In Media Res: Media stalk Palin; ink dries on mega magazine acquisition

Chasing Sarah: It's no secret that Sarah Palin has a particularly acerbic disdain for what she likes to call the "Lamestream Media." Most of this country's press coverage, the former Alaska governor and one-time vice presidential candidate might argue, comes from Obama-loving left-wingers who play softball with Democrats while lobbing grenades in the direction of her grammatical shortcomings and small-town family values. So it's no surprise that the prospective Republican nominee has been dodging reporters left and right on her "One Nation" bus tour, which kicked off Sunday in Washington, D.C., but is not necessarily an indicator that she will claim a spot on the GOP slate.

Holly Bailey of The Cutline's sister blog, The Ticket, reports: "Palin's political operation has offered virtually no details about her schedule, prompting dozens of reporters to literally stalk her hundreds of miles through three states in recent days. Yesterday, [they] were awaiting Palin's expected visit to the battlefields at Gettysburg when word broke that the former Alaska governor's entourage had actually landed at a hotel down the road, according to the New York Times' Michael Shear. And this morning, Palin ditched reporters again. Her aides backed up her tour bus to the back entrance of the hotel and allowed reporters and supporters to wait for her, while she slipped out the front entrance into a waiting SUV." Of course if Palin declares, she'll only be able to ignore the press for so long. In the meantime, her media evasion seems to be having the opposite effect of keeping her out of the headlines.

Memorial Day at Walter Reed: Joao Silva, the New York Times photographer who lost his legs to a landmine while on assignment in Afghanistan last year, got a surprise visit Monday from First Lady Michelle Obama, who stopped by the Walter Reed Army Medical Center unannounced for Memorial Day. "She came across as a kind and attentive person," Silva, who affixed his prosthetic legs for the occasion, told the Times' Lens blog. "I wanted to be able to greet her standing up." You can view a photograph of their exchange here.

A done deal: Hearst Corporation today completed its $1 million deal to purchase Lagardère's 100-title international publishing portfolio, including the Paris-based company's U.S. properties that fall under the Hachette Filipacchi umbrella--namely Elle, Elle Decor, Woman's Day and Car and Driver. "This acquisition makes tremendous sense for Hearst because it allows us to further solidify our position in the fashion and beauty, shelter, and men's categories in the U.S. and dramatically grow our international footprint," said Hearst Magazines president David Carey in a statement. "Above all, the deal underscores our commitment and belief in magazines and the brands and content they represent," Hearst CEO Frank A. Bennack, Jr. added. News of the closing, which happened a month ahead of schedule, was first reported by the New York Post's Keith Kelly.

Morgan's regrets: As Piers Morgan gears up for his return tonight as a judge on NBC's "America's Got Talent," he reflects in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter on the errors he's made thus far with his nightly CNN show, which premiered in January as the successor to "Larry King Live." Prime among them, the Kardashians: "When we had the Kardashian sisters on, I think that was misinterpreted," he tells Lacey Rose. "It got the lowest rating that we had in about six weeks. We had a funny feeling we scheduled it wrong when we put it on a Thursday night when American Idol, Jersey Shore and other shows that would normally be a Kardashian audience. We re-aired it without making a big song and dance about it three weeks later on a Saturday night and it got a 50 percent higher rating in total audience and demo than the original airing. Had we done it then, it would have been perceived as a big success."

(Photo of Palin at Gettysburg: Timothy Jacobsen/AP)