Mediagazer: Study Questions Quality Of Local Site Traffic (Harry A. Jessell/NetNewsCheck)

4:00 PM ET, February 16, 2011

Top News:

A simple way for publishers to manage access to digital content — (Cross-posted on the Google News Blog) — At Humboldt University in Berlin today, Eric Schmidt announced Google One Pass, a service that lets publishers set their own prices and terms for their digital content.

Edmund Lee / AdAge:
Google Outbids Apple — Offers Publishers 90% Cut on Tablet Subs

Discussion: TechCrunch, memeburn, The Next Web, The Big Picture, PSFK, FishbowlNY and MacStories, more at Techmeme »

Rick Edmonds / Poynter: Media General to use Google One Pass in Virginia, Journalism Online metered model in N.C.

Leena Rao / TechCrunch:
Powered By Google Checkout, One Pass Is A Payment System For Content Publishers

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest, Editors Weblog, Engadget and Soup

Nathan Koppel / Wall Street Journal:

Apple's Subscription Rules Raise Possible Antitrust Issues — Apple Inc.'s new subscription service could draw antitrust scrutiny, according to law professors. — Apple will allow magazines, newspapers and other publishers to sell subscriptions of varying lengths to users of Apple's popular iPad, iTouch and iPhone products.

Antony Bruno / Billboard.Biz:
Apple's New Subscription Rules Could Kill Streaming Music Services

Discussion: paidContent, ReadWriteWeb, Editors Weblog, Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim, NAA Community, hypebot and eMedia Vitals

John Gapper / John Gapper's blog:
Apple's battle for control with Amazon

Discussion: Company Town, the Econsultancy blog, SAI, MediaNama, thebookseller.com/news …, mocoNews and AdAge

Jessica E. Vascellaro / Digits:

AOL and HuffPo Tap Booz, Talk Integration — As AOL and the Huffington Post plan their marriage, they've tapped Booz & Co. for help, according to people familiar with the matter. — The consultants are sitting in on an array of planning meetings over how to unite the editorial, product and sales staffs of the two organizations.

Dan Duray / New York Observer: From Mudslinger to Maverick! The Transformation of Kenneth Lerer

NPR:
Is Writing Online Without Pay Worth It?

Discussion: Metamedia and MediaPost

Scott Libin / Poynter:

WJLA General Manager Bill Lord on future of TBD.com: ‘We need to be more cost conscious, and we need more page views’ — In retrospect, maybe choosing the name TBD was prophetic. — Six months after its birth, the fate of the Washington, D.C., metro news site now appears to be determined …

Peter Kafka / MediaMemo:

Inside Twitter's Sales Machine: A Secret Guide for Advertisers (Video) — Twitter hopes to generate something like $100 million from advertising this year, but first it has to teach people how to buy its ads. Here's how it's doing that: A hand-holding how-to video, which walks through everything …

Discussion: The Next Web and @robinjp, more at Techmeme »

DealBook:

Borders Files for Bankruptcy — Borders Group, the beleaguered bookseller, filed for bankruptcy protection on Wednesday after failing to secure agreements with publishers and other vendors about reorganizing its debt. — The bookseller listed $1.29 billion in debt and $1.27 billion in assets …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, ReadWriteWeb, CrunchGear, Deal Journal, Digital Trends, AOL News, Jacket Copy, Moral Hazard, City Room, Gawker and Gothamist, more at Techmeme »

Kara Swisher / BoomTown:

Exclusive: Facebook Grabs Microsoft Global Ad Head Carolyn Everson — Apparently, it's not only in Google's pond where Facebook fishes for talent-the social networking giant has recruited Microsoft's global advertising head Carolyn Everson as one of its top sales execs.

Discussion: All Facebook, The Huffington Post, Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim, AdAge, CNET News, paidContent and ClickZ

Emily Steel / Wall Street Journal:

WPP to Unveil Interactive Ad Network — Advertising giant WPP PLC is preparing to unveil a new interactive ad agency network called Possible Worldwide, part of a broader push to reposition its business to tap global growth in digital ad dollars. — The network will stitch together four digital ad agencies …

Discussion: 5 Blogs Before Lunch and AdPulp

Suzi Parker / Politics Daily:

Lara Logan Assault: For Female Reporters, the Added Peril of Turbulent Places … Lara Logan appeared fearless and intrepid when she reported from war zones — exactly what you want in foreign correspondent. — The reporter “suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating” …

Discussion: The Wrap, The Wire, The Daily Caller, Poynter, The Huffington Post and The Atlantic Online

