You know there's meta-meta coverage in the midst when media critics start grabbing soundbites from other media critics, brewing one big Friendster network that nobody outside two degrees concerns themselves with. Otherwise referred to as Howard Kurtz's Rolodex.

Marketwatch's Jon Friedman, who earnestly believes most newspapers do a good job of reporting the news, turns to fellow talking head – and Jossip recurring theme – Robert Thompson from Syracuse University for glib statement on the future of .. oh hell, media something or other.

"I am noticing that the news networks are trying to look more balanced," noted Bob Thompson, a professor of pop culture at Syracuse University. "Their biggest problem is perception. Viewers seem to think they have a conspiracy against the American people to present only one side of the news."

You can practically count the dollars-per-word Thompson collects from the university.