Mediagazer: The quality journalism project: investigating Wendy Bacon (Amber Jamieson/Crikey)

9:55 AM ET, August 24, 2011

Top News:

Laura Hazard Owen / paidContent:

MediaNews Group Consolidates Eleven Bay Area Papers Into Two — California's Bay Area residents are a couple months away from losing many of their local newspapers, as the Bay Area News Group—a division of MediaNews Group—consolidates eleven newspapers, including the Oakland Tribune, into just two: The Times and the East Bay Tribune.

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest, LA Observed and Future of Journalism

Jim Romenesko / Poynter:

About 120 lose jobs in Bay Area News Group rebranding, streamlining — The existing Bay Area News Group (BANG) newspapers titles will continue to be published after the changes take effect on November 2, 2011, but under two consolidated mastheads. The Contra Costa Times, Valley Times …

Discussion: Dublin Patch

Jeff Bercovici / Mixed Media:

Does StumbleUpon Really Drive More Traffic Than Facebook? — StumbleUpon, the social discovery service, has about 15 million users. Is it possible it could be directing more traffic to outside websites than Facebook, which has more than 700 million? — That's what StumbleUpon founder Garrett Camp claims.

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest, Editors Weblog and Click Here Blog

Jeff Sonderman / Poynter: What you need to know about StumbleUpon, the Web's newly-hot referral source

Gina Lovett / New Media Age:

Specific Media to launch video creative testing tool — Specific Media is to launch a video version of its creative campaign testing technology that uses eye-tracking. — The tool for display advertising analyses the impact of advertising creative by tracking user eye movement.

Discussion: Future of Journalism and Medacity

Jeremy W. Peters / Media Decoder:

Carlos Slim Adds to Stake in Times Company — Carlos Slim Helú, the Mexican billionaire who is by some accounts the world's richest man, has added to his holdings in The New York Times Company. — In a regulatory filing Monday, Mr. Slim and members of his family …

Bloomberg:
Billionaire Slim Boosts Stakes in NYT as Market Slumps

Discussion: MediaPost, Poynter, Future of Journalism, New York Magazine, On Media's Blog and FishbowlNY

Leslie Horn / PC Magazine:

Report: As Tablets Market Grows, Paper Media Will Have Steep Decline — As print goes increasingly digital, many wonder if the growth of the tablet and e-reader space mean the death of traditional paper media. A new report from RISI, a company that monitors the paper industry, says it doesn't look good for print.

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest, Future of Journalism, Publishing Executive News, Noted and BtoB Magazine

Amber Jamieson / Crikey:

The quality journalism project: investigating Wendy Bacon — Shining a light on injustice and corruption isn't an easy, but it's a critical aspect of journalism and democracy. Walkley award-winning journalist Wendy Bacon has done just that, examining official corruption in NSW …

David Higgerson:

How the NCTJ proved that asking the wrong question is one of the most basic fact-finding failings — “Asking the right question, that's the key to journalism.” It's one of the many pieces of advice I received from the experienced and wise old hands who mentored me during my first job …

Discussion: One Man & His Blog, AndyDickinson.net, Press Gazette and Headlines and Deadlines

Robin Wauters / TechCrunch:

Online Video Platform Company Brightcove Files For $50 Million IPO — Online video platform company Brightcove this morning announced that it has filed a registration statement on Form S-1 with the SEC in connection with a proposed IPO of its common stock. The company is looking to raise up to $50 million through the offering.

Discussion: paidContent and Business Wire

Adrian Chen / Gawker:

CNN Thinks All Tripolis Look the Same — According to this CNN screenshot (apparently from Monday), Libyan rebels are advancing on Tripoli, Lebanon. Wrong continent, guys! They all do sort of look the same, if you are a 4th grader trying to pass her geography pop quiz. — Let's give them a break.

Discussion: The New York Observer, TVNewser and Mediaite

Erik Wemple:

Washington, D.C., earthquake: The coverage, assessed — A frenzied roundup of D.C. earthquake coverage, featuring no particular order or logic: — Huffington Post, as per usual, masters the great teaser: QUAKE! Media goes nuts. The coverage, delivered in SEO splendor (Washington …

Discussion: Washington Post, DCist and TBD All News

Colby Hall / Mediaite:

CNN's Sara Sidner Gets Grazed By Bullet Casings During Live Report In Tripoli — While reporting live from Tripoli and the fall of the Gaddafi regime, CNN's Sara Sidner was so close to the gunfire (celebratory or other) that she actually was grazed by a shell while reporting live on television.

Discussion: mediabistro.com, The Wire, Forbes and TVNewser

Tim Cuprisin / onmilwaukee.com:
OnMedia: The courage of CNN's Tripoli reporters

Discussion: The Wire and Big News Network.com

Joanne Ostrow / Denver Post:

Al Jazeera is reliable and often ahead of the curve in its coverage of Libya — Libyans watch an Al Jazeera channel at freedom square in Benghazi, Libya. The news network's coverage has been lauded as reliable and often ahead of the curve. (Gianluigi Guercia, AFP/Getty Images )

Discussion: Future of Journalism and Mediaite

Edan Lepucki / The Millions:

Shutting the Drawer: What Happens When a Book Doesn't Sell? — 1. — In May, after my novel manuscript had been read and rejected by a healthy number of editors, my husband rewrote my author bio. It read as follows: … As an American woman living in an uncool neighborhood in Los Angeles, I thought this hilarious.

Peter Kafka / AllThingsD:

Why the MP3Tunes Case Is a Big Deal You Won't Notice — Yesterday, a U.S. District Court Judge handed down a decision which slapped around a big music label and put an entrepreneur on the hook for what could be a very big legal bill. — What does that mean for the rest of us?

Discussion: CNN, Michael's Minute, Softpedia News and VentureBeat