Mediagazer: What Is Good Fact-Checking? — Amid Politifact's “lie of the year” … (Mac McClelland/Mother Jones)

6:00 AM ET, December 22, 2011

Top News:

Inky Reporter Nancy Phillips Talks About the Bill Conlin Investigation — “It wasn't that complicated. I wouldn't put this among my top accomplishments as a reporter,” she says — Inquirer investigative ace Nancy Phillips has been deluged with emails, voicemails, tweets …

Discussion: Future of Journalism, Deadspin, MetaFilter, New York Times and Speak Easy

Nancy Phillips / Philly.com:
Another woman comes forward over abuse by Bill Conlin

Discussion: Philly.com

A.J. Daulerio / Deadspin:
A Conversation With Bill Conlin The Day Before The Inquirer Dropped Its Molestation Story

Discussion: Future of Journalism, Bleacher Report, mediabistro.com and The Huffington Post

Peter Lauria / Reuters:

Robinson exit to cost New York Times over $15 million — (Reuters) - Janet Robinson, who will step down as chief executive of the New York Times Co on December 31, will receive an exit package in excess of $15 million, according to people familiar with the situation.

Discussion: The New York Observer and Business Insider

Guardian:

Leveson inquiry: Piers Morgan's phone was hacked, says ex-Mirror journalist — James Hipwell, who was fired over City Slickers scandal, claims colleague hacked into the then editor's phone — James Hipwell, the former Daily Mirror journalist, has told the Leveson inquiry he witnessed …

Discussion: Mixed Media

The Huffington Post - UK: Heather Mills: ‘I Never Played Piers Morgan Voicemail Tapes’

Guardian:
Leveson inquiry cost £855,300 for first three months

Discussion: Press Gazette, Guardian and Guardian

BBC:
Phone hacking ‘bog-standard tool’ says former Mirror journalist

Discussion: Business Insider, @tom_watson, @joelmgunter, @patrickfoster2 and Guardian

NPR:

WikiLeaks Military Hearing Faces Closing Arguments — FORT MEADE, Maryland (AP) — Lawyers for the Army intelligence analyst blamed for the biggest national security leak in American history rested their case Wednesday, with closing arguments ahead before Pfc. Bradley Manning learns whether he will face a court-martial.

Larry Shaughnessy / CNN: Bradley Manning defenses calls only 2 witnesses

Stephen C. Webster / The Raw Story:

Boehner's office cuts off C-SPAN cameras as GOP takes verbal beating — A strange thing happened Wednesday morning on Capitol Hill. — As Rep. Stenny Hoyer (D-MD) attempted to call for a vote to extend a payroll tax cut to middle class and working Americans, his Republican colleagues adjourned …

Discussion: Mediaite and Washington Monthly

Julie Moos / Poynter:

PEJ: Economy is the most-covered story of the year — In its annual “Year in News” release, PEJ says the economy was 2011′s big story, with 20 percent of news time and space dedicated to it in print, online, TV news and radio. That's up from 14 percent in 2010.

Discussion: Journalism.org, NetNewsCheck Latest, The Wrap, Pew Research Center, Capital New York and Forbes

Michael Calderone / The Huffington Post:
Herman Cain Got Most Press Coverage Of GOP Contenders, Pew's 2011 Media Study Shows

Discussion: Journalism.org

Joe Pompeo / Capital New York:

‘The New York Observer,’ in a bid to go national, will expand its editorial department — The New York Observer is gearing up to go national. — The 25-year-old weekly newspaper is considering spinning off a nationally focused website, and will increase the size of the full-time editorial staff …

Discussion: FishbowlNY

David Brauer / MinnPost:

Is ex-reporter Christine Clayburg paying TV journalists to help clients tell their good news stories? — In October, MinnPost ran a John Reinan column headlined, “Former TV reporter Christine Clayburg tells news of corporate clients.” — “As traditional media wither and new communication channels …

Joe Pompeo / Capital New York:

NYPD describes training program for officers in the First Amendment rights of press at protests — The New York Police Department has “stepped up” its media training in the past month since news outlets complained of “abuses” by officers assigned to the scenes of protests, according to a department press officer.

