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News is the communication of selected^[1] information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third-party or mass audience.

Etymology[link]

One theory claims that the English word "news" developed in the 14th century as a special use of the plural form of "new". In Middle English, the equivalent word was newes, like the French nouvelles and the German neues. Similar developments are found in the Slavic languages – the Czech and Slovak noviny (from nový, "new"), the cognate Polish nowiny and Russian novosti – and in the Celtic languages: the Welsh newyddion (from newydd) and the Cornish nowodhow (from nowydh).

History[link]

Before the invention of newspapers in the early 17th century, official government bulletins and edicts were circulated at times in some centralized empires.^[2]

The first documented use of an organized courier service for the diffusion of written documents is in Egypt, where Pharaohs used couriers for the diffusion of their decrees in the territory of the State (2400 BC).^[3] This practice almost certainly has roots in the much older practice of oral messaging and may have been built on a pre-existing infrastructure.

In Ancient Rome, Acta Diurna, or government announcement bulletins, were made public by Julius Caesar. They were carved in metal or stone and posted in public places.

In China, early government-produced news sheets, called tipao, circulated among court officials during the late Han dynasty (second and third centuries AD). Between 713 and 734, the Kaiyuan Za Bao ("Bulletin of the Court") of the Chinese Tang Dynasty published government news; it was handwritten on silk and read by government officials. In 1582 there was the first reference to privately published newssheets in Beijing, during the late Ming Dynasty.^[4]

In Early modern Europe, increased cross-border interaction created a rising need for information which was met by concise handwritten newssheets. In 1556, the government of Venice first published the monthly Notizie scritte, which cost one gazetta.^[5] These avvisi were handwritten newsletters and used to convey political, military, and economic news quickly and efficiently to Italian cities (1500–1700) — sharing some characteristics of newspapers though usually not considered true newspapers.^[6] Due to low literacy rates, news was at times disseminated by town criers.

Relation aller Fürnemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien, from 1605, is recognized as the world's first newspaper.^[7]

The oldest news agency is the Agence France-Presse (AFP).^[8] It was founded in 1835 by a Parisian translator and advertising agent, Charles-Louis Havas as Agence Havas.

In modern times, printed news had to be phoned in to a newsroom or brought there by a reporter, where it was typed and either transmitted over wire services or edited and manually set in type along with other news stories for a specific edition. Today, the term "breaking news" has become trite as commercial broadcasting United States cable news services that are available 24-hours a day use live satellite technology to bring current events into consumers' homes as the event occurs. Events that used to take hours or days to become common knowledge in towns or in nations are fed instantaneously to consumers via radio, television, mobile phone, and the Internet.

Newspapers[link]

Most large cities in the United States historically had morning and afternoon newspapers. As the media evolved and news outlets increased to the point of near over-saturation, most afternoon newspapers were shut down. Morning newspapers have been gradually losing circulation, according to reports advanced by the papers themselves. Commonly, news content should contain the "Five Ws" (who, what, when, where, why, and also how) of an event. There should be no questions remaining. Newspapers normally place hard news stories on the first pages, so the most important information is at the beginning. Busy readers can read as little or as much as they desire. Local stations and networks with a set format must take news stories and break them down into the most important aspects due to time constraints. Cable news channels such as BBC News, Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN, are able to take advantage of a story, sacrificing other, decidedly less important stories, and giving as much detail about breaking news as possible.

News organizations are often expected to aim for objectivity; reporters claim to try to cover all sides of an issue without bias, as compared to commentators or analysts, who provide opinion or personal point-of-view. The result is a laying out of facts in a sterile, noncommittal manner, and then standing back to "let the reader decide" which view is true.^[9] Several governments impose certain constraints or police news organizations against bias. In the United Kingdom, for example, limits are set by the government agency Ofcom, the Office of Communications. Both newspapers and broadcast news programs in the United States are generally expected to remain neutral and avoid bias except for clearly indicated editorial articles or segments. Many single-party governments have operated state-run news organizations, which may present the government's views.

Even in those situations where objectivity is expected, it is difficult to achieve, and individual journalists may fall foul of their own personal bias, or succumb to commercial or political pressure. Similarly, the objectivity of news organizations owned by conglomerated corporations fairly may be questioned, in light of the natural incentive for such groups to report news in a manner intended to advance the conglomerate's financial interests. Individuals and organizations who are the subject of news reports may use news management techniques to try to make a favourable impression.^[10] Because each individual has a particular point of view, it is recognized that there can be no absolute objectivity in news reporting.^[11]

Newsworthiness[link]

Newsworthiness is defined as a subject having sufficient relevance to the public or a special audience to warrant press attention or coverage.^[12]

In some countries and at some points in history, what news media and the public have considered "newsworthy" has met different definitions, such as the notion of news values.^[13] For example, mid-twentieth-century news reporting in the United States focused on political and local issues with important socio-economic impacts, such as the landing of a living person on the moon or the cold war. More recently, the focus similarly remains on political and local issues; however, the news mass media now comes under criticism for over-emphasis on "non-news" and "gossip" such as celebrities' personal social issues, local issues of little merit, as well as biased sensationalism of political topics such as terrorism and the economy. The dominance of celebrity and social news, the blurring of the boundary between news and reality shows and other popular culture, and the advent of citizen journalism may suggest that the nature of ‘news’ and news values are evolving and that traditional models of the news process are now only partially relevant.^[14] Newsworthiness does not only depend on the topic, but also the presentation of the topic and the selection of information from that topic.

