ComScore’s Gift to Web Publishers: (Almost) Free Traffic [UPDATED]

Web publishers love to grouse about comScore’s traffic estimates. But many of them are much happier these days: A new measurement system is giving some sites a dramatic boost in Web visitors.
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For Getting the Skinny on Apple Stock Hijinks Alone, BoomTown Hearts Jon Stewart

While the fireworks were great, the most important thing that “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart elicited out of CNBC’s most famous stock jester, Jim Cramer, was the admission of using the malleable press to float fictional rumors about companies in order to make money on the negative news. While Cramer at first tried to deny he did it, Stewart had the videotape of the “Mad Money” host talking about the practice, specifically in regards to Apple. Kind of puts all those Steve-Jobs-Is-Dead-Right-Now rumors from a few months ago into a new light? While we all know Jobs has been quite ill, grave-dancing rumors written without any serious reporting have also been a troublesome issue, because it was clear greedy short-sellers played a large part in stoking the fear about his immediate demise back then.
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Jim Cramer’s TheStreet.com: Things Were Bad Last Quarter, and They’re Getting Worse

No surprise that Jim Cramer’s TheStreet.com had a crummy fourth quarter: Selling ads or subscriptions for a financial Web site was a tough proposition in the last three months of 2008. But advertising will get worse this year, the company warns. And it’s hard to sell subscriptions to unemployed people.
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Which Media Mogul Would You Rather Be Right Now: Arianna Huffington or Jim Cramer?

TheStreet.com is worth about $100 million. So is The Huffington Post. But investors are much more optimistic about one of these Web businesses.