Discussion: Future of Journalism, The New York Observer and Newsweek

Josh Sternberg / Digiday:

Tumblr Bets on Big-Name Publishers — Twitter used its entree with celebrities — hello @aplusk and @oprah! — to build a tech platform into a media juggernaut. Tumblr is hoping to do the same, only it's banking on old-school media properties to popularize its platform and create the kind …

Discussion: The FJP

Ben Popper / Betabeat:

AOL's Activist Investors Say Armstrong's Content Play Isn't Working — Starboard Value LP, who's 4.5 percent stake in AOL makes it one of the company's largest shareholders, is taking aim at Tim Armstrong and his attempt to reinvent AOL as a media powerhouse.

Discussion: TechCrunch, Bloomberg, VentureBeat, PR Newswire, MediaPost, Wall Street Journal, Hollywood Reporter, Media & Entertainment, Digits and NetNewsCheck Latest, more at Techmeme »

Street Fight / @streetfightmag:
AOL shareholder sends Tim Armstrong letter complaining that Patch, will “lose as much as $150 million in 2011.” http://t.co/5AECpiM3

Discussion: Business Insider and WebProNews, more at Techmeme »

Jakob Schiller / Raw File:

CNN's iReport Produces Controversy, Llama Photos — CNN recently laid off at least 50 staff, including several photojournalists, in favor of affiliate contributions and iReport — CNN's user-generated content department which does not pay users for their submissions.

Curtis Brainard / CJR:

Phone-Hacking Inquiry Eyes Science Journalism — Nature calls on scientists to “fight agenda-driving reporting” — “There is now a small army of nerd bloggers who, whenever they come across a misleading story, will stand up and point out the flaws,” he wrote in an e-mail.

Discussion: Future of Journalism

Chris Welch / The Verge:

Kindle for iOS update brings magazines, newspapers, textbooks to iPad — Amazon has just pushed a new revision of its Kindle app to the iTunes App Store, and iPad owners will definitely want to hit that update button. That's because they now have access to the same full-color magazines …

Discussion: Future of Journalism, Poynter, Product reviews, The Next Web, VentureBeat and TUAW, more at Techmeme »

Lauren Indvik / Mashable:
Kindle Adds Periodicals to iOS Apps: But Will Consumers Read Them?

Discussion: L.A. Times Tech Blog and SiliconFilter

Mac McClelland / Mother Jones:

What Is Good Fact-Checking? — Amid Politifact's “lie of the year” controversy, a shout-out to what it takes to get to the facts of the matter. — Editor's note: The controversy over Politifact's seemingly not-so-politics-free-fact-checking (vol. 1 and vol. 2) and subsequent commentary …

Discussion: Attackerman and Mother Jones

Nicholas Carr / Nieman Journalism Lab:

2012 will bring the appification of media — Editor's Note: We're wrapping up 2011 by asking some of the smartest people in journalism what the new year will bring. — To kick things off, it's Nicholas Carr, the veteran technology writer, whose most recent book — The Shallows …

Discussion: The Vook Blog and Editors Weblog

Trevor Butterworth / The Daily:

Choosing how to consume media requires critical intelligence — At a recent dinner party, conversation turned abruptly to crime — and the alarming claim by one guest that rape was skyrocketing in New York City's parks. This drew a pause from the rest of the table, not so much to dwell …

Tommy Christopher / Mediaite:

Politi-f**ked: Why Politifact's ‘Lie Of The Year’ Is Not Just Wrong, It's Irresponsible — Since announcing “Republicans voted to end Medicare” as its “Lie Of The Year” yesterday, Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-check outfit Politifact.com has faced more blowback than a chronic spitter on a Ducati.

Discussion: Watchdog Blog, Media Matters for America, Democracy in America, Hot Air and St. Petersburg Times

Carrie Brown-Smith / Nieman Journalism Lab:

From local TV to journalism co-ops, 2012 may be a banner year for the local news ecosystem. — Editor's Note: We're wrapping up 2011 by asking some of the smartest people in journalism what the new year will bring. — Next up is journalism professor Carrie Brown-Smith …

Discussion: Street Fight

Jeff Sonderman / Poynter:

Al Jazeera English wins first duPont as 14 news orgs awarded with broadcast, digital honors — Al Jazeera English has won its first Alfred I. duPont award for excellence in broadcast and digital journalism, one of 14 the Columbia School of Journalism announced this morning …

Discussion: Future of Journalism, Editors Weblog, Columbia University …, National Review and TVNewser