CBS News:
CBS News' Lara Logan Assaulted During Egypt Protests

Discussion: The Daily Beast, National Review, The Wrap, Media Decoder, Editors Weblog, Poynter, The Huffington Post, Politics Daily, Runnin' Scared, LA Observed, PopEater, The Wire, Press Gazette, Debbie Schlussel, Mediaite, Most Recent Home Page Posts …, Guardian, Big Government, AOL News, The Maynard Institute, Tuned In, ThinkProgress, coats2coats.com/wordpress, PopWatch, TVNewser, The News About The News, The Atlantic Online, The First Post, Salon, News Desk, rbr.com, Media Diary, On Media's Blog, About.com Journalism, TBD All News, Free Press, New York Magazine, From Inside the Box, Committee to Protect …, @rafat, @jeffbercovici, @brianstelter, @jaketapper, @thegarance, USA Today, FrumForum, The Frisky, FishbowlDC, Inside TV, Hot Air, Chickaboomer, The Daily Caller, The Atlantic Wire, The Informer, FishbowlNY, Broadcasting & Cable, Gawker, New York Observer, AmSpecBlog, NPR, @nbcnightlynews and Deadline.com

Foster Kamer / Esquire:
Lara Logan Assaulted in Egypt: Notes from the Night Before

Discussion: Runnin' Scared, TV Squad, Mediaite and Media Decoder

James Rainey / Los Angeles Times:

On the Media: Is a not-for-profit news website in the cards for L.A.? — Venture capitalist and former Times Mirror executive Tom Unterman is ‘very hopeful’ about launching the venture. First hurdle: $10 million. — I've been wondering for a couple of years whether someone would bring Los Angeles …

Discussion: LA Observed, Reuters and Poynter

Kat Stoeffel / New York Observer:

The Lion's Catty Boys: The Claws Come Out for Dan and Dave — The cubs are pawing each other over at the Lion. As the West Village spot bids to pick up the mantle of Waverly Inn, several stakeholders are distancing themselves and the restaurant from its two most conspicuous investors, Dan Abrams and Dave Zinczenko.

Discussion: Gawker

Harry A. Jessell / NetNewsCheck:

Study Questions Quality Of Local Site Traffic — On average, 55% of the visitors to locally oriented news and information Web sites are neither local nor loyal, but instead are readers from outside of the market and “fly-bys” unlikely to return frequently, according to a new study from Borrell Associates.

Discussion: @ckrewson

Dylan Stableford / The Wrap:

Comcast Profits Up as Company Looks for NBC Primetime Turnaround — With NBC Universal securely in its pocket, Comcast reported a 7 percent increase in fourth quarter revenue and an 11 percent jump in operating income on Wednesday, as cable customers ordered more services and advertising grew.

Discussion: MediaMemo, rbr.com, Online Video News, New York Times, CNET News, The Wire and Media Buyer Planner

Keith J. Kelly / New York Post:

Newsweek seeks voluntary buyouts after Daily Beast merger — The other shoe dropped at Newsweek today when it offered voluntary buyouts to about 30 employees covered by the Newspaper Guild contract. — The merger of Newsweek, owned by Sidney Harman, with IAC/InterActiveCorp's Daily Beast …

Discussion: Yahoo! News, New York Magazine and Poynter

Jeff Bliss / Bloomberg:

Texas Attorney General Seeks Google Ad Rate Formula — Texas Attorney General Gregg Abbott's office has requested an array of information from Google Inc., including the firm's formula for setting advertising rates, according to a demand for documents by state antitrust officials.

Discussion: Bits, New York Magazine, Fortune, Digital Daily and CNET News, more at Techmeme »

Joe Mullin / paidContent:

Have Media Companies Destroyed Their Copyrights With The ‘Share’ Button? — Righthaven has become controversial by taking a sue-first-ask-questions-later approach to copyright enforcement on behalf of its newspaper clients, which include MediaNews Group as well as the smaller chain that owns the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Joe Mullin / paidContent:

Movie Studios, Publishers Seek Limits On Celebrities' ‘Rights Of Publicity’ — What kind of control should celebrities have over creative works that involve their images? In a high-stakes case just argued in a California appeals court, media companies are asking for courts to place clearer limits …

Joe Pompeo / Yahoo! News:

Demand Media taps Peter Guber to motivate its freelancers (The Cutline) — Demand Media taps Peter Guber to motivate its freelancers — Demand Media has come under scrutiny not only for the less-than-modest rates it pays the army of freelancers who churn out servicey “how to” …

Dylan Stableford / The Wrap:

Time Revamps Magazine to Expand Entertainment Coverage — Time magazine is expected to announce on Wednesday a revamp within in the pages of its magazine in an effort to, among other things, expand its coverage of arts and entertainment culture, and showcase stuff that works well for Time online and on mobile devices, like the iPad.

Discussion: mediabistro.com