New ecology of news[link]

“Everything we thought we once knew about journalism needs to be rethought in the Digital Age”,^[15] professor of Sociology and Communication Michael Schudson points out. Today the work of journalism can be done from anywhere and done well. It requires no more than a reporter and a laptop. In that way, journalistic authority seems to have become more individual- and less institution-based. But does the individual reporter always have to be an actual journalist? Or can journalistic work be done from anywhere and by anyone? These are questions that refers to the core of journalistic practice and the definition of “news” itself. As Schudson has given emphasis to, the answer is not easily found; “the ground journalists walk upon is shaking, and the experience for both those who work in the field and those on the outside studying it is dizzying”.^[15]

Schudson has identified the following six specific areas where the ecology of news in his opinion has changed: 1. The line between the reader and writer has blurred 2. The distinction among tweet, blog post, newspaper story, magazine article, and book has blurred 3. The line between professionals and amateurs has blurred, and a variety of “pro-am” relationships has emerged 4. The boundaries delineating for-profit, public, and non-profit media have blurred, and the cooperation across these models of financing has developed 5. Within commercial news organizations, the line between the news room and the business office has blurred 6. The line between old media and new media has blurred, practically beyond recognition ^[16]

These alterations inevitably has fundamental ramifications for the contemporary ecology of news. “The boundaries of journalism, which just a few years ago seemed relatively clear, and permanent, have become less distinct, and this blurring, while potentially the foundation of progress even as it is the source of risk, has given rise to a new set of journalistic principles and practices”,^[17] Schudson puts it. It is indeed complex, but it seems to be the future.

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Stephens, Mitchell. "The History of News - 3rd Ed" Oxford University Press, New York, 2007.

External links[link]

• News media by country at the Open Directory Project

Kevin Nealon
Nealon in Las Vegas in 2006.
Born	(1953-11-18) November 18, 1953 (age 58) St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up, television, film
Nationality	American
Years active	1984–present
Genres	Satire/political satire/news satire, observational comedy
Subject(s)	American politics, American culture, current events, pop culture, mass media/news media, everyday life, marriage
Spouse	Linda Dupree (1989–2002) Susan Yeagley (2005–present) 1 child
Notable works and roles	Weekend Update anchor on Saturday Night Live Gary Potter in Happy Gilmore Doug Wilson in Weeds Glenn Martin in Glenn Martin, DDS

Kevin Nealon (pronounced /ˈniːlən/; born November 18, 1953) is an American actor and comedian, best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1995, acting in several of the Happy Madison films, for playing Doug Wilson on the Showtime series Weeds, and providing the voice of the title character, Glenn Martin on Glenn Martin, DDS.

Early life[link]

Nealon was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Kathleen and Emmett Nealon, an aircraft company executive.^[1] A few months after he was born, the family moved to Bridgeport, Connecticut.^[2] He graduated from St. Joseph High School (Trumbull, Connecticut) in 1971 and then graduated with a bachelor's degree in marketing from Sacred Heart University (and worked in a variety of part-time jobs while doing stand-up comedy).^[3]

Career[link]

Nealon debuted on network television doing a stand-up routine for The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1984. In 1986, Saturday Night Live recruited his friend Dana Carvey, and Carvey in turn recommended Nealon. Both joined the cast that year, and Nealon became a full-time performer in the 1987-1988 season, and remained for nine seasons.

Nealon's SNL characters include Mr. Subliminal (or Subliminal Message Man), Franz (of Hans and Franz) along with Dana Carvey, Mr. No Depth Perception, the anchor of Weekend Update (where his catchphrase was "That's news to me"), and many others.

In 1991, he starred in the Christmas movie, All I Want for Christmas. More recently Nealon has appeared in the movies Happy Gilmore, Anger Management, Little Nicky, Daddy Day Care, Good Boy! and Grandma's Boy. In fall 2005, he appeared in an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, where he played himself (Season 5, Episode 4).

Nealon had a recurring television role on the 2002-06 CBS comedy Still Standing playing Ted Halverson, the Millers' competitive and religious neighbor. He has also appeared as a patient in a mental institution on the first season of Monk. "Deja Vu" is an episode of The Outer Limits television show. It first aired on 9 July 1999, during the fifth season. Nealon played Dr. Mark Crest. Nealon has an ongoing supporting role as Doug Wilson on the show Weeds on Showtime.

In 1994, Nealon hosted the 13 part series Amazing America on the Discovery Channel.^[4]

In 2002, Nealon hosted The Conspiracy Zone on The New TNN for 26 episodes plus an unaired pilot.

Nealon appeared as a couples counselor on the sitcom, 3rd Rock from the Sun. He had a small cameo appearance in the 2008 film Get Smart.

Nealon also hosted the World's Funniest Commercials on TBS. In a performance similar to Bob Saget, Nealon tells corny jokes in between each funny commercial. In 2008, a book authored by Nealon chronicling his experiences during his wife's pregnancy called Yes, You're Pregnant, But What About Me? was released.

Nealon played Stuart Pearson in the adventure comedy movie Aliens in the Attic. Shooting took place in Auckland, New Zealand.

Personal life[link]

Nealon with wife Susan Yeagley in April 2011

Nealon married actress Susan Yeagley on September 3, 2005 in Bellagio, Italy. Yeagley gave birth to their first child, son Gable Ness Nealon, on January 29, 2007 in Santa Monica, California.^[5]

Nealon is an old boy for Connecticut Yankees RFC.^[6]

On February 22, 2006, Nealon^[7] contributed a story to the New York Times about being wiretapped by Hollywood private investigator Anthony Pellicano, who has been indicted on racketeering and conspiracy charges. It was also revealed in a separate court case on February 27, 2006, that investigators working for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus may also have targeted Nealon for wiretapping.^[8]

He has been a vegetarian for 18 years due to animal cruelty and the health benefits.^[9] He lives in the Los Angeles area.

He is an avid golfer and poker player and also plays banjo and guitar. He also claims to be fluent in German, having lived there for four years.^{[citation needed]}

Activism[link]

Nealon and his ex-wife Linda Dupree (who played one of the mud wrestlers fighting John Candy in Stripes) had been active in the animal rights movement, supporting fundraising events for the Amanda Foundation, Farm Sanctuary, the Washington Wildlife Protection Association, The Ark Trust's Genesis Awards and also Meat Out.

