What we're reading this week

By Laura Koran, CNN

We have a lot to discuss on this Sunday's show, from the media's coverage of the gun control debate to Anthony Weiner's comeback hopes. But Sunday is still several days away! Here are some of the stories we found interesting this week.

Schieffer’s tip to local broadcasters: CBS Chief Washington Correspondent and host of Face the Nation Bob Schieffer had some words of advice for local broadcasters when he accepted the National Association of Broadcasters’ Distinguished Service Award on Monday. Schieffer warned that, as local newspapers fold, the responsibility of broadcast reporters to hold local governments accountable will become increasingly important saying, “You cannot have a democracy unless people have that independently gathered version of events compared to what government is telling them.” Schieffer acknowledged that technology is changing the way people consume news, but rejected the idea that news content and journalistic standards should change as well.

No comment? The Huffington Post came under fire from Politico’s Mike Allen on Thursday for publishing a story about former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour without speaking with Barbour first. The story, by Peter H. Stone, claimed that the former governor was leaving the super PAC American Crossroads because he had concerns about its affiliate, the Conservative Victory Project. Barbour told Allen the story, “has no basis in fact,” and that, “Nobody at HP even talked to me about it.” He went on to say that his commitment to American Crossroads ended after the 2012 election, and that he “left with high regard and respect” for the organization. Stone and his editors are sticking by their story, and say they gave Barbour “a little more than an hour” to respond to the claims made by two un-named sources.

The “60 Minutes” formula for success: Segments that take months to produce. Frequent and costly international trips. In-depth, long-form reporting. These are not generally thought of as the ingredients of a successful (much less, profitable) news program. Yet the formula has been working for the CBS newsmagazine “60 Minutes” for 45 years, and in an era of short attention spans and increasingly insatiable demand for new content, the ratings are holding strong. The Hollywood Reporter spoke recently with the producers and correspondents of “60 Minutes” for an in-depth profile. So what is the secret to the show’s success? Longtime correspondent Morley Safer offered this theory: "It is staying out of the gutter and handling just about any kind of story imaginable. And at some point, maybe around the 25th year, we became a habit."

What are you reading this week?