Mediagazer: Neil Wallis gives evidence (Guardian)

11:20 AM ET, December 12, 2011

Top News:

Brian Stelter / Media Decoder:

BuzzFeed Adds Politico Writer — BuzzFeed, a site where the editors and algorithms sift the Web in search of viral articles elsewhere, has decided that it needs articles of its own. — In a move that is sure to surprise the political and journalistic classes, the site is hiring Ben Smith …

Discussion: The Awl, Nieman Journalism Lab, The New York Observer, Mediaite, FishbowlDC, Gawker, JIMROMENESKO.COM, The Corsair, New York Magazine, @peretti and @benpolitico

Steve Myers / Poynter:

Politico's Ben Smith becomes BuzzFeed editor — Ben Smith says at BuzzFeed, “I'll be trying to help build the first true social news organization - that is, an outfit built on the understanding that readers increasingly get and share their news on Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms.”

Guardian:

Neil Wallis gives evidence — • Former News of the World investigations editor Mazher Mahmood says he was not aware of phone hacking — • He says ‘all the fingers were pointing towards the [NoW] news desk’ over hacking after Clive Goodman was arrested

Discussion: Press Gazette, Journalism.co.uk, The Independent and Telegraph

Guardian: Met police chief's rediscovered diaries reveal meals with NoW executives

Telegraph: Phone Hacking: confirmed victims ‘total about 800’, says police inquiry chief

Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:

Evidence suggests NoW did not delete Dowler messages — New evidence has emerged suggesting that News of the World journalists were not responsible for the deletion of mobile phone messages which gave Milly Dowler's family false hope she was alive. — The News of the World is not believed …

Discussion: Guardian, The Huffington Post and Journalism.co.uk

Guardian:

Phone hacking: full text of statement issued by Dowler family lawyer — Mark Lewis of Taylor Hampton Solicitors has issued a statement on behalf of Bob and Sally Dowler — It has been reported that contrary to what the Metropolitan police had said to the Dowler family earlier this year …

Discussion: The Independent, newsfeed.time.com, Daily Mail, Deadline.com, Press Gazette and Journalism.co.uk

Lisa O'Carroll / @lisaocarroll: Audioboo: Nick Davies debates with @theboylatch and Mark Lewis over Milly Dowler voicemail deletions http://t.co/UScMJhsa #leveson

Chris Velazco / TechCrunch:

Steve Jobs Biography Is Amazon's Best-Selling Book Of The Year — Move over, Tina Fey — Amazon has just released the list of their ten best-selling books of the year, and Walter Isaacson's thoughtful biography of Steve Jobs has come out on top. — The biography's appearance at the top …

Discussion: Amazon.com and GeekWire

David Carr / New York Times:

When Truth Survives Free Speech — Last week, a story came across my desk that seemed to suggest that a blogger had been unfairly nailed with a $2.5 million defamation award after a judge refused to give her standing as a journalist. A businessman who was the target of the blogger's inquiries brought the suit.

Discussion: Media Nation, Poynter and Future of Journalism

Michael Calderone / The Huffington Post:

Newt Gingrich Spokesman Outs Candidate As Anonymous Source — The New Hampshire Union Leader recently quoted “a senior aide in the [Newt] Gingrich campaign” pushing hard, and at length, against criticism from former Governor John H. Sununu, an outspoken surrogate for Mitt Romney's campaign.

Discussion: New York Times and ABCNEWS

Dylan Byers / Politico: On ‘Gingrich aide,’ a heated no comment from McQuaid

Joe Pompeo / Capital New York:

Huffington Post to launch a version in Spain, to be called El Huffington Post — The Huffington Post has just signed a deal with Spanish newspaper El Pais to produce a new version of the caffeinated news brand Arianna Huffington has made famous in the United States.

Discussion: The Awl, paidContent and mediabistro.com

Dylan Stableford / Yahoo! News:

Ratings: ABC/Yahoo News Republican debate drew biggest audience of 2012 race so far — The ABC News/Yahoo News Republican presidential debate drew 7.58 million total viewers on Saturday night, making it the most-watched GOP debate of the 2012 campaign season so far.

Laura Hazard Owen / paidContent:

With Netflix For Nook Color, Barnes & Noble Fights Against Kindle Fire — Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) is blurring the lines between the $199 Nook Color and $249 Nook Tablet with a major update for the Color, adding access to streaming video through Netflix (NSDQ: NFLX).

Discussion: TechCrunch and CNET News, more at Techmeme »

Ingrid Lunden / paidContent:
Under Fire, Amazon Says Kindle Fire Is Getting An Update Within Two Weeks

Discussion: TechCrunch, AllThingsD and Forbes, more at Techmeme »

Brian Stelter / Media Decoder:

Geraldo Rivera Gets Talk Deal on WABC Radio — Geraldo Rivera's been called a lot of names in his life. Here's a new one: radio talk show host. — In a deal to be announced Monday, Mr. Rivera will host the 10 and 11 a.m. hours on WABC in Manhattan, one of the nation's biggest stations.

Discussion: rbr.com, FishbowlNY, TVNewser and Inside Cable News

Josh Halliday / Guardian:

Pearson to sell FTSE stake for £450m — Financial Times and Penguin owner Pearson to sell 50% stake in FTSE International group in shift from financial data — Pearson is to sell its 50% stake in the FTSE International group to the London Stock Exchange for £450m in cash.

Discussion: Media Week

Georg Szalai / Hollywood Reporter:

Time Warner Revises $1.3 Billion Bid for Endemol to All-Cash Offer … NEW YORK - Time Warner revised its 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) bid for Dutch reality TV powerhouse Endemol, the producer of Big Brother, Deal or No Deal and others to an all-cash offer, the New York Post reported.

Discussion: Company Town and New York Post