Mediagazer: Libel reform: juries should be dropped for most trials, says committee (Josh Halliday/Guardian)

Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:

Murdochs' Infighting Clouds Future of News Corp. — LONDON — It was a striking display of unity: Rupert and James Murdoch, father and son, walking side by side through central London as they faced a crisis that had laid siege to their company. Pushing through a crush of paparazzi on a street …

Discussion: On Media's Blog, Guardian, Gawker, Reuters, FishbowlNY, New York Magazine, The Huffington Post, NetNewsCheck Latest, Free Press, Poynter, Company Town, Press Gazette, NPR, @brianstelter and @jeffjarvis

Edmund Lee / Bloomberg:

News Corp. Ignored Aberrant WSJ Data — News Corp. (NWSA), the media company facing an investor uprising over its business practices, was alerted to a plan to inflate circulation at the Wall Street Journal Europe almost a year before the newspaper's publisher resigned, according to a former employee and internal documents.

Discussion: Talking Biz News and Future of Journalism

Philipp Grontzki / MarketWatch:
Dow Jones to launch online German version of WSJ

Discussion: paidContent

James Robinson / Guardian:

NI lawyer says he knew its ‘rogue reporter’ defence was wrong — Farrer & Co partner tells MPs he was aware company had misled parliament but did not act because of client confidentiality — A lawyer who acted for News International (NI) over phone-hacking claims has told MPs he knew …

James Murdoch ‘had to sign off hacking payouts over £250,000’ — He has previously told MPs he was not aware of the details behind the Taylor deal — News International's lawyers needed the personal approval of James Murdoch to go beyond an official ceiling of about £250,000 …

Discussion: Guardian

Gordon MacMillan / Brand Republic: Tom Watson buys News Corp shares and will attend the AGM

Jeff Bercovici / Forbes:

The Daily Is No. 1 On Apple's Newsstand — Apple's Newsstand app seems to be a boon for publishers, and no one's benefiting from it more than The Daily. News Corp.'s eight-month-old iPad-only publication has been the No. 1 seller in the digital storefront since it launched last week …

Thanks:timcohn

Discussion: 10,000 Words, paidContent:UK, MacStories, eMedia Vitals, GigaOM, ukaop.org.uk and Business Insider

Julie Moos / Poynter:

USA Today managing editor leaves to become Bar Association media relations director — Carol Stevens, who has worked at USA Today for 14 years, is leaving her post as managing editor/news of the Gannett paper to become the media relations director for the American Bar Association.

Discussion: Gannett Blog

Kara Swisher / AllThingsD:

What Not to Do in Hong Kong (Trust Me on This One) — How shall I put this as delicately as I am known for: So I went to AsiaD in Hong Kong and all I got was this lousy transient ischemic attack. — First off: I'm doing great, have recovered all functions completely, and have even had a couple of scoops while bedridden.

Discussion: Business Insider, The Next Web, The Loop and Poynter, more at Techmeme »

Keach Hagey / On Media's Blog:

POLITICO, Random House launch online bookstore — POLITICO has taken its second step into the book business today with the launch of an online bookstore, in partnership with Random House, of political books curated by POLITICO's editors. — “POLITICO Bookshelf” will be operated …

Discussion: Poynter, GalleyCat and paidContent

Robert Andrews / paidContent:

The Economist Bows To Apple Terms As iOS 5 Breaks Its App — The Economist is finally moving to an iPad strategy compliant with Apple's new developer terms, after what it calls “iOS bugs” under the new iOS 5 broke its non-compliant app edition. — The newspaper's debut app appears …

Discussion: CNET News

Laura Hazard Owen / paidContent:

Kobo Announces Kindle Fire Competitor, The $199.99 WiFi Vox Tablet — In an effort to compete with Amazon's Kindle Fire, e-reading company Kobo is launching a tablet of its own: The $199.99 Kobo Vox, a 7-inch Android, WiFi color tablet that starts shipping October 28. How does it stack up to the Kindle Fire?

