Mediagazer: A Sacrifice to Appease NPR's Gods (David Carr/New York Times)

1:50 PM ET, January 10, 2011

Top News:

Jack Shafer / Slate:

In Defense of Inflamed Rhetoric — The attempted assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and the killing of six innocents outside a Tucson Safeway has bolstered the ongoing argument that when speaking of things political, we should all avoid using inflammatory rhetoric and violent imagery.

Discussion: CJR, New York Times, New York Times, The Daily Dish, Hot Air, Reason, Guardian, The Plum Line, New York Magazine, The New Yorker Blog, Runnin' Scared, Media Research Center, NewsBusters.org blogs, The Caucus, Wall Street Journal, Daily Kos and Yahoo! News

Steve Safran / Lost Remote:
How incorrect reports of Giffords' death spread on Twitter

Las Vegas Blog: CNN Exec Explains Photo Snafu, But Questions Remain

David Carr / New York Times:

A Sacrifice to Appease NPR's Gods — A long time ago, a kingdom was beset by tempestuous storms, and it was decided that one of the most prized citizens would be fed to the volcano as a sacrifice to appease the punishing gods. After the sacrifice was made and the crowd exulted …

Discussion: Chickaboomer

Dylan Stableford / The Wrap:

Hef Taking Playboy Private — Playboy is going private. — The board of directors for the iconic but struggling men's brand has agreed to 84-year-old founder Hugh Hefner's $6.15-per-share offer to take the company private. — Hefner first made a $5.50-per-share offer in July.

Discussion: Chicago Breaking Business, Media Decoder, Guardian, rbr.com, Folio, Multichannel, Gawker, TechCrunch and minonline.com

Financial Times:

Financial Times Launches FT Tilt — NEW YORK/LONDON: The Financial Times today announces the launch of FT Tilt, a premium online financial news and analysis service focused exclusively on the emerging world. It serves finance professionals who have a direct interest in these markets …

Discussion: Paul Kedrosky's … and Talking Biz News

Felix Salmon:

FT Tilt: A blog behind a paywall — FT Tilt has now officially launched. Calling itself “a premium online financial news and analysis service focused exclusively on the emerging world,” it has a total staff of 12, including 8 reporters scattered around the world.

Discussion: The Next Web, paidContent:UK and Talking Biz News

Jeff Bercovici / Mixed Media:

The Day of The Daily: Murdoch's iPad Thingy Coming Jan. 19 — Mark your calendars, media nerds. Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011 is the day it all changes. Maybe. — That's the planned launch date for The Daily, the iPad-only publication News Corp. has been feverishly developing.

Discussion: FishbowlNY, New York Observer, RazorianFly, MacRumors, New York Magazine and Poynter, more at Techmeme »

Sam Schechner / Wall Street Journal:

CNN Mulls Show Shake-Up — Amid Ratings Struggle, Network May Replace Kathleen Parker on ‘Parker Spitzer’ — CNN is considering replacing Kathleen Parker, co-host of its new evening program “Parker Spitzer,” according to people familiar with the matter, as the network struggles to reverse a steep slide in its evening audience.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Poynter, The Wire, Yahoo! News, On Media's Blog, TVNewser, mediabistro.com, Moneywood, Chickaboomer, Inside Cable News, Mediaite, Gawker, Gothamist and New York Magazine

Brian Stelter / Media Decoder:

YouTube Introduces Weekly Talk Show — If most television networks can have talk shows featuring celebrities, why not YouTube? — The “Partners Project,” which started last month, is being positioned as the talk show of YouTube, featuring contributors who have drawn online audiences of millions.

Discussion: Editors Weblog

Simon Dumenco / AdAge:

Media in 2011: The (Real) Year of Living Dangerously — On Print Survivors, IPad Glossy Sales, Paywalls and Beautifully Low Budgets — CHEAP AND SMART: FX's ‘Louie’ was made on small budget. — Media people love bad news — everybody knows that. But what's been surprising …

Discussion: Poynter

Fred / A VC:

Content Shifting — I got this comment from @Daryn on yesterday's SoundCloud post: … To which I replied: … Once you use a service like Instapaper or Boxee Watch Later, this kind of thing becomes muscle memory. You want to be able to content shift everywhere and onto every device.

Discussion: PSFK

Wall Street Journal:

Disney, Yahoo Look at Internet TV — Walt Disney Co. is discussing making video from some of its television networks available on sets embedded with Yahoo Inc.'s Internet-TV software, people familiar with the matter said. — Such new offerings would propel Yahoo into a broader battle …

Discussion: GigaOM, more at Techmeme »

Lynn Cowan / Wall Street Journal:

Nielsen IPO to Gauge Appetite of Investors — This week marks the start of the year's first IPO investor road shows in the U.S., and among the companies wooing investors, a biggie is expected: consumer-analytics specialist Nielsen HoldingsBV. — Nielsen, which tracks consumer behavior ranging …

Richard Sandomir / New York Times:

Onion Hopes Parody of ‘SportsCenter’ Leaves Viewers Saying Boo-Yah — Few television programs are as familiar to fans as ESPN's “SportsCenter.” By filtering news through its pacing, theme music, anchor banter, graphics and set design, “SportsCenter” reflects and contributes to the national sports obsession.

Brian Stelter / New York Times:

The TV-Internet Nuptials — LAS VEGAS — The blending of television and the Internet is inevitable. But will it happen in concert with the major cable and satellite distributors, or in spite of them? — That question loomed large at the Consumer Electronics Show last week …

Discussion: Beet.TV

Anthony Crupi / Mediaweek:

Apps Irk Cable Nets — Comcast's scheme to begin streaming live video content to iPads and other tablets precipitated a flurry of legal correspondence last week, as several cable network groups made it clear that they had not signed off on any such arrangement.

Frédéric Filloux / Monday Note:

Le Monde: a blueprint of a turnaround — The iconic French newspaper Le Monde is about to begin a new chapter of its complicated history. Last September, what remains France's most influential paper changed hands (see previous Monday Note Le Monde's escape velocity and story in NY Times' DealBook).

Discussion: Editors Weblog

Jeremy W. Peters / Media Decoder:

Jack Griffin Makes His Mark on Time Inc. Magazines — In case there was any doubt about who really runs the show at Time Inc., readers now have an answer. — Jack Griffin, who took the reins as chief executive in September, has directed all Time publications to begin running mastheads …