In 2001, Nealon played on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire for his charity. The final question he faced, worth $125,000, was about Barbie dolls. He used his 50:50 and Phone-A-Friend, but he answered the question wrong, walking away with $32,000.

Filmography[link]

• Saturday Night Live (TV series) .... Various (174 episodes, 1986–1995)
• Roxanne (1987) .... Drunk guy
• All I Want for Christmas (1991) .... Tony Boer
• Coneheads (1993) .... Senator
• The Larry Sanders Show (TV series) .... Himself (1996)
• Champs (TV series) .... Marty Heslov (12 episodes, 1996)
• Happy Gilmore (1996) .... Potter
• Hiller and Diller (1997) TV series .... Ted Hiller (1997–1998)
• Principal Takes a Holiday (1998) ... Franklin Fitz
• The Wedding Singer (1998) .... Mr. Simms
• Dharma & Greg (TV series) .... Mr. Clayborn (2 episodes, 1998–1999)
• 3rd Rock from the Sun (TV series) .... Dennis Caslow (1 episode, 1999)
• Comedy Central Presents (TV series) .... Himself (1 episode, 1999)
• Little Nicky (2000) .... Gatekeeper
• Joe Dirt (2001) .... Greasy Mechanic
• Eight Crazy Nights (2002) .... Mayor (voice)
• The Master of Disguise (2002) ....Man in Black Mark Ebay interview
• The Conspiracy Zone (2002) TV series .... Host (2 seasons)
• Monk (TV series) ... John (2002,1 episode,Mr. Monk Goes to the Asylum)
• Good Boy! (2003) .... Mr. Baker
• Daddy Day Care (2003) .... Bruce
• Anger Management (2003) .... Sam, Dave's Lawyer
• Still Standing (TV series) .... Ted Halverson (5 episodes, 2003–2006)
• Weeds (TV series: 2005–present).... Doug Wilson
• Grandma's Boy (2006) .... Mr. Cheezle
• World's Funniest Commercials (2008) .... Host
• Get Smart (2008) .... CIA Agent #2
• You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008) .... Kevin
• Remarkable Power (2008) .... Jack West
• Glenn Martin, DDS (2009) .... Glenn Martin
• Aliens in the Attic (2009) .... Stuart Pearson
• 'Til Death (2010) .... Stephen (6 episodes)
• Just Go with It (2011) .... Adon
• Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star (2011) .... Gary
• Hot in Cleveland (TV series) ... George (2 episodes, 2012)

References[link]

External links[link]

• 2012 interview with Kevin Nealon
• Kevin Nealon official site
• Kevin Nealon at the Internet Movie Database
• Kevin Nealon on Twitter
• Interview from October 2007 in San Francisco comedy website

The Most Reverend  Fulton John Sheen
Bishop Emeritus of Rochester
File:BpSheen.png
See	Newport, South Wales (Titular)
Appointed	21 October 1966
Reign ended	6 October 1969
Predecessor	James Edward Kearney
Successor	Joseph Lloyd Hogan
Other posts	Titular Archbishop of Neoportus
Orders
Ordination	20 September 1919
Consecration	11 June 1951 by Adeodato Giovanni Piazza
Personal details
Birth name	Peter John Sheen
Born	(1895-05-08)8 May 1895[1] El Paso, Illinois[1]
Died	9 December 1979(1979-12-09) (aged 84) New York, New York
Buried	St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
Nationality	American
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Previous post	Auxiliary Bishop of New York (1951 - 1966) Titular Bishop of Caesariana (1951 - 1966)
Alma mater	Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity
Motto	da per matrem me venire
Coat of arms
Sainthood
Title as Saint	Servant of God

Fulton John Sheen, (born Peter John Sheen, May 8, 1895 – December 9, 1979) was an American archbishop of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio. His cause for canonization for sainthood was officially opened in 2002, so he is now referred to as a Servant of God.

Ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria in 1919,^[1] Sheen quickly became a renowned theologian, earning the Cardinal Mercier Prize for International Philosophy in 1923. He went on to teach theology and philosophy as well as acting as a parish priest before being appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York in 1951. He held this position until 1966 when he was made the Bishop of Rochester from October 21 to October 6, 1969, when he resigned and was made the Archbishop of the Titular See of Newport, Wales.

For 20 years he hosted the night-time radio program The Catholic Hour (1930–1950) before moving to television and presenting Life Is Worth Living (1951–1957). Sheen's final presenting role was on the syndicated The Fulton Sheen Program (1961–1968) with a format very similar to that of the earlier Life is Worth Living show. For this work, Sheen twice won an Emmy Award for Most Outstanding Television Personality, the only personality appearing on the DuMont Network ever to win a major Emmy award.^{[clarification needed]} Starting in 2009, his shows were being re-broadcast on the EWTN and the Trinity Broadcasting Network's Church Channel cable networks.^{[2][dead link]} Due to his contribution to televised preaching Sheen is often referred to as one of the first televangelists.^[3][4]

Childhood[link]

Sheen was born in El Paso, Illinois, the oldest of four sons of Newton and Delia. Though he was known as Fulton, his mother's maiden name, he was baptized as Peter John Sheen.^[5][1] As an infant, Sheen contracted tuberculosis.^[6] After the family moved to nearby Peoria, Illinois, Sheen's first role in the Church was as an altar boy at St. Mary's Cathedral.^[1][5]

Education[link]

After earning high school valedictorian honors at Spalding Institute in Peoria in 1913, Sheen was educated at St. Viator College in Bourbonnais, Illinois, attended Saint Paul Seminary in Minnesota before his ordination on September 20, 1919,^[1] then followed that with further studies at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C..^[5][7] His youthful appearance was still evident on one occasion when a local priest asked Sheen to assist as altar boy during the celebration of the Mass.^[5]

