Pushing the envelope

One of the top four news stories featured in the upper slot at LATimes.com this afternoon isn't news or even from the Times. When you click the link, up pops a video story from the "KTLA Morning News" where reporter Cher Calvin goes on a paparazzi ride-along and they stalk Jessica Simpson. Channel 5, of course, is also Tribune-owned and the Times is hungry to make more use of the station's video. But as news?

While we're looking at LATimes.com, let's count the ways that the site's presentation has been skewed to promote interest in Hollywood awards and, in particular, The Envelope. The prime space at the top right is devoted right now to The Envelope's item on Jessica Simpson getting a People's Choice Award. In the left-hand column of links to the paper's original content from around the world, all news links (world headlines, business news, sports and of course L.A. news) are placed below a link to, yes, The Envelope. Then at the bottom of the page, readers are provided as always with a helpful menu of links to Times content not highlighted elsewhere, including books, columns, obituaries, politics and religion. The very first listing is for that hottest of L.A. news topics: Awards: Oscars, Grammys. The link goes to The Envelope.