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27 Media Stories That Blew Our Minds In 2013

The Media Blew Our Minds In 2013
By 

Senior Media Editor, The Huffington Post

As a wild, wacky, tumultuous year comes to an end, we're giving out a bunch of our very own, made-up prizes to everyone who made it one for the history books. It's The Year In Media For 2013. As ever, the list is in no particular order.

THING WE CAN'T FORGET OF THE YEAR: The Dangers Journalists Face
AP
All around the world, journalists are murdered, jailed and kidnapped because they pose a threat to secrecy and authoritarianism in all their forms.
MEDIA ENEMIES OF THE YEAR: Eric Holder And Barack Obama
AP
Too many reasons to count.
SALE OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post
Getty Images
Amazon's Jeff Bezos stunned the world when he bought the paper from its owners, the Grahams.
DOWNFALL OF THE YEAR: "60 Minutes"
Getty Images
From Benghazi to the NSA, it seemed there was nothing the CBS staple could do right in 2013.
OVERBLOWN CONTROVERSY OF THE YEAR: Rolling Stone's Boston Cover
AP
Everyone freaked out when the magazine put Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on its cover. They shouldn't have.
TROUBLEMAKER OF THE YEAR: Glenn Greenwald
Getty Images
The man who brought us Edward Snowden, and became possibly the most famous journalist in the world.
RIP OF THE YEAR: Michael Hastings
AP
1980-2013.
MONOLOGUE OF THE YEAR: Melissa Harris-Perry
Getty Images
Her reaction to the George Zimmerman verdict was powerful and heartbreaking.
NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR: The Guardian
AP
Because no other outlet was more persecuted for doing its job.
DEFAMATION OF THE YEAR: New York Post
AP
This is one of the completely innocent people who has sued the New York Post for libel after the paper's truly hideous Boston bombing front page.
SHAMEFUL REMINDER OF THE YEAR: The Iraq War Anniversary
AP
A truly low point for the media, ten years later.
CABLE NEWS QUEEN OF THE YEAR: Megyn Kelly
AP
Fox News moved its entire schedule around for her. Then, she kicked off the wildest cable news controversy of the year.
OPRAH COMEBACK OF THE YEAR: Oprah
AP
From "The Butler" to OWN, she obliterated all talk of failure this year.
BREAKING NEWS BREAKDOWN OF THE YEAR: CNN's John King
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He was so, so very wrong.
LAUNCH OF THE YEAR: Al Jazeera America
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Not many people are watching yet, but everyone is waiting to see what happens next.
DIVORCE OF THE YEAR: Rupert Murdoch
AP
Billionaire, 82. Recently split. Seeks woman to help manage a whole host of problems — also, she can't speak to Tony Blair ever.
D'OH OF THE YEAR: Howard Kurtz
AP
The media critic turned into a full-blown figure of parody in 2013, for a variety of reasons.
DIGITIZER OF THE YEAR: Katie Couric
AP
She's leaving TV for Yahoo. A brave new world!
TMI OF THE YEAR: Al Roker
Getty Images
Next time, just keep your activities at the White House private, OK?
DAYTIME REVEAL OF THE YEAR: Julie Chen
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Her disclosure that she'd had surgery on her eyes to look less Asian shocked everyone.
BELTWAY WEIRDO OF THE YEAR: Bob Woodward
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Remember his super-strange "threat" claims?
DEAR GOD NO OF THE YEAR: Geraldo
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DEAR GOD NO.
RETIREMENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE YEAR: Barbara Walters
Getty Images
A legend is moving on.
HELLO GOODBYE OF THE YEAR: Alec Baldwin
AP
He came, he spoke, he left.
OUR FAVORITE STORIES OF THE YEAR
AP
Jack Mirkinson, editor: My look back at the media coverage of the March on Washington.Katherine Fung, deputy editor: My ongoingcoverage of the meltdown that was Richard Cohen.
OUR SECRET FAVORITE STORIES OF THE YEAR
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Jack: Wendy William's denial of her wig-based feud with Sherri Shepherd.Katherine: My letter to Joe Biden asking him to come on the "Today" show.
BEYONCE OF THE YEAR: Beyonce
AP
Hey, she's a media figure!

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