Nine’s cameraman boned and laying low. Simon Fuller wasn’t answering Crikey‘s calls today — not surprising given how many he’s been receiving after his public shaming on Media Watch and having his mobile number broadcast widely on Twitter. But it was the call from his bosses yesterday afternoon that he really didn’t want to take — sacked from the station for calling Gad Amr, the father of accused rioter Omar Amr, a “fucking terrorist”.

Fuller pleaded his case to Crikey yesterday: “I’m not a racist,” the experienced news tripod said, who insisted the slur was “regrettable” and delivered “in the heat of the moment”. Nine expressed its own outrage and promised an investigation — a short one, as it turns out, with his sacking announced by newsreader Peter Hitchener on last night’s news.

Fuller had little sympathy among Crikey readers, with more than 50 comments expressing repulsion at a “disgraceful human being”, his “gutter behaviour” and the “symptom of how mainstream media is becoming more and more sensationalised”. And Fuller’s superiors didn’t escape the wrath: as one reader wrote, “news editors have often been bullies and journalists and photographers with any sense of right and wrong know they can and should ignore their most abhorrent demands for intrusive, sneaky, underhand, bullying behaviour”. Another made the point Nine failed to act against Fuller until the raw footage aired on Media Watch — almost two weeks after the original report ran. The Islamic Council of Victoria says it will work with Channel Nine to stamp out “bigotry” in news reporting. — Jason Whittaker

UK PM: all information wants to be free

“Gordon Brown has come out against Rupert Murdoch’s plan to erect paywalls to access the Times and Sunday Times online, arguing that internet users will not abide being told to pay for news content.” — The Guardian

What to say when asked to write for free

“Say you’ll do it, but only for X months. Then you’ll revisit payment.” — Huffington Post

‘On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog’

“Journalists, more than ever, are questioning whether anonymity should be a given on news sites.” — New York Times

Is Sarah Palin camera shy?

“Sarah Palin could be keeping cameras and tape recorders at bay during her upcoming appearance at California State University, Stanislaus.”  — McClatchy

SMH tech page is wired with old news

“All that Australia’s newspaper of the year is able to offer for its weekly digital page is a trio of six-day-old wire stories. Remind me again why we’re worrying about the health of our newspapers?” — Mumbrella

NYT to lure readers with business news

“Even as the Wall Street Journal prepares a New York edition aimed squarely at New York Times readers and advertisers, The Times is trying to win Journal readers and advertisers with expanded coverage of The Journal‘s core beat: business.” — Advertising Age

Twitter sells out

“The company announced a new service called Promoted Tweets. The ads will appear at the top of results for searches that users conduct on Twitter, a model similar to Google Inc.’s successful search-advertising system.” — Wall Street Journal