Sheen earned a doctorate in philosophy at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium in 1923.^[7] While there, he became the first American ever to win the Cardinal Mercier award for the best philosophical treatise.^[5]

Priestly Life[link]

Sheen was for a year assistant to the pastor at St. Patrick's Church, Soho Square in London while teaching theology at St. Edmund's College, Ware, where he met Ronald Knox. Although Oxford and Columbia wanted him to teach philosophy, in 1926 Bishop Edmund Dunne of Peoria, Illinois asked Sheen to take over St. Patrick's Parish. After nine months, Dunne returned him to Catholic University, where he taught philosophy until 1950.^[8][5]

In 1929, Sheen gave a speech at the National Catholic Educational Association. He encouraged teachers to "educate for a Catholic Renaissance" in the United States. Sheen was hoping that Catholics would become more influential in their country through education, which would help attract others to the faith. He believed that Catholics should "integrate" their faith into the rest of their daily life.^[9]

He was consecrated a bishop on June 11, 1951,^[10] and served as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New York from 1951 to 1965. The Principal Consecrator was the Discalced Carmelite Cardinal Adeodato Giovanni Piazza, the Cardinal-Bishop of Sabina e Poggio Mirteto and the Secretary of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation (what is today the Congregation for Bishops); the Cardinal had previously served as the Cardinal Patriarch of Venice, Italy). The Principal Co-Consecrators were Archbishop Leone Giovanni Battista Nigris, Titular Archbishop of Philippi and the Secretary of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (what is today the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples); and Archbishop Martin J. O'Connor, Titular Archbishop of Laodicea in Syria and President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications (O'Connor had been Rector of the Pontifical North American College).

Media career[link]

Styles of Fulton J. Sheen
Reference style	The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Your Excellency
Posthumous style	Servant of God

Radio[link]

A popular instructor, Sheen wrote the first of 73 books in 1925, and in 1930 began a weekly Sunday night radio broadcast, The Catholic Hour.^[7] Sheen called WWII not only a political struggle, but also a "theological one." He referred to Hitler as an example of the "Anti-Christ."^[11] Two decades later, the broadcast had a weekly listening audience of four million people. Time referred to him in 1946 as "the golden-voiced Msgr. Fulton J. Sheen, U.S. Catholicism's famed proselytizer" and reported that his radio broadcast received 3,000–6,000 letters weekly from listeners.^[12] During the middle of this era, he conducted the first religious service broadcast on the new medium of television, putting in motion a new avenue for his religious pursuits.

Television[link]

In 1951 he began a weekly television program on the DuMont Television Network titled Life Is Worth Living. Filmed at the Adelphi Theatre in New York City, the program consisted of the unpaid Sheen simply speaking in front of a live audience without a script or cue cards, occasionally using a chalkboard.

The show, scheduled in a graveyard slot on Tuesday nights at 8:00 p.m., was not expected to challenge the ratings giants Milton Berle and Frank Sinatra, but did surprisingly well. Berle joked, "He uses old material, too", and observed that "[i]f I'm going to be eased off the top by anyone, it's better that I lose to the One for whom Bishop Sheen is speaking."^[5] Sheen responded in jest that people should start calling him "Uncle Fultie".^[13] Life and Time magazine ran feature stories on Bishop Sheen. The number of stations carrying Life Is Worth Living jumped from three to fifteen in less than two months. There was fan mail that flowed in at a rate of 8,500 letters per week. There were four times as many requests for tickets than could be fulfilled. Admiral, the sponsor, paid the production costs in return for a one minute commercial at the opening of the show and another minute at the close. ^[14] In 1952, Sheen won an Emmy Award for his efforts,^[15] accepting the acknowledgment by saying, "I feel it is time I pay tribute to my four writers—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John." Time called him "the first 'televangelist'", and the Archdiocese of New York could not meet the demand for tickets.^[5]

One of his best-remembered presentations came in February 1953, when he forcefully denounced the Soviet regime of Joseph Stalin. Sheen gave a dramatic reading of the burial scene from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, substituting the names of Caesar, Cassius, Mark Antony, and Brutus with those of prominent Soviet leaders Stalin, Lavrenty Beria, Georgy Malenkov, and Andrey Vyshinsky. He concluded by saying, "Stalin must one day meet his judgment." The dictator suffered a stroke a few days later and died within a week.^[16]

The show ran until 1957, drawing as many as 30 million people on a weekly basis. In 1958, Sheen became national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, serving for eight years before being appointed Bishop of Rochester, New York, on October 26, 1966. He also hosted a nationally-syndicated series, The Fulton Sheen Program, from 1961 to 1968 (first in black and white and then in color). The format of this series was essentially the same as Life Is Worth Living.

Evangelization[link]

Sheen was credited with helping convert a number of notable figures to the Catholic faith, including agnostic writer Heywood Broun, politician Clare Boothe Luce, automaker Henry Ford II, Communist writer Louis F. Budenz, theatrical designer Jo Mielziner, violinist and composer Fritz Kreisler, and actress Virginia Mayo. Each conversion process took an average of 25 hours of lessons, and reportedly more than 95% of his students in private instruction were baptized.^[5]

Later years[link]

While serving in Rochester, he created the Sheen Ecumenical Housing Foundation, which survives to this day. He also spent some of his energy on political activities, such as his denunciation of the Vietnam War in late July 1967.^[17] On Ash Wednesday in 1967, Sheen decided to give St. Bridget’s Parish building to the federal Housing and Urban Development program. Sheen wanted to let the government use it for African-Americans. There was a protest, since Sheen acted on his own accord. The pastor, understandably, disagreed, saying that “There is enough empty property around without taking down the church and the school.” The deal fell through.^[18]

On October 15, 1969, one month after celebrating his 50th anniversary as a priest, Sheen resigned from his position and was then appointed Archbishop of the Titular See of Newport (Wales) by Pope Paul VI. This ceremonial position allowed Sheen to continue his extensive writing. Archbishop Sheen wrote 73 books and numerous articles and columns.^[15]

On October 2, 1979, two months before Sheen's death, Pope John Paul II visited St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City and embraced Sheen, saying, "You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are a loyal son of the Church."

