Media Monitor: McCain sued, RNC news crews trimmed

McCain sued: Musician Jackson Browne is suing John McCain, the Republican National Committee and the Ohio Republican Party for copyright infringement for using his song "Running on Empty" in a commercial. The suit, filed yesterday in a Los Angeles district court, seeks an injunction against the campaign for use of the song, plus damages. A longtime liberal activist (and recent $1,000 donor to Minnesota Senate candidate Al Franken) Browne was "incensed" by the unlicensed use. Said Browne’s lawyer: "It’s a copyright infringement lawsuit, pure and simple, but the fact that Sen. McCain has used this song in a hit-piece on Barack Obama is anathema to Jackson."

Budget cuts affect newspaper RNC coverage: Although 15,000 journalists and media people are expected to attend the Republican National Convention, Forbes is reporting that newspapers will be sending fewer reporters due to budget concerns. The well-known economic woes of the print-news industry along with a tight schedule — the Beijing Olympics being directly followed by the DNC and the RNC — means some papers will reduce convention staffing "by as much as 20%," according to Jerry Gallegos, superintendent of the House of Representatives’ daily press gallery, which handles newspapers’ convention credentials. Gannet is sending 34 reporters to St. Paul, Dow Jones will have 23, and the LA Times will send 15. Curiously, Forbes says we should rest assured that the event will remain well covered. Why? Because, among other reasons, 200 bloggers have been credentialed (Minnesota Independent not among them). Dubious proof, if you ask me.