THE WAY THE GAME IS PLAYED – AT 8:47 A.M. ET:  The new Newsweek, just out, and under the editorship of Tina Brown, has a list of 150 women who shake the world. 

Included on the list are such worthies as Kirsten Gillibrand, our U.S. senator here in New York, who, to the best of my knowledge, hasn't shaken much of anything.  Also included is one of our least favorite journalists, Christiane Amanpour, who drifted from CNN to ABC, where her ratings are barely at ground level.  Her two viewers, though, are very loyal.

But Christiane is in a position to bestow a mighty thank-you to Newsweek, as the great site, NewsBusters, points out:

Newsweek and Daily Beast editor Tina Brown flattered This Week host Christiane Amanpour by placing her on a list of 150 women who "shake the world." The ABC anchor responded to this praise by featuring Brown on her Sunday show, touting the females on the list (which described the host as "one of the world's most renowned journalists"). She enthused, "Who could fail to be optimistic?"

On the show, Amanpour never mentioned her inclusion in this profile. Those not featured? Amanpour's ABC News colleagues, World News anchor Diane Sawyer and Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts, despite the fact that their shows are on five days a week and have higher ratings.

In addition to ignoring her place amongst these women, Amanpour also neglected to note that she will be participating in a panel on the same topic. "And we'll be watching the women's summit, the Daily Beast/Newsweek [sic] that's coming up this week," she vaguely explained at the close of the segment.

The ABC anchor hyped Brown ..."You are also going to show us the new cover of 'Newsweek,' which we're going to put up. And it is about 150 women who shake the world with Hillary Clinton as the cover."

COMMENT:  Amanpour had an absolute journalistic obligation to mention that she was included in the list, so viewers could assess her lavish treatment of Brown more accurately.  But Amanpour doesn't stick to the rules, and never has. 

This backscratching, though, is pretty outrageous.  I wonder if ABC News will have any reaction.

This is the way the game is played.

March 8, 2011