Death and legacy[link]

Sheen died of heart disease on December 9, 1979, having previously had open-heart surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital.^[15] He is buried in the crypt of St. Patrick's Cathedral, near the deceased Archbishops of New York. The official repository of Sheen's papers, television programs, and other materials is at St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry in Rochester, New York.^[19]

The Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation was formed in 1998 by Gregory J. Ladd and Lawrence F. Hickey to make known the life of the archbishop. The foundation approached Cardinal John O'Connor of the Archdiocese of New York for permission to commence the process of for cause, which was under the authority of the Diocese of Peoria.^[2] In November 2010, it was announced that it was expected that the Archdiocese of New York would likely take over his cause for canonization upon an unsettled debate concerning the return of Sheen's remains to the Diocese of Peoria.^[20]

In 2002, Sheen's Cause for Canonization as a saint was officially opened, and so he is now referred to as a "Servant of God".

On February 2, 2008, the archives of Archbishop Sheen were sealed at a ceremony during a special Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Peoria, Illinois, where the diocese is sponsoring his canonization.^[15]

In 2009, the diocesan phase of the investigation came to an end, and the records were sent to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican in Rome for further investigation by a panel of prelates, other members, and consultors of the congregation. They will ultimately give a report and recommendation to the Congregation's Prefect, Cardinal Angelo Amato, who will forward his recommendations with their report to Pope Benedict XVI for a final decision as to whether he has lived the theological and ecclesiastical virtues.

Joseph Campanella introduces the re-runs of Sheen's various programs that are aired on EWTN. Reruns are also aired on Trinity Broadcasting Network. In addition to his television appearances, Archbishop Sheen can also be heard on Relevant Radio.

According to Catholic News Service and The Catholic Post (the official newspaper of the Peoria Diocese), the case of a boy who as an infant had no discernible pulse for 61 minutes (who was about to be declared dead at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Illinois, as a stillborn infant) and yet allegedly still lived to be healthy – without physical or mental impairment – is in the preliminary stages of being investigated as the possible miracle needed for Archbishop Sheen's potential beatification. If the miracle is approved at the diocesan level, and then by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican (being both medically unexplainable and directly attributable theologically to Sheen's intercession according to expert panels in both subject areas), then beatification may proceed. Another such miracle would be required for him to be considered for canonization as a saint. On Wednesday, September 7, 2011, a tribunal of inquiry was sworn in to investigate the alleged healing. During a special Mass at 10:30AM on Sunday, December 11, 2011, at St. Mary's Cathedral in Peoria, the documentation gathered by the tribunal over nearly three months will be boxed and sealed. It will then be shipped to the Vatican for consideration by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, concluding the diocesan tribunal's work- which makes up much of the diocese's work on the project.^[21]

Selected books authored[link]

• God and Intelligence in Modern Philosophy (1925, Longmans, Green and Co.)
• The Seven Last Words (1933, The Century Co.)
• Philosophy of Science (1934, Bruce Publishing Co.)
• The Eternal Galilean (1934, Appleton-Century-Crofts)
• Calvary and the Mass (1936, P. J. Kenedy & Sons)
• The Cross and the Beatitudes (1937, P. J. Kenedy & Sons)
• Seven Words of Jesus and Mary (1945, P. J. Kenedy & Sons)
• Communism and the Conscience of the West (1948, Bobbs-Merrill)
• Peace of Soul (1949, McGraw–Hill)^[22]
• Three to Get Married (1951, Appleton-Century-Crofts)
• The World's First Love (1952, McGraw-Hill)
• Life Is Worth Living Series 1–5 (1953–1957, McGraw–Hill)
• Way to Happiness (1953, Maco Magazine)
• Way to Inner Peace (1955, Garden City Books)
• Life of Christ (1958, McGraw–Hill)
• Missions and the World Crisis (1963, Bruce Publishing Co.)
• The Power of Love (1965, Simon & Schuster)
• Footprints in a Darkened Forest (1967, Meredith Press)
• Lenten and Easter Inspirations (1967, Maco Ecumenical Books)
• Treasure in Clay: The Autobiography of Fulton J. Sheen (1980, Doubleday & Co.)

Further reading[link]

• Timothy H. Sherwood (2010), The Preaching of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: The Gospel Meets the Cold War. Lexington Books. 137 p.
• Reeves, Thomas C. (2001), America’s Bishop. The Life and Times of Fulton J. Sheen. Encounter Books, San Francisco.
• Irvin D. S. Winsboro, Michael Epple, "Religion, Culture, and the Cold War: Bishop Fulton J. Sheen and America's Anti-Communist Crusade of the 1950s," Historian, 71,2 (2009), 209–233.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Fulton J. Sheen

• Fulton J. Sheen official website
• The Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation
• Fulton J. Sheen profile and books on Goodreads
• Books by Fulton J. Sheen
• Fulton J. Sheen at Find a Grave
• Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen—Author, Orator and Missionary, by John A. Hardon, S.J.
• FBI file on Bishop Sheen
• Archbishop Fulton Sheen: 200 talks given by Archbishop Fulton Sheen available in MP3 format, along with streaming video of his Family Retreat in color.
• Bishop Fulton Sheen: The First "Televangelist" (April 14, 1952) – TIME Magazine (article)
• TIME cover, Fulton J. Sheen, Apr. 14, 1952
• Fulton J. Sheen Spiritual Centre – El Paso, IL
• Sheen Mass – Cause for Canonization

