Scott Shuger, a Baltimore-born Internet journalist whose columns on the media and terrorism appeared in Microsoft's online magazine Slate, died Saturday in a scuba diving accident off Palos Verdes, Calif. He was 50 and lived in Los Angeles.

Born in the city and reared in Pikesville, Mr. Shuger was a 1969 graduate of Friends School. He earned his bachelor's degree from Carleton College in 1973 and a master's and Ph.D. in philosophy from Vanderbilt University in 1978.

Mr. Shuger served in naval intelligence from 1978 until 1983, when he was discharged with the rank of lieutenant.

That year he launched a career as a freelance writer specializing in intelligence matters.

In 1997, he joined Microsoft's Slate, an online publication, where his daily column, Today's Papers, critiqued the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe and Wall Street Journal.

After the World Trade Center attack, he began a new column, War Stories, which focused on worldwide terrorism.

Services in Baltimore are private.

Mr. Shuger is survived by his wife of 29 years, the former Debora Kuller; a daughter, Dale Shuger of Brooklyn, N.Y.; his parents, Sewell and Virginia Shuger of Baltimore; and two sisters, Nancy Shuger of Roland Park and Lisa Shuger Hublitz of McLean, Va.