Discussion: paidContent:UK and eBookNewser

Liz Gannes / AllThingsD:

The Company Behind WordPress Invests in Newspaper Toolmaker OwnLocal — The open source blogging start-up Automattic has made its first investment, leading a round of funding in Austin, Texas-based OwnLocal, which offers tools for newspapers to help local businesses with their Web presence.

Discussion: VentureBeat, GigaOM and VatorNews

Kat Stoeffel / The New York Observer:

How the Print-Digital Divide Endures at The New York Times — On Thursday, Jill Abramson, executive editor of The New York Times, announced that the paper sought to eliminate up to 20 newsroom positions through voluntary buyouts. — Unlike the round of 100 buyouts that occurred in 2009 …

Jeff Bercovici / Forbes:

Reuters Chief Addresses Flap Over That Soros Story, Sort Of — Journalists at Reuters are scratching their heads today after receiving a puzzling memo from their editor in chief, Steve Adler. Headlined “Editorial Update,” the memo appears to have been drafted in response …

Discussion: Guardian

Meagan Fitzpatrick / CBC News:

Internet links not libel, top court rules — Hyperlinking to defamatory material on the internet does not constitute publishing the defamatory material itself, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled Wednesday. — The ruling will alleviate fears that holding someone liable for how they use hyperlinks …

Josh Halliday / Guardian:

Libel reform: juries should be dropped for most trials, says committee — Parliamentary group backs measures to curb online defamation and make it more difficult for big corporations to sue newspapers — Libel trials by jury should be abolished for all but exceptional cases involving public figures …

Discussion: Journalism.co.uk, Journalism.co.uk, Press Gazette and Editors Weblog

James Rainey / Los Angeles Times:

On the Media: Gary E. Knell wants to ‘retell’ the NPR story — The incoming president of the public radio network plans to make the case to Congress for its value. — Big Bird, Elmo and their pals made huggable toys and helped turn “Sesame Street” into a durable worldwide brand.

Discussion: Poynter

Tim Molloy / The Wrap:

Frances Manfredi Promoted to President of NBCU Cable, New Media Distribution — Frances Manfredi has been promoted to president of NBCUniversal Cable and New Media Distribution.

Discussion: Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel

Dan Sabbagh / Guardian:

Press regulation should be ‘all inclusive’, says Lord Judge — No national titles should opt out of PCC, suggests Lord Chief Justice in criticism of Express Newspapers — Lord Judge, the Lord Chief Justice, said that Richard Desmond and other newspaper owners should not be allowed to duck …

Discussion: The Guardian

Michael Learmonth / AdAge:

In Web TV Service, A Glimpse of the Future — RadixTV Is Designed Not to Disrupt Cable, At Least Not Today — Live TV, distributed over the web: The very idea is disruptive to the cable and satellite companies that have spent billions laying cable and launching satellites.

Jon Orlin / TechCrunch:

TechCrunch TV Launches On Your TV — TechCrunch TV is now really TechCrunch TV. When TCTV launched last year, the focus was on viewing our videos on the computer. Not on TV. Ok, we called it “TechCrunch TV” because it sounded a lot better than “TechCrunch Video”.

Sunny Freeman / Winnipeg Free Press:

Glacier Media to acquire B.C. papers from Postmedia for $86.5 million — Glacier Media Inc. (TSX:GVC) says it will buy the Victoria Times Colonist and other daily and community papers in British Columbia, continuing a recent wave of deals in the Canadian newspaper industry.

Discussion: Adweek and Guardian

Laura Hazard Owen / paidContent:

Book Site For Twentysomethings Aims To Fill A Gap — The 18- to 34-year-old demographic, long sought by advertisers and TV shows, is now in the sights of a new website, Book Riot, which aims to bring a funny, irreverent take on literature to what it believes is an underserved group of readers.

Discussion: The New York Observer and BOOK RIOT

Jack Shenker / Guardian:

Jailed Egyptian blogger on hunger strike says ‘he is ready to die’ — Maikel Nabil Sanad declares he would prefer suicide to being tried by military junta for criticising the army in his blog — An Egyptian blogger jailed for criticising the country's military junta has declared himself ready to die …