When JFK, Jr.'s plane went down, the news channels went on the air and stayed there...I'm Brian Lehrer. Join me for NPR's On the Media this week, as we take you to the media scrum on Martha's Vineyard. Also, Pacifica Radio's crisis, a bureaucrat's media diet, and the Internet's break-up girl. That's this week, on NPR's On the Media.

1 - MEDIA CIRCUS - THE DEATH OF JFK, JR.
From the moment the news that John F Kennedy Jr.'s Piper Saratoga airplane was reported missing, cable news, network news, and even non-news channels like Lifetime scrambled to report the story. When there was no story to report, they reported anyway. The latest in a series of blockbuster tragedies has adhered to the familiar pattern of jumping the gun, instant analysis, over-dramatization and breathlessness. Is it simply fodder for lamentation, or maybe a new way to consume news? OTM analyzes the coverage.
Guest: Mark Jurkowitz, Media Reporter, Boston Globe

2 - THE SCENE FROM THE COMPOUND
Thousands of consumers of the 24-hour news buffet means a movable media feast of hundreds of journalists and photographers. For the JFK, Jr. story, ground zero was a narrow street outside a collection of modest houses collectively known as the Kennedy Compound. OTM reports from the vigil/stakeout in Hyannis Port. Read it.
Reporter: Mike Pesca

3 - JFK, JR.: MAN, MYTH, "GEORGE"
John F. Kennedy, Jr. represented many things to many people: Kennedy legacy, sexist man alive, magazine publisher, and potential (some hoped) political candidate. Like anyone who dies a tragic, young death, it is difficult to separate the reality from the fiction. Some say John-John was a pretty face who inherited a political legacy but had done little to distinguish himself before his untimely death.
Guest: William Saletan, Senior Writer, on-line magazine "Slate"

4 - SCOTT AND BRIAN
He reads the papers so you don't have to. This week, Scott talks to Brian about the non stop coverage of JFK, Jr.'s death, China's offensive against a spiritual group, and the new CEO for Hewlett Packard.
Guest: Scott Shuger, "Today's Papers," "Slate Magazine"

5 - PENTAGON MEDIA DIET
OTM dissects the media diets of different people, in different professions and different parts of the country. Reporter Lakshmi Singh profiles the media diet of an International Cooperative Programs Specialist for the Department of Defense.
Reporter: Lakshmi Singh

6 - THIS PROGRAM BROUGHT TO YOU BY???
After news broke that at least three public broadcasters had been selling client lists to Democratic organizations, many Republicans were infuriated. The House Telecommunications Subcommittee called emergency meetings to discuss the list- selling practices and to re-evaluate who should be funding public broadcasting.
Guests: Ervin Duggan, President and CEO, Public Broadcasting Service
Michael Oxley, Republican Congressman from Ohio

7 - HONK FOR FREE SPEECH
A battle between KPFA, the oldest public radio station in the country, and its parent organization, the Pacifica Foundation, broke out when the KPFA station manager was fired. When employees went on air to protest management's actions, Pacifica locked them out and hasn't aired a new program in over a week. A protest reminiscent of the free speech movement has ensued, with KPFA supporters sleeping in the street in front of the station, chaining themselves to the front door, and getting arrested. Pacifica claims it is simply attempting to improve programming; employees and listeners suspect that Pacifica is getting ready to sell the station for a profit.
Guests: Mark Mericle, News Director, KPFA
Lynne Chadwick, Executive Director, Pacifica Foundation

8 - CUSTOM PUBLISHING
Don't look now, but the old-fashioned idea that a magazine serves a readership has been supplanted by a different model. Market penetration and branding have given birth to a new genre of magazine whose main aim is to get the marketer's brand image out to you. Guest: Stanley Mieses, On the Media's

7 - BREAKUP GIRL.COM
So now that the Internet dating scene is up and running, who's going to heal all the broken hearts after the inevitable breakups (soul mates excluded)? Never fear, Breakup Girl.com is here. She'll listen to your breakup woes and provide humorous, heartfelt advice in return.

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