Mediagazer: W Takes a New Direction — W, a magazine best known … (Jeremy W. Peters/Media Decoder)

Brian Stelter / New York Times:

Renewed Interest in Financing Original Web Shows — LOS ANGELES — When Illeana Douglas, long active in independent film, wanted to make a show about a Hollywood actress who becomes a cog in a blue-collar wheel, she turned to the Web and to an unusual ally, Ikea.

Discussion: VideoNuze, PR Newswire, Online Video News, The Huffington Post, Company Town, VatorNews and Mashable!

Mike Shields / Mediaweek:

Fox News' Digital Divide — Dominant cable news net's site lags rival CNN.com. Why? — In the cable TV news world, Fox News Channel is a force to be reckoned with. So why does the network continually get its digital clock cleaned—by CNN, of all rivals?

Discussion: Inside Cable News

Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:

The Economist Markets to the Sophisticated — Its fire-engine-red logo peeks out of fashionable handbags and from the back pockets of designer jeans. Bankers read it in first-class seats. Hipsters read it on the subway on their way to work. — It's The Economist.

Discussion: CJR and Romenesko

Staci D. Kramer / paidContent:

Allbritton On TBD.com: 'You've Got To Have Some Staying Power' — When Robert Allbritton put the money and power of Allbritton Communications behind a new DC political news site in 2007, no one knew what to expect. Sure, he had talent in Washington Post vets John Harris and Jim VandeHei …

Discussion: tbd.com, E-Media Tidbits, Romenesko, The Wire, WebNewser, Zombie Journalism, Strange Attractor, The Solomon Scandals, Newsonomics, Washington Post and Poynter Online

David Carr / New York Times:

A Gamble on a Weekly That Paid Off — Let me get this straight: A very rich guy buys a financially and editorially beleaguered weekly magazine, saying he wants to preserve an important journalistic asset. That will never work, right? — I have three words for the haters: New York magazine.

Discussion: Romenesko, New York Observer, FishbowlNY, MarketWatch, On Media's Blog and eMedia Vitals

Peter Kirwan / Guardian:

Google and Apple prepare for mobile advertising battle — Google and Apple are gearing up to launch ads on their apps, a strategy which is set to change the advertising landscape for ever — British mobile users will soon find themselves embroiled in the epic confrontation taking shape between Apple …

Discussion: Poynter Online

Robert Andrews / paidContent:

Digital Imitation Is A Form Of Flattery For Old-Guard Publishers — It was pop-culture philosopher Marshall McLuhan who wrote: “All media come in pairs, with one acting as the ‘content’ of the other.” — That assertion is true once again, now that a range of developers is pushing …

Discussion: eMedia Vitals

Glenn Fleishman / Network World:

Interview: Author Susan Orlean on her life with the iPad — Orlean has been tearing up the techie side of things — Susan Orlean has become a geek, something that simultaneously amuses and mildly horrifies her. Orlean has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1992 …

Discussion: mediabistro.com and New York Observer

Jeremy W. Peters / Media Decoder:

W Takes a New Direction — W, a magazine best known for ethereal photo spreads with dazed-looking models sporting Versace, Chanel, Prada and Ferragamo, is assuming a new look and editorial tone. It is becoming a place that its new editor, Stefano Tonchi, hopes readers will go to not only …

Discussion: New York Observer

Martin Belam / currybetdotnet:

5 ways that The Guardian puts external links onto web pages — Last week, Patrick Smith sparked off a lot debate with a blog post entitled “Link to the past: why do some news sites STILL not link out in 2010?”. In it, he mentioned The Guardian website as being one of the best examples of linking out.

Chris Wheal:

Death reporting — Thank you to everyone who has chipped in about the death knock debate, privately by email and publicly through comments on my blog and others. I think there is scope for at least a leaflet to help families in similar situations and possibly a different way of behaving by the press.

Discussion: Guardian, Editor's Blog, Press Gazette and Jon Slattery

Lucia Moses / Mediaweek:

David Carey: The Architect — Hearst Corp. has tapped David Carey to design the future of its magazine division, and perhaps the entire company. Are his blueprints sound? — Condé Nast Portfolio was one of the most costly magazine launches in recent memory, burning through a reported $100 million.

Discussion: New York Observer