Mediagazer: Internet freedom initiative mere lip service? (Jillian C. York/Al Jazeera)

4:40 PM ET, November 6, 2011

Top News:

Andy Rooney dead at 92 — Andy Rooney, the “60 Minutes” commentator known to generations for his wry, humorous and contentious television essays - a unique genre he is credited with inventing - died Friday night in a hospital in New York City of complications following minor surgery.

Julie Moos / Poynter:

‘60 Minutes’ mainstay Andy Rooney dies at 92, a month after retirement — Andrew Aitken Rooney started working at CBS in 1949 as a writer. He left the network briefly in the early 1970s but returned in '73. He first appeared on “60 Minutes” in 1977 and became a regular in 1978 …

Discussion: Mixed Media, The Wrap, mnilive.com, TVNewser, TVNewser, rbr.com, Speakeasy, Forbes, Mediaite, Kempton, Multichannel, Broadcasting & Cable, FishbowlNY, Gawker, TVSpy and Mediaite

Steve Yelvington / yelvington.com:

Gateways in the Chinese wall — In business, a Chinese wall is an information barrier that separates one part of the company from another. In newspapers, there's a Chinese wall between the journalism part (the newsroom) and the business part (advertising), and usually also the opinion part (the editorial page).

Discussion: Future of Journalism and 10,000 Words

Jillian C. York / Al Jazeera:

Internet freedom initiative mere lip service? — The US and EU decry Syria's actions, but remain silent on the threats faced by bloggers in other Middle Eastern nations. — For years, the Middle East has led the world in online repression. Over the course of the past year …

Discussion: @jeffjarvis

Tom Fiedler / CommonWealth Magazine:

What happens when a community loses its newspaper? — In Holyoke, residents still mourn the loss of the T-T nearly 20 years later — Holyoke City Hall, looking up Dwight Street — FOR DAYS, HUNDREDS of callers speaking in the hushed tones more commonly reserved for funeral parlors …

Discussion: Future of Journalism

Peter Kafka / AllThingsD:

Wait a Minute. Does Google Really Want to Be a Cable Guy? — Google, which is launching a broadband service in Kansas City, has been thinking about adding cable TV to its offering there, The Wall Street Journal reports. The search giant has been talking to the likes of Time Warner …

Discussion: Epicenter and Company Town

Will Richmond / VideoNuze: Google To Go Over-the-Top and Compete With Pay-TV Operators? Don't Bet On Success.

Arthur Sulzberger / Charlie Beckett:

The continuing digital transformation of the New York Times — The chairman of the New York Times Arthur Sulzberger gave a talk at Polis LSE on the continuing digital transformation of the New York Times on November 1st. — Here is the text. — New York Times' interactivity — Good afternoon everyone.

Discussion: The Evolving Newsroom, Talking Biz News and Future of Journalism

Daniel Boffey / Guardian:

Murdoch gave loyal lieutenant Rebekah Brooks £1.7m pay-off, car and office — News International chairman may face questions in Commons over generous severance deal despite phone-hacking scandal — Rebekah Brooks, the former News of the World editor who resigned as chief executive …

Discussion: Digital Spy and Gawker

Julie Moos / Poynter:

Wales: ‘Journalists all use Wikipedia’ — During a visit to Qatar for an education summit, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales told Foreign Policy that he considers the collaborative encyclopedia to be social media, but not a social network. With millions of people relying on Wikipedia …

Discussion: Foreign Policy

Peter Kafka / AllThingsD:

If YouTube Is Doing $1.6 Billion a Year, Why Does It Need Hollywood? — Google refuses to hand out any details about YouTube's financial performance, but Wall Street keeps on guesstimating. Here's a new one: The world's biggest video site will generate $1.6 billion in revenue this year, says Barclays Capital Anthony DiClemente.

Discussion: Future of Journalism

Gabriel Sherman / New York Magazine:

Elisabeth of the Murdochs — With her husband and privy counselor, Matthew Freud, the Murdochs' prodigal daughter is trying to finally get her due. — Elisabeth Murdoch has always had to fight for her father's attention, never easy in a family that was focused on the sons.

Discussion: Vanity Fair, Guardian and Business Insider

The Huffington Post:

Matthew VanDyke, American Journalist Who Joined Libyan Rebels Returning To US — LINTHICUM, Md. — An American writer is returning home Saturday after spending more than five months in solitary confinement in Libyan prisons, then joining the rebel forces who opposed dictator Moammar Gadhafi.