Mediagazer: Tight Credit Stymies MediaNews Deal With Freedom (Wall Street Journal)

10:35 AM ET, August 22, 2011

Top News:

Newspapers Edit Down Outlooks — Newspaper companies are resetting their advertising expectations after a discouraging first half of the year, a shift that could spur a return to more of the job cuts and other belt-tightening moves that spread through the industry in 2008 and 2009.

Discussion: Poynter, Gawker and On Media's Blog

Wall Street Journal:

Tight Credit Stymies MediaNews Deal With Freedom — Unstable markets have stalled a deal for MediaNews Group Inc. to buy Freedom Communications Inc.'s newspapers, people familiar with the matter said, setting back the companies' efforts to navigate a more challenging media landscape.

Discussion: Reuters and Guardian

Wall Street Journal:

Hulu Ponders Its Next Move — With Suitors' Bids Due Wednesday, Video Service Considers Future Structure — The companies trying to sell Hulu LLC are beginning a big game of chess that could lead them to redefine the popular video service once again. — Initial bids are due by Wednesday …

Discussion: CNET News, digiday:DAILY, Future of Journalism and The Business Insider, more at Techmeme »

ABC News:

Murdoch told me to have someone followed: Buttrose — Media figure Ita Buttrose says Rupert Murdoch suggested she have someone followed while chasing a story in her time as editor-in-chief of the Sunday Telegraph and Daily Telegraph. — On Australian Story tonight, Ms Buttrose …

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest

Brian Stelter / New York Times:

Local TV Newscasts Expanding — ST. LOUIS — Coming soon to this city's television screens: more news at 4 in the morning, again at 10, and at 4 in the afternoon. — KSDK, the local NBC affiliate, is adding newscasts to those time slots next month, giving it six and a half hours of local news each weekday, its highest count to date.

Discussion: Future of Journalism and Gannett Blog

James Robinson / Guardian:

‘Google needs TV’ will be message at Edinburgh — Eric Schmidt, chairman of Google, is expected to offer television executives an olive branch - and perhaps even some funding — • An open letter from Tess Alps of Thinkbox — When Google's chairman Eric Schmidt gives the MacTaggart lecture …

Discussion: Media Week and Future of Journalism, more at Techmeme »

Alex Weprin / TVNewser:

Ayman Mohyeldin Leaves Al Jazeera for NBC News — Al Jazeera English correspondent Ayman Mohyeldin, who was the face of that channel during the Egypt uprising, is joining NBC News as a foreign correspondent in September. Mohyeldin will be based in the Middle East for NBC …

Discussion: nbcuniversal.presscentre.com, Facebook and @aymanm

David Carr / New York Times:

Comic's PAC Is More Than a Gag — Let's start with a spot political quiz. Which of the following are legitimate political action committees known as Super PACs, and which is fake? — A) Citizens for a Working America — B) Make Us Great Again — C) Citizens for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow

Discussion: The New York Observer, Splitsider and New York Magazine

Staci D. Kramer / paidContent:

Miramax Launching Multi-Title Facebook Movie App In U.S., UK & Turkey — Watching movies on Facebook isn't new—Warner Bros. (NYSE: TWX), Paramount and Universal each are trying variations on the theme. But today, paidContent can report, Miramax is launching the largest-scale Facebook …

Discussion: Fast Company and The Next Web, more at Techmeme »

Chris Ariens / TVNewser:

Covering the Imminent Fall of Tripoli — CNN is going into overdrive tonight covering what Libyan rebels hope is the imminent fall of Tripoli. CNN is simulcasting CNN International programming anchored by Hala Gorani and Michael Holmes withWolf Blitzer in D.C. Correspondent Matthew Chance …

Discussion: Guardian and Future of Journalism

Street Fight:

Ex-'Rocky' Editor Weighs in on YourHub — Street Fight Columnist Tom Grubisich's recent piece about the trials and tribulations of the Denver Post's YourHub hyperlocal network sparked plenty of debate among readers in our comments and over social media. Among those responding was John Temple …

Chris Roush / Talking Biz News:

Forbes and advertisers: Is history repeating itself? — TALKING BIZ NEWS EXCLUSIVE — One of the changes that has been made at Forbes magazine during the past several years is that it has begun offering blog space on its website to companies. — Such a blending of editorial and advertising …

Frédéric Filloux / Monday Note:

Innovation in turbulent times — News organizations have an innovation problem. Especially print media. As they gingerly wade into digital, their ability to foster innovation becomes more critical than ever. In today's fast-changing landscape, they should view innovation as their main weapon …

Zee / The Next Web:

Twitter Just Got the Respect it Deserves — If you're one to check your analytics on a daily basis you may have noticed a pretty sharp increase in referrals from Twitter's “t.co” domains. We noticed it almost immediately on Wednesday but naively didn't pay much attention.

Discussion: eMedia Vitals and getclicky.com/blog