Andrew Breitbart
Andrew Breitbart speaking at CPAC on February 10, 2012.
Born	(1969-02-01)February 1, 1969 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	March 1, 2012(2012-03-01) (aged 43) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Residence	Westwood, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Tulane University (B.A.)
Occupation	Writer, Columnist, Publisher
Spouse	Susannah Bean (m. 1997–2012); 4 children

Andrew Breitbart (pronounced /ˈbraɪtbɑrt/ (February 1, 1969 – March 1, 2012) was an American publisher,^[1] commentator for The Washington Times, author,^[2] and occasional guest commentator on various news programs, who served as an editor for the Drudge Report website. He was a researcher for Arianna Huffington, and helped launch her web publication The Huffington Post.^[3]

He ran his own news aggregation site, Breitbart.com, and five other websites: Breitbart.tv, Big Hollywood, Big Government, Big Journalism, and Big Peace. He played key roles in the Anthony Weiner sexting scandal, the resignation of Shirley Sherrod, and the ACORN 2009 undercover videos controversy.

Early life[link]

Breitbart was the adopted son of Gerald and Arlene Breitbart, a restaurant owner and banker respectively, and grew up in upscale Brentwood, Los Angeles. He was raised Jewish (his adoptive mother had converted to Judaism when marrying his adoptive father).^[4][5] He had explained that his birth certificate indicated his biological father was a folk singer. He was ethnically Irish by birth, and his adopted sister is Hispanic.^[4] He changed his political views after experiencing an "epiphany" during the Clarence Thomas hearings, and later described himself as "a Reagan conservative" with libertarian sympathies.^[1]

While in high school, Breitbart was a pizza delivery driver; he sometimes delivered to celebrities such as Judge Reinhold.^[6] He earned a B.A. in American studies from Tulane University in 1991, graduating with "no sense of [his] future whatsoever".^[7] His early jobs included a stint at cable channel E! Entertainment Television, working for the company's online magazine, and some time in film production.^[5]

Public life[link]

Authorship, research and reporting[link]

In 1995 Breitbart saw the Drudge Report and was so impressed that he emailed Matt Drudge. Breitbart said, "I thought what he was doing was by far the coolest thing on the Internet. And I still do."^[3] Breitbart described himself as "Matt Drudge's bitch"^[8] and selected and posted links to other news wire sources. Later Matt Drudge introduced him to Arianna Huffington (when she was still a Republican)^[5] and Breitbart subsequently assisted her in creating her website.

Breitbart's work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, National Review Online and the Weekly Standard Online, among others. He wrote a weekly column for The Washington Times, which also appeared at Real Clear Politics. Breitbart also co-wrote the book Hollywood, Interrupted: Insanity Chic in Babylon with Mark Ebner, a book that is highly critical of U.S. celebrity culture.^[9] On January 19, 2011, the conservative gay rights group GOProud announced Breitbart had joined its Advisory Council.^[10]

In April 2011 Grand Central Publishing released Breitbart's book, Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World, in which he discussed his own political evolution and the part he took in the rise of new media, most notably at the Drudge Report and The Huffington Post.

In June 2011 Breitbart was involved in the Anthony Weiner sexting scandal when his websites broke the story that Weiner was sending women revealing photographs of himself.^[11]

Commentaries[link]

Breitbart appeared as a commentator on Real Time with Bill Maher and Dennis Miller. In 2004 he was a guest commentator on Fox News Channel's morning show and frequently appeared as a guest panelist on Fox News's late night program, Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld. Breitbart also appeared as a commentator in the 2004 documentary Michael Moore Hates America.^[12]

On October 22, 2009, Breitbart appeared on the C-SPAN program Washington Journal. He gave his opinions on the mainstream media, Hollywood, the Obama Administration and his personal political views, having heated debates with several callers.^[1]

In the hours immediately following Senator Ted Kennedy's death, Breitbart called Kennedy a "villain", a "duplicitous bastard", a "prick"^[13] and "a special pile of human excrement".^[14][15]

In February 2010 Breitbart received the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C. During his acceptance speech, he responded directly to accusations by New York Times reporter Kate Zernike that Jason Mattera, a young conservative activist, had been using "racial tones" in his allusions to President Barack Obama, and had spoken in a "Chris Rock voice". From the podium, Breitbart called Zernike "a despicable human being" for having made such allegations about Mattera's New York accent.^[16] At the same conference, Breitbart was also filmed saying to journalist Max Blumenthal that he found him to be "a jerk", and "a despicable human being" due to a blog entry posted by Blumenthal.^[17]

Activism[link]

Breitbart often appeared as a speaker at Tea Party movement events across the U.S. For example, Breitbart was a keynote speaker at the first National Tea Party Convention at Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville on February 6, 2010.^[18] Breitbart later involved himself in a controversy over homophobic and alleged racial slurs being used at a March 20, 2010, rally at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., by asserting that slurs were never used, and that "It was a set-up" by Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Party. Breitbart offered to donate $100,000 to the United Negro College Fund "for any audio/video footage of the N-word being hurled", claiming that the several Congressmen made it up. Breitbart insisted Congressman John Lewis and several other witnesses were forced to lie, concluding that "Nancy Pelosi did a great disservice to a great civil rights icon by thrusting him out there to perform this mischievous task. His reputation is now on the line as a result of her desperation to take down the Tea Party movement."^[19][20]

Websites[link]

Breitbart launched a number of websites, including Breitbart.com,^[22] BigHollywood.com,^[23] BigGovernment.com,^[24] BigJournalism.com,^[25] and BigPeace.com.^[26]

Breitbart launched his first website as a news site; it is sometimes linked to by the Drudge Report and other websites. It has wire stories from the Associated Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Fox News, PR Newswire, and U.S. Newswire, as well as direct links to a number of major international newspapers. Its Blog & "Network" links tend to run to the right within the U.S. political spectrum (e.g., National Review and Townhall.com). The site also has a search engine powered by Lingospot and a finance channel powered by FinancialContent. In 2007, Breitbart launched a video blog, Breitbart.tv.^[27]

