HONORABLE MENTIONS: Former Wall Street Journal managing editor Paul Steiger gives Rupert Murdoch props for accomplishing his dream of becoming "the world's most influential newspaper publisher," but calls the mogul's purchase of the Journal "his greatest test as a publisher." In his assessment of Murdoch for the Time 100 list of this year's most influential people, out Friday, Steiger foreshadows repercussions to Murdoch's success, writing: "There is, to be sure, a darker side to Murdoch's influence and legacy. He has at times subordinated the journalism operations he controls to further his own business interests, undermining their credibility if not their long-term profitability." Steiger doesn't write of recent Murdoch-mandated editorial changes at the Journal, nor of the recent departure of managing editor Marcus Brauchli, Steiger's successor (presumably because all that happened past the issue's deadline).

The fashion folks on this year's list include French Vogue editor in chief Carine Roitfeld and artist Takashi Murakami, whose tie-ups with Louis Vuitton have sold millions. Former Dior designer Hedi Slimane sings Roitfeld praises in the issue, writing: "She has an innate ability to mix street culture and society, always avoiding the caricatures that can define both worlds and always recognizing the mix of both worlds as the only catalyst of energy and creativity." Time's annual gathering of the 100 honorees will be held May 8 at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

— Stephanie D. Smith

GREEN, BUT NOT TOTALLY: Tom Brokaw kicked off his moderation of a Vanity Fair green panel Monday night with "a couple of announcements. There will be no flashes of green underpants, nor will we be photographed with silk sheets." (It was unclear whether Brokaw wholly intended the triple entendre, being at a green panel held by a magazine under siege for racy photos of Miley Cyrus, of whom photos earlier surfaced flashing a lime green bra.) The panel included Google's Eric Schmidt, PayPal founder and green entrepreneur Elon Musk, architect William McDonough and Sustainable Bronx's Majora Carter. That Carter was the only woman and the only person of color on the panel didn't escape her attention. "I'm here to represent the 'green the ghetto' contingent," she cracked. Schmidt, speaking of Google's green efforts — including enlisting McDonough to build more environmentally friendly offices — insisted: "It's not that hard" to make adjustments that have serious impact on sustainability.