the Ken Starr report on the investigation into President Bill Clinton's relationship with Monica Lewinsky on the newspapers; Average weekly circulation at the Enquirer; Circulation decline of the Star and Globe; The effect of television on the tabloids; How the tabloids are old fashioned in spurning explicit language; The tabloids redefining themselves with brand extension; Comments of tabloid executives. INSET: Circulation Slump.

Since the early process improvement work in the '70s and '80s, our understanding of process in software and systems engineering has changed significantly. The Agile and Lean movements have made us think differently, and our processes have changed. Have our approaches to process improvement (PI) changed as well? This article discusses how Agile and Lean concepts inform process improvement approaches to address those changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a behind-the-scenes story of how Dick Ebersol, president of NBC Sports, lost out on a decision as to which of the four television networks would wind up with rights to air the National Football League (NFL) for the next eight years as of January 1998. NFL television game plan, including Fox Sports, CBS Sports, Monday Night Football and ESPN.

Discusses the relationship between Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg and David Geffen of DreamWorks at the release of their motion picture `The Peacemaker.' Spielberg's vision; The style of each; Other movies to be released by DreamWorks, including `MouseHunt' and `Amistad.'

Reflects on Michael Ovitz's resignation in December 1996 as president of the Walt Disney Company. How power has changed hands at Disney since Michael Eisner took over in 1984; Ovitz's arrival at Disney following Jeffrey Katzenberg's departure from Disney; Michael Ovitz as a deal-maker; Apparent mistakes that Ovitz made while with Disney. INSET: Ovitz: A lifetime of deals..

Reports on the warning which China issued to Walt Disney Company regarding the company's backing of the motion picture `Kundun,' about the deposed Tibetan Dalai Lama. Why Walt Disney and other film studios are trying to expand into China; Why Disney has more at stake than any other studio seeking to establish themselves in China's marketplace; How Disney has responded to the warning; The history of director Martin Scorsese's attempts to get the film made.

Features Tina Brown, former editor of `The New Yorker' magazine. Her magazine and multimedia venture at Miramax Films; The effect of the magazine's financial losses on its relationship with Conde Nast; Brown's background and career highlights; Mention of possible areas of contention involving her move to Miramax. INSET: The search for buzz and bucks.

Views Your letters On the vexed question of the existence of free will 30 September, p 32 From Michael Elstob, Bellingdon, Buckinghamshire, UK Agency alone isn't enough for free will. From Richard Taylor, Guildford, Surrey, UK Your article claims that some people worry about judging criminals unfairly if there is no free will, meaning their crimes were predetermined. From Frank Webster, Guildford, Surrey, UK Debating free will, or the lack of it, by reference to neuroscience is a category error. [Extracted from the article]

In Greek mythology, Procrustes was a rogue smith and bandit who invited travellers to rest in his "perfectly sized bed." When they accepted, he forcibly bound them to it, then stretched them or cut off various body parts until they "perfectly" fit the bed. Too many organizations have a single model of high maturity to which they try to fit all their projects. Development and acquisition organizations are finding that competitive success requires systems that are a mix of high security assurance components, opaque and dynamic COTS products and cloud services, and highly useful but kaleidoscopic apps and widgets. Approaching such systems with a one-size-fits-all corporate process and maturity model often results in a procrustean fit. As a process model generator, the Incremental Commitment Spiral Model has a set of criteria for determining which process or processes best fit a particular system of interest. This article summarizes the criteria and illustrates how they have been successfully applied in various situations [1]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated Master Schedules serve a critical purpose in coordinating system development. However, in large operational systems where evolution is both rapid and externally driven, they can fail to provide the flexibility and visibility required for strategic decision making. Research into applying lean concepts to scheduling may hold the answer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When Web 2.0 technology was introduced, few could have predicted the full extent of its role in changing the way we work and the resulting impact – not only on the security of employee and employer data, but in influencing IT policy. Richard Turner explains why the growing pace of change in Web 2.0 technology and its integration into existing IT infrastructures make the requirement for a clear, effective and workable IT security policy more important than ever before. When Web 2.0 technology was introduced, few could have predicted the full extent of its role in changing the way we work and the resulting impact – not only on the security of employee and employer data, but in influencing IT policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agile software development approaches have been highly successful in a variety of domains. Could they be effective if applied to systems engineering? This article begins a discussion to answer this question by comparing core agile characteristics to those of traditional systems engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While methodologies, management techniques, and technical approaches are valuable, a study of agile and plan-driven approaches has confirmed that the most critical success factors are much more likely to be in the realm of people factors. This paper discusses five areas where people issues can have a significant impact: staffing, culture, values, communications, and expectations management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Best practices are often recommended as a way to improve the success and quality of soft-ware- intensive system acquisitions within the Department of Defense. However, one of the primary questions raised by this recommendation is, "To what degree have existing projects, in fact, adopted the best practices?" While the assumption is that most programs are not using best practices, there are few specific studies available. This article presents the results of a study that measured best practice adoption in defense acquisitions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Discusses a research on the place of systematic phonics in beginning reading instruction in U.S. education. Release of the book 'Learning to Read: The Great Debate,' by Jeanne Chall, documenting research on reading and systematic phonetics; Characteristics of randomized field experiments; Place of phonics on word recognition and oral reading.