In 2008 Breitbart launched the website "Big Hollywood," a "group blog" driven by some who work within Los Angeles, with contributions from a variety of writers, including politically conservative entertainment-industry professionals.^{[citation needed]} The site was an outgrowth of the Breitbart's Washington Times "Big Hollywood" column included issues conservatives faced working in Hollywood.^[28] In 2009, the site used audio from a secretly recorded conference call to accuse the National Endowment of the Arts of encouraging artists to create work in support of Barack Obama's domestic policy agenda.^[29][30]

Breitbart launched BigGovernment.com on September 10, 2009.^[31] He hired Mike Flynn, a former government affairs specialist at Reason Foundation,^[32] as Editor-in-Chief of Big Government.^[33] The site premiered with hidden camera video footage taken by Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe at Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now offices in various cities, attracting nationwide attention resulting in the ACORN 2009 undercover videos controversy.

In January 2010, Breitbart launched Big Journalism. He told Mediaite:^[34] "Our goal at Big Journalism is to hold the mainstream media's feet to the fire. There are a lot of stories that they simply don't cover, either because it doesn't fit their world view, or because they're literally innocent of any knowledge that the story even exists, or because they are a dying organization, short-staffed, and thus can't cover stuff like they did before." Big Journalism was edited by Michael A. Walsh, a former journalism professor and Time magazine music critic.^[34] It is now currently edited by Dana Loesch. The site has a fictional contributor named "Retracto, the Correction Alpaca" who posts items requesting corrections from the traditional media.^[35]

BigPeace.com debuted July 4, 2010. The site covers topics such as international issues and foreign policy, the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, terrorism, Islamic extremism, espionage, border security, and energy issues.

Controversies[link]

Anthony Weiner[link]

On May 28, 2011, Breitbart posted a sexually explicit photo on his BigJournalism website of New York Representative Anthony Weiner obtained through Weiner's Twitter account.^[36] Weiner initially denied that he had sent a 21-year-old female college student the link to the photograph, but after questions developed, he admitted to inappropriate online relationships. On June 6, 2011, Breitbart reported other photos Weiner had sent, including one that was sexually graphic. On June 8, 2011, the sexually graphic photo was leaked after Breitbart participated in a radio interview with hosts Opie and Anthony, though Breitbart stated that the photo was published without his permission.^[37] Weiner subsequently resigned from his congressional seat on June 21, 2011.

Shirley Sherrod[link]

In July 2010 Breitbart was accused of smearing USDA official Shirley Sherrod with the viral video "Proof NAACP Awards Racism". Breitbart's video showed Sherrod speaking at a NAACP fundraising dinner in March 2010 admitting to a racial reluctance to help a white farmer get government aid. The NAACP condemned Sherrod video comments and approved her July 19 dismissal from government service. After being criticized for presenting Sherrod out of context, Breitbart posted the full 40-minute video of the speech.^{[38][39][40][41]} In the full video Sherrod said the reluctance to help a white man was wrong, and she had ended up assisting him. Following the release of the full video, the NAACP also reversed their rebuke of Sherrod,^[39][40], and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack apologized and offered Sherrod a new government position.^[42] In 2011, Sherrod sued Breitbart for defamation,^[43] Breibart said that the point of the piece was not to target Sherrod, but said the NAACP audience's reception of the parts of the speech demonstrated the same racism the NAACP's President had accused The Tea Party of harboring.^[44]

ACORN undercover videos[link]

Breitbart was also involved in the 2009 ACORN video controversy. Hannah Giles^[45][46] posed as a prostitute seeking assistance while James O'Keefe portrayed her boyfriend, and clandestinely videotaped meetings with ACORN staff.^[47] Subsequent criminal investigations by the Brooklyn District Attorney's office and the California Attorney General found the videos were heavily edited in an attempt to make ACORN's responses "appear more sinister",^[48][49][50] and contributed to the group's demise.^[51][52]

GOProud[link]

Breitbart was also embroiled in a controversy within the conservative movement related to the participation of gay group GOProud in the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), an annual conference held in Washington, D.C., by the American Conservative Union. In 2011 he was the primary host of a party that served to "welcome" the "homocons" to the convention (though it was the second year they had been participants). This flew in the face of a boycott staged by a few social conservative groups that were offended by the inclusion of GOProud within the conservative fold. Writer, producer, and publisher Roger L. Simon referred to the group as a "game-changer" for the Republican party, and asserted that it represented a turning point in the appeal that the conservative movement might hold for young people. Breitbart was on the Advisory Board of GOProud until he stepped down in the wake of the group's inadvertent outing of a senior Rick Perry aide.^[53][54]

Confrontation with Occupy protesters at CPAC 2012[link]

In February 2012 a YouTube video showed Breitbart yelling at Occupy D.C. protesters outside a Washington D.C. hotel hosting a Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). The video showed security escorting Breitbart back to the hotel while he told the protestors to "behave yourself", and alluding to reported assaults of women at Occupy encampments, he repeatedly yelled "stop raping people" and called the protestors "filthy, filthy, raping, murdering freaks!”. David Carr said with the incident Briebart had caused his last "viral storm on the Web".^[55][56]

Personal life[link]

Breitbart was married to Susannah Bean, the daughter of actor Orson Bean, and had four children.^[3][57]

Death[link]

