Mediagazer: ‘Be the Change: Save a Life’ With ABC News (Ann Reynolds/ABCNEWS)

2:25 PM ET, October 6, 2010

Top News:

At Flagging Tribune, Tales of a Bankrupt Culture — In January 2008, soon after the venerable Tribune Company was sold for $8.2 billion, Randy Michaels, a new top executive, ran into several other senior colleagues at the InterContinental Hotel next to the Tribune Tower in Chicago.

Kevin Roderick / LA Observed:

Tribune memo tries to kill NYT messenger on sex culture — Tribune Company chief Randy Michaels rushed out a memo to all the properties tonight trying to shoot down a long New York Times story posted tonight by David Carr. (See At Flagging Tribune, Tales of a Bankrupt Culture.)

Discussion: Romenesko, The Huffington Post and Chickaboomer

Tina Brown / The Daily Beast:

Howard Kurtz Joins The Daily Beast — Media and investigative reporter Howard Kurtz joins The Daily Beast as Washington Bureau Chief. The Daily Beast turns two tomorrow, and an early piece of birthday good news is that Howie Kurtz, who has won renown for his media and investigative reporting …

Howard Kurtz:
A personal note — I've just discovered what it is like to become a media metaphor.

Discussion: Romenesko and The Politico

Peter Kafka / MediaMemo:
Daily Beast's Tina Brown Brags About “Interesting Discussions” With Newsweek

Discussion: The Daily Beast, The Wrap and New York Times

Michael Liedtke / Associated Press:

USA Today's overhaul cuts 35 newsroom positions — SAN FRANCISCO - USA Today is eliminating 35 jobs from its newsroom as it de-emphasizes its print edition and feeds more content to mobile devices. — The cuts outlined in an internal memo Tuesday are part of a sweeping overhaul announced by USA Today Publisher Dave Hunke in August.

Discussion: The Wrap, Romenesko, FishbowlNY and Gannett Blog

the nytpicker:

It's True: Spaghetti Tacos “Expert,” Prof. Robert Thompson, Has Now Been Interviewed By 78 Different NYT Reporters. — In tomorrow's NYT, reporter Helene Stapinski performs what might appear to be a near-impossible feat of journalism dexterity — producing a college professor to support …

Discussion: Gawker, Romenesko, New York Times, Gothamist, The Awl, New York Magazine and Eater National

Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism:

Krishna Bharat named Hearst New Media Professional-in-Residence — Krishna Bharat, the founder and engineering head of Google News and a Google Distinguished Research Scientist, has been named the Hearst New Media Professional-in-Residence at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.

Alex Weprin / mediabistro.com:

WebMediaBrands Acquires 10,000 Words Blog — WebMediaBrands, the parent company of mediabistro.com, has acquired the blog 10000Words.net from Mark S. Luckie. Luckie is the national Innovations Editor for The Washington Post. The terms of the purchase were not disclosed.

Discussion: Romenesko

Jessica E. Vascellaro / Wall Street Journal:

Time Warner Sees Ally in Web — CEO Bewkes Backs Google TV, Sees ‘Massive’ Competition for Netflix, Hulu — The chief executive of Time Warner Inc. said he is turning to Google Inc. as an ally in his push to bring cable shows to users across various devices and that the Web giant's …

Discussion: NewTeeVee, New York Observer, Online Video News, Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Company Town

Tina Brown / The Daily Beast:

The Daily Beast Turns 2! — To mark our site's second birthday, we sent some questions to Tina Brown about traffic, far-flung datelines, and those rumors out there. On October 6, 2008, The Daily Beast was born. We celebrated by getting the editor and founder, Tina Brown, to answer some impertinent questions.

Discussion: New York Observer, Gawker, FishbowlNY and The Awl

Lois Beckett / Nieman Journalism Lab:

Trust, mobile, and money: New focal points (and hints for applicants) for the new Knight News Challenge — For the first time, this year's Knight News Challenge will be requesting entries in three specific categories: mobile, revenue models, and reputation/credibility.

Discussion: Poynter Online, MediaShift Idea Lab and Hacks/Hackers

Newsosaur / Reflections of a Newsosaur:

‘Community news sites are not a business yet’ — Although Jan Schaffer just produced a masterful analysis of how to run a grassroots news site, she came up dry on the crucial question of how to turn those journalistic labors of love into sustainable businesses.

Discussion: Romenesko, WebNewser and The Wall Blog

The Wall Blog:

NY Times boss says staying open to web crucial to paywall; details due in December — by @gordonmacmillan, posted on 6 October, 2010 at 8:50 am, filed under Media Owners, Paywall, Search Engines, Social Media, paid content and tagged Arthur Sulzberger Jr, Janet Robinson, Les Echo, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, The Times.