Discusses the column of Gridlock Sam in the `Daily News.' Details of the column; Praise for the column; How overseas incidents can affect New York City traffic; The effect of tourists on traffic, especially for the lighting of the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center; The personal history of Gridlock Sam, Samuel I. Schwartz; Schwartz's opinions on traffic.

Contemplates the image of Barneys, the tony clothing company and retail chain owned by the Pressman family. The stores filing for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code in January 1996; How the press lambasted the company, which is widely perceived as shamelessly elitist and notorious for treating customers badly; Comments from Gene and Bob Pressman; The Pressman's conflict with Japanese business interests; Details.

Examines the problems of Mortimer B. Zuckerman's `Daily News.' Editorial instability; Reduction of morale due to dismissals; Hiring of inexperienced editors; Zuckerman's inability to handle powerful friends which are offended by the paper's articles; Historical background of the paper; Profile on Zuckerman.

Reports on how the television news show `Dateline' has begun airing stories about automobile safety in 1999. Reasons why they stopped for awhile; Efforts of automobile companies such as General Motors to counteract the stories with positive public relation campaigns.

Mentions Tina Brown's `Talk' magazine, which will publish the first issues for September 1999. The deal with Hearst Corp. to take over half of her partner, Miramax Films; How much it will cost to launch the periodical; Description of the magazine as a blend of gossip, popular culture, and serious journalism.

Focuses on `Maxim,' a magazine aimed at men. Circulation; The magazine's background and introduction to the United States; Comparison to other men's magazines; Its capitalization on men's interest in women's bodies.

Focuses on Scott Sassa's October 1998 promotion to the position of president of NBC Entertainment. NBC's struggles with United States television ratings; Sassa's experience in the business and social skill; His intention's for NBC programming and his approach to operating the television network. INSET: The Peacock Flock: Sassa's New Brood, by Rick Marin.

Focuses on Conde Nast hiring Bonnie Fuller as editor of `Glamour' magazine. Fuller's previous position as editor of rival Hearst Corp.'s `Cosmopolitan' magazine; Fuller replacing Ruth Whitney; Fuller's response to Whitney's concern for `Glamour' magazine's reputation for serious journalism; Fuller's management style; Fuller's obsession with entertainment value and a home-decorating column. INSET: A game of musical chairs in the corner office.

Looks at the role of the press in the sex scandal involving President Bill Clinton and former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Public excoriation of the press coverage of the scandal; Questions about speed, substance and standards in a competitive environment that makes the world of Woodward and Bernstein and the Watergate crisis look quaint; Unsubstantiated reports that turned out to be false; The media's flagellation of itself. INSET: Scandal & tragedy on the tube.

Remembers the work of Brandon Tartikoff, who headed up the NBC network in the 1980s and 1990s. How Tartikoff reinvented television to keep viewers interested; Some of the television programs created under his supervision; Tartikoff's competitive nature; His death from Hodgkin's disease in August 1997.

Considers the efforts of Mark Willes to revive the Los Angeles Times. Willles' position as publisher, as of September 1997, in addition to being chairman of the parent company; Increases in profit and circulation; Willes' stated enthusiasm for the newspaper; Departure of editor Shelby Coffey; Incorporation of business people into the news loop.

Looks at magazines that capture the spirit of the age, called Zeitgeist. The 50's had `Life'; The 60's `Esquire'; The 70's `Rolling Stone'; Suggestions for some 90's Zeitgeists.

Profiles Michael Bloomberg, founder and president of the multibillion dollar Bloomberg L.P. which is an information provider. Career history of Bloomberg; Bloomberg news as being more data than depth.

Discusses selling music on the Internet. Companies involved, such as CDnow; The amount of music sold on the Internet; Estimates for online music sales; The popularity of the idea of selling music online; The importance of online selection; The reaction of the music industry; Bands that achieve economic independence through the Internet, such as The Tragically Hip.

Discusses the importance of the possible Triple Crown win of Silver Charm to the sport of horse racing. The lack of interest among Americans; Trainer Bob Baffert's preparation at Belmont Park; The difficulty in attracting young audiences.

