I’m not sure which is scarier…the goblins of Halloween or the “woo woo, scary scary” ads that have been overpowering the broadcast news in the last week. Actually, no contest. The ads are as scary as anything I can imagine. They have been deterring us from turning on the news.

So, what else to do? Check out the annual Freedom of Information Issue of Quill, the magazine of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Or for instant access to the latest on the foreclosure mess, check out the record of the Congressional Oversight Panel’s hearing last week on TARP foreclosure mitigation programs. There’s archived video of the hearing as well as written testimony of witnesses and opening statements by panel members. Lots of good data here.

The AFL-CIO Blog also commented on the hearing. The union’s policy director, Damon Silvers, is a member of the oversight panel. The union’s blog is a good way to get regular updates on organized labor’s perspectives on current issues.

And, in case you missed it, there was a bit of a media kerfluffle over coverage of Saturday’s Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, culminating in a wonderful memo by the editor of the Washington City Paper. Great stuff.

Also, check out the various winners in this year’s Online Journalism Awards. By the way, the winner in the category of online commentary by a small blog went to “Dad has dementia,” a blog by Elizabeth Shean.