Mediagazer: Boehner's office cuts off C-SPAN cameras as GOP takes verbal beating (Stephen C. Webster/The Raw Story)

12:45 AM ET, December 22, 2011

Top News:

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 …

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

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

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

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

Discussion: Guardian

Guardian:
First police officer arrested over alleged payments for journalists

Discussion: Guardian

Gail Shister / The Philly Post:

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

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

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

Larry Platt / Philly.com:
How do we report about our own?

Discussion: Erik Wemple, Bleacher Report and Philly.com

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: Felix, The New York Observer and Business Insider

Mathew Ingram / GigaOM:
Five things I would do as CEO of the New York Times

Discussion: Gawker and eMedia Vitals

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

Michael Calderone / The Huffington Post:

Herman Cain Got Most Press Coverage Of GOP Contenders, Pew's 2011 Media Study Shows — NEW YORK — He's no longer running for president, but Herman Cain will finish 2011 having racked up more national media coverage than any other Republican candidate, according to a report released Wednesday …

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

Fox Sports:

Report: NBC reporter charged with DUI — NBC News correspondent Jay Gray charged with drunken driving after he attended a party at the house of the attorney for accused child molester Jerry Sandusky, TMZ reported Tuesday. — According to the report, Gray was pulled over after drinking …

Discussion: TMZ.com, The Hollywood Gossip and TVSpy

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:

‘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

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: VentureBeat, MediaPost, Hollywood Reporter, Media & Entertainment, Bloomberg, NetNewsCheck Latest, Digits, WebProNews and AllThingsD

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: TechCrunch and Business Insider, more at Techmeme »

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: Editors Weblog, TVSpy, Columbia University …, National Review and TVNewser

Chris O'Shea / FishbowlNY:
The New York Times Honored with First Ever Digital Reporting duPont Award

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest and The Huffington Post

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

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, Mother Jones and Washington Monthly

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

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: Poynter, Product reviews, The Next Web, TUAW and VentureBeat, 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

Kevin Roderick / LA Observed:

Times ‘terminates’ blogging pressman Ed Padgett — Ed Padgett, a Los Angeles Times employee for 39 years, has been in trouble with the bosses before for his blog posts. This time, he says today, Human Resources called from out of nowhere to tell him he had been fired.

Discussion: Gannett Blog and edpadgett.blogspot.com