Emma Barnett / Telegraph:

Twitter is not for sale says new CEO Dick Costolo — Dick Costolo, the newly appointed chief executive of Twitter, has told The Telegraph that he has no plans to sell the site, despite his record of selling start-ups to big players. — Costolo, prior to joining Twitter …

Discussion: TechCrunch, more at Techmeme »

Staci D. Kramer / paidContent:

New York Times Co. Could Wind Up With Share Of Liverpool Football Club — In the oddest of twists, the New York Times Co. (NYSE: NYT) is on the verge of being part owner of a major UK football club. The publisher still holds nearly 17 percent of New England Sports Ventures, LLC …

Discussion: liverpoolfc.tv, Sky News and BBC

James Hibberd / The Hollywood Reporter:

ABC developing ‘Awkward Family Photos’ into series — ABC is developing some Awkward Family Photos. — In the latest viral online sensation to land a broadcast comedy deal, the concept behind the popular blog and book has been picked up at the network. — Sony Pictures TV is producing …

Discussion: TVWeek.com and New York Magazine

Mark Coddington:

CBS' Les Moonves: You may have the flashy devices, but we still have the content — Les Moonves, president of CBS Corp., was in Austin on Monday to receive an award from the University of Texas and give a lecture called “The Networks Strike Back: How Old Media Has Adapted to the New World.”

Discussion: TVNewser, Daily Texan, Romenesko, Show Tracker, Poynter Online and New York Magazine

Josh Halliday / Guardian:

Phone hacking: ex-News of the World journalist ‘tapped up’ by police — • Paul McMullan shown how to hack messages by teenage girl — • Believes police won't arrest him due to ‘worthy investigations’ — • 'I know lots of things about celebrities that their husbands don't'

Discussion: Journalism.co.uk and Guy Fawkes' blog

David Kaplan / paidContent:

PBS.org Revamp Aims To Make Local Content More ‘National’ — For the past few years, national media outlets from the NYT to AOL (NYSE: AOL) have been trying to build greater hyperlocal presences. PBS is trying to go in a different direction as it prepares to unveil a site redesign and new iPad app this month.

Discussion: WebNewser and Lost Remote

Mark Sweney / Guardian:

Smartphones bring mixed blessings for papers — Orange report shows consumers are reading more content online but buying fewer print products — The growing popularity of smartphones is proving a double-edged sword for newspaper publishers, with the number of consumers reading …

Ann Reynolds / ABCNEWS:

‘Be the Change: Save a Life’ With ABC News — ABC News to Broadcast Yearlong Global Health Series ‘Be the Change: Save a Life’ — ABC News today announced a yearlong project to focus attention on the diseases and health conditions that disproportionately afflict the world's poorest people.

Discussion: Romenesko, TVNewser, Mediaite, Media Decoder, Variety and Lost Remote

John Koblin / New York Observer:

A Print Dream Dies — During those dark days for media in 2008 and 2009, when the freelance well all but dried up, a little savior sprung out of Abu Dhabi. — In 2008, a weekly section dedicated to reportage and art and book reviews began as an insert called The Review in an English-language newspaper, The National.

Discussion: Variety

James Rainey / Los Angeles Times:

On the Media: Onetime TV consumer watchdogs now ply their trade elsewhere — David Horowitz, Alan Mendelson and Judd McIlvain fight to build even modest audiences nowadays. — David Horowitz was so big in the 1970s and '80s that he appeared regularly on the “Today” show and “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson.

Discussion: Romenesko and Talking Biz News

Katherine Spiers / The Wrap:

Lionsgate's Feltheimer: People Want Their Content When, Where They Want It — Lionsgate Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer spoke about the need for new economic models in the entertainment industry at the annual MIPCOM industry conference at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France Tuesday.

Discussion: Poynter Online and Variety

Cory Bergman / Lost Remote:

NBC Local praises social media for traffic jump — NBC Local Media, which runs ten large-market sites including NBCNewYork.com and NBCChicago.com, said today it's seen steady audience growth over the last year — up 32% in page views and up 20% in unique visitors.

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest and MediaPost

Michael H. Miller / New York Observer:

The Book Industry's New Danger Brigade — “I thought this was supposed to be a book party,” The Observer overheard a guest say at last week's launch for Mischief & Mayhem, a publishing imprint founded by Lisa Dierbeck, Joshua Furst, D. W. Gibson, Dale Peck and Choire Sicha in collaboration with OR Books.