Focuses on the ABC television network. The ratings records that the network set in April and May 1997, including haveing the lowest-rated week in major-network history; When Disney bought the network; The expectation that Disney Chairman Michael Eisner will take a more aggressive part in the network; Whether Geraldine Laybourne will replace Jamie Tarses as head of ABC's entertainment division; The poor start for ABC's in the crucial 1997 May sweeps.

Informs that Steven Brill quit his Court TV network and American Lawyer magazine group. The profitability of the ventures; His history with both; Why he left.

Comments on advertisers who will and will not air their advertisements during the 1997 Super Bowl. The size and demographics of the audience which amasses for the televised Super Bowl; How the advertisements have become part of the show; Why Master Lock has decided not to advertise during the football game.

Focuses on the importance of radio in the Westinghouse/Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) acquisition of Infinity Broadcasting. How the acquisition will make CBS mores of a radio company than a television company; Comments from Westinghouse chairman Michael Jordan; The role of Mel Karmazin in the sale; Why radio is considered the poor cousin of the media; The estimated weekly audiences of radio's most successful personalties.

Examines the efforts of the major television networks to secure the rights to broadcast National Football League (NFL) games into the twenty-first century. Fox's securing of National Football Conference (NFC) rights in 1993, usurping the place of CBS; The importance of sports programming to the three traditional networks; The ratings damage done to CBS as a result of losing football; The size of the expected 1997 deals.

Examines controversy surrounding the `San Jose Mercury News' newspaper because of a series which tried to prove that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)-backed Nicaraguan contras caused the United States' crack epidemic. The stories by reporter Gary Webb; Criticism by other newspapers, including `The Washington Post' and the `New York Times,' because the series claimed the contras as the only trigger; Response from `Mercury News' Executive Editor Jerry Ceppos.

Discusses the `Cincinnati Enquirer' newspaper scandal surrounding a story about the Chiquita Brand International company. The alleged theft of voice mail messages; Chiquita suit of lead reporter, Mike Gallagher; Criminal investigation of Gallagher; The newspaper's apology.

Reports that writer Stephen Glass was fired from `The New Republic' magazine in May 1998. His magazine stories containing false information; How Glass conned fact checkers, the people whose duties include making sure writers are accurate; Glass' appeal to magazine editors with his promotable stories.

Focuses on television news magazine programs in the United States. The reason shows thrive; The financial advantage of the programs; How stripping, television jargon for scheduling a show five times a week, has gone prime time; Competition between programs, such as `Dateline' and `20/20.'

Looks at the competition between ESPN, television sports network, and `Sports Illustrated' magazine. The number of people viewing the ESPN television program, `SportsCenter'; The launch of `ESPN Magazine.'

The IT landscape is undergoing some of the most significant changes in decades. The growth of cloud-based and virtualised IT systems and services has been widely documented as being on the rise and showing no sign of slowing. In addition, increasing numbers of Generation Y employees are reaching senior positions within companies, bringing with them more modern attitudes towards the use of IT within business. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article offers information about the Author exposes its members to ‘organised psychological and social persuasion processes designed to produce attitudinal changes and to establish remarkable degrees of control. Topic include diagnosed with an autism spectrum condition (ASC); and involve decision-making of the group leaders – such as encouraging members to increase the amount they donated.

Ponders on the influence of African-American political leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X on hip hop culture in the U.S. Similarity between King and Malcolm X; Major political mistake committed by King and Malcolm X; King's sources for nonviolent direct action; Information on the spiritual transformation of Malcolm X.

Best practices are widely recommended as a way to improve organizational performance, especially in software-related endeavors. This article takes a skeptical view of the current way best practices are identified and prescribed. It identifies relevant information that is often missing from best practice discussions and recommends an alternative approach to gathering, evaluating, and applying that information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a question as to why a daughter and her mother's hair was standing on end as they were walking along the breakwater at Berwick in England.

Presents an excerpt of the book `Islam in the African-American Experience,' by Richard Brent Turner.

Discusses the deal behind the television version of `Wired' magazine. Pleas from Netizens for editor-publisher Louis Rossetto not to do it; Deal with NBC and Microsoft called MSNBC; MSNBC's attempts for a hipper, younger 24-hour news channel; First episode of `Wired' as epitome of not ready for prime time; Thoughts of Rossetto; Differences between the mediums; Thoughts from those at NBC.

Discusses the implications of NBC's proposed coverage of five Olympic games from the year 2000 to 2008. Criticisms of the coverage of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia; Comments from NBC Sports president Dick Ebersol.

Gives details about sexual-harassment claims that National Broadcasting Corp. (NBC) employee Jamie McDermott considered making against her boss, Don Ohlmeyer, as she sought to be released from an employment contract. McDermott wanting to take a job at rival American Broadcasting Co. (ABC); The stir which the situation has caused in Hollywood; Strained relations between the two media giants.

Speculates on which high-technology media would be popular in home-television or the personal computer (PC).