On February 9, 2012, Breitbart while in Washington, DC was quoted as saying, “wait til they see what happens March first.” Breitbart was referring to his plan to release "damning" footage of President Obama that he had been promising to reveal throughout the month of February.^[58] However, on March 1, 2012, Breitbart died at the UCLA Medical Center after he collapsed while walking in Brentwood.^[59] He was 43 years old. An autopsy by the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office showed that he had cardiomegaly and died of heart failure.^[60] The toxicology report showed "No prescription or illicit drugs were detected. The blood alcohol was .04%. No significant trauma was present and foul play is not suspected."^[60] Personal friend of Breitbart, Bill Whittle, had said that Breitbart had a "serious heart attack" just months before his passing.^[61]

In remembrance, Republican presidential candidates Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, and Newt Gingrich praised Breitbart.^[62] Santorum called Breitbart's passing "a huge loss" that strongly affected him,^[62][63] while Romney said Breitbart was a "fearless conservative", and Gingrich called him "the most innovative pioneer in conservative activist social media in America...."^[62]

His funeral was held March 6, 2012, at a Jewish cemetery in West Los Angeles. Attendees included his father-in-law Orson Bean, Matt Drudge, Herman Cain, Thaddeus McCotter, Greg Gutfeld, Ed Morrissey, Guy Benson, and Rob Long.^[64][65][66]

Authored books[link]

• Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World. Grand Central Publishing. April 15, 2011. ISBN 978-0-446-57282-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=SUPaO3y-hqkC&pg=PT2&dq#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
• With Ebner, Mark C. (March 10, 2005). Hollywood, Interrupted: Insanity Chic in Babylon – The Case Against Celebrity. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-471-70624-3. 

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Andrew Breitbart

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• Official website
• Andrew Breitbart on Facebook
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• Andrew Breitbart at the Internet Movie Database
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Works by or about Andrew Breitbart in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Andrew Breitbart at Find a Grave

Stephanie Anne Birkitt (born January 7, 1975^[1]) was^[2] an assistant^[3] to David Letterman on Late Show with David Letterman. Although Birkitt was usually treated as a character named Vicki, in some of her appearances, Letterman referred to her by various other surreal nicknames such as Smitty, Kitty, Monty, Gunter, and Dutch.^[4] It has been alleged that she and Letterman were lovers.

Career[link]

After graduation from college, Birkitt's career at CBS started when she became a member of the CBS page program. She worked as an intern for CBS News, 48 Hours, and the Late Show during the spring of 1996.^[1][5] She was an associate producer at 48 Hours on segments for correspondent Erin Moriarty.^[1][5] Deciding she was not "much of a news hound," she applied for a job as an office worker for David Letterman, helping to handle his charities and his Indy car racing team.^[5]

Her employment with Letterman led to Birkitt's first appearance on the Late Show, on May 24, 1996.^[4] Her next appearance came more than four years later, on December 26, 2000, when Letterman called her in her office during the show. Beginning in January 2001, Letterman began to call her regularly as an on-air feature of the show.^[4] Said Birkitt, "He started talking to me more, and we developed a rapport."^[6]

By 2002, Birkitt began to be featured on the Late Show as a character outside of her role as Letterman's assistant.^[4] She appeared during the CBS Mailbag segment numerous times, sometimes donning costumes that related to a specific ongoing festival or event. She was given a number of on-air names, including Vicki, Smitty, Kitty, Monty, Gunter, and Dutch.^[4] She interviewed Survivor castoffs, asking them "Did you see or touch any monkeys?" much to the feigned displeasure of Letterman. In 2002, she was named #21 in USA Today's "Pop Candy's 100 People of the Year!" list.^[4][7] As herself, she gave on-air reports from the sites of the Winter Olympics in 2002 and in 2006. In all, she made more than 250 appearances on the show between 1996 and 2008.^[4]

In addition to her appearances on Late Show with David Letterman, Birkitt co-hosted The Tony Mendez Show, a spin-off program with Tony Mendez (also known as "The Cue Card Boy") that is hosted on the Late Show website.

Birkitt described her relationship with Letterman in an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in 2004. In the article, titled "Letterman Aide is Dave's Main Tease", Birkitt stated, "[Letterman is] just playful. We play catch sometimes in the office, and we all go to screenings together. We eat food together, we sit around and watch TV together and goof on people. And he teases me in real life, too, but I give it back a lot more in real life.”"^[8]

In a statement released on October 7, 2009, Letterman's production company Worldwide Pants announced that Birkitt had been placed on a "paid leave of absence" from the Late Show.^[9]

Alleged affair[link]

On October 1, 2009, Letterman announced on-air that he had been the victim of an extortion attempt, in which an alleged blackmailer — since identified by police as CBS television producer Joe Halderman — threatened to reveal that Letterman had engaged in sexual affairs with multiple female employees.^[10] Letterman said that the allegation was true, but did not reveal the names or any identifying information of the female employees.^[10] Soon afterward, the extortionist was identified by media as a former boyfriend of Birkitt, and anonymous sources alleged that Birkitt and Letterman had had a sexual relationship.^[10]

Birkitt reportedly was neither aware of nor involved in the blackmail attempt.^[11][12][13] According to CBS News, Birkitt and the CBS News producer Joe Halderman lived together in Halderman's Norwalk, Connecticut home until August 2009, when she reportedly moved out; she was also romantically linked to David Letterman during the same time. The New York Post broke a story on October 6 that Birkitt had an affair with Letterman, which continued during her relationship with Halderman.^[14][15] Copies of Birkitt's diary, as well as emails between her and Letterman, were reportedly the basis of the blackmail package allegedly placed in Letterman's car by Halderman.^[16]

Personal life[link]

Birkitt was born in Plymouth, New Hampshire — her mother is an assistant principal and her father is a dentist.^[5] She graduated from Wake Forest University in 1997,^[17] where she majored in history and minored in communications.

In 2006, her younger brother, Johnny Birkitt, became a field producer on ABC's Dancing With The Stars.

She attended the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and in February 2009 passed the New York State and Connecticut bar examinations.^[18][19]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Stephanie Birkitt at the Internet Movie Database
• List of Stephanie Birkitt's Appearances on Late Show