Returning to the coalface. As Fairfax Community Network staff in Victoria continue their campaign to force CEO Brian McCarthy to the table to fix his below-inflation pay offer, it seems the group’s general manager Colin Moss has re-embraced his roots in order to keep the stable of suburban mastheads afloat.

Last week, while the rest of FCN was on strike, Crikey understands the usually desk-bound Moss offered up his services as a casual photographer for The Melbourne Weekly for a forthcoming yarn on author Michael Grant’s visit to Xavier College. But production staff were horrified when the photos landed back at Collins Street, with Moss’ photos underexposed and snapped from the back of the room. Moss, a former chief photographer for FCN in the 1990s, is also believed to have struggled with the camera’s flash function.

“It’s a pity when you move into management and you lose your ability to do stuff,” Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance state secretary Louise Connor told Crikey. Crikey contacted Moss to ask whether his name would appear beside the Xavier pictures, but we didn’t hear back before deadline. — Andrew Crook

The TV Twitter wars. The TV networks really have missed the point when it comes to establishing a presence on Twitter. Instead of using it to enhance the brand, they instead use it solely as promotion, giving teasers to stories on the TV that night. An exchange on Twitter yesterday afternoon between the Channel Nine Brisbane news twitter account and Channel Seven Brisbane journo Patrick Condren gave me a chuckle or two…

Who

jamie

So Nine News Brisbane went and got its own back…

condren

why

how

And on it went. It was the Twitter equivalent of the human centipede. — Daniel Barrett of Crikey TV blog White Noise

The solution to MSNBC problems — come clean over left leanings

“By suspending MSNBC Countdown anchor Keith Olbermann without pay for a grand total of two days, NBC News struck a suspiciously weak blow for its policy that requires employees to secure the permission of NBC News’ president before they give to political campaigns.” — Slate

Is Bristol Palin dancing with two right feet?

“Week after week, Bristol Palin shimmies her way to winning vote totals on Dancing With the Stars despite underwhelming performances. Is a right-wing conspiracy afoot, designed to keep Sarah’s daughter on prime time?” — The Daily Beast

Second Russian journo takes a beating

“A reporter for a suburban Moscow paper was beaten up Monday, two days after another Moscow journalist was bludgeoned on the head, arms and legs in a brutal attack that was captured on video and has caused a national uproar.” — Los Angeles Times

Channel Islammed as misogynist attitudes break broadcasting rules

“Ofcom has ruled that Islam Channel, a London-based broadcaster, broke the broadcasting code for advocating marital r-pe, violence against women and describing women who wore perfume outside of the home as ‘prostitutes’.” — The Guardian

Officials remain silent over Libyan journo arrests

“The Libyan authorities are reported to have arrested 19 journalists and a senior media executive. The journalists work for the Libya Press news agency — an outlet affiliated with a son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.” — BBC News

Huffington’s new column: divorce for dummies

“Arianna Huffington’s goal of creating an internet newspaper has led to plenty of verticals you find in major newspapers — like health, sports, technology — and some that are disappearing, like books. But Huffington’s latest vertical is something newspapers rarely devote an entire section to: divorce.” — The Wrap

Apps crawling around your Androids?  Have a quick chip fix

“You knew your smartphone could track down your friends, upload novels and give you up-to-the minute sports alerts, but what you didn’t know is that soon enough it will be able to tell you whether or not you have a s-xually transmitted infection.” — Salon