Mediagazer: Hacker Monthly: It's the best of the Internet, printed out, and it's turning a profit (Andrew Phelps/Nieman Journalism Lab)

11:55 AM ET, February 29, 2012

Top News:

James Murdoch Steps Down as Executive Chairman, News International to Focus on Expanding International TV Businesses — NEW YORK—(BUSINESS WIRE)—News Corporation today announced that, following his relocation to the Company's headquarters in New York, James Murdoch, Deputy Chief Operating Officer …

Edmund Lee / Bloomberg:

News Corp. Executives Weighed Spinoff of Newspaper Publishing, Carey Says — News Corp. (NWSA), facing inquiries by authorities over hacking and bribery at its U.K. newspapers, has discussed spinning off its publishing business, according to Chief Operating Officer Chase Carey.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Noted, Business Insider and @dansabbagh

Paul Sonne / Wall Street Journal:

James Murdoch Steps Down as Executive Chair of News International — LONDON—News Corp. said Deputy Chief Operating Officer James Murdoch is stepping down as executive chairman of the company's beleaguered U.K. newspaper unit, a move that comes as he relocates to New York in the role of deputy chief operating officer.

Robert Peston / BBC: Murdochs: Exit James, enter Rupert

Michael Arrington / Uncrunched:

Helpful Tips For Keeping Your Job As Editor Of TechCrunch — I rarely get writers block, but I've aborted multiple attempts to write about the leadership change at TechCrunch yesterday. So I'm going to keep it simple. — I'm exceptionally bummed that so many people have left TechCrunch.

Discussion: Marketing Pilgrim, TechCrunch and Erick Schonfeld

Jeff Roberts / paidContent:
As Staff Flees, TechCrunch's Traffic Plummets

Discussion: Guardian, VentureBeat, Gawker and Boing Boing

Janko Roettgers / GigaOM:

Scoop: Less than 1M Google TV devices in use — It's widely known Google TV hasn't exactly been a success story. Early CE partner Logitech lost millions on the device, and consumer feedback was mostly negative after the first devices reached the market in late 2010.

Discussion: Online Video News, BGR, SlashGear, Softpedia News, Electronista and Business Insider

Peter Kafka / AllThingsD:

Facebook Pitches Advertisers on a New Ad Model — Facebook sold $3 billion worth of ads last year, but it's still feeling its way around the ad business. — And the ad business still isn't sure what to make of Facebook: Grand new marketing paradigm, or a collection of 800 million people …

Discussion: Betabeat, eMedia Vitals and Noted

Matthew Holehouse / Telegraph:

Leveson Inquiry: phone hacking police identified 418 potential victims in 2006 — The detective charged with investigating phone hacking in 2006 told the Leveson Inquiry he uncovered evidence that hacking went beyond a rogue reporter but said the force was under ‘huge, huge pressure’ to deal with the threat of terrorism.

Discussion: Guardian

Lisa O'Carroll / Guardian: News of the World ‘may have paid £850,000’ to Glenn Mulcaire

Stan Diel / Business News from The Birmingham News:

Birmingham Weekly to be published every 10 days — BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Birmingham Weekly, the alternative newspaper, will publish every 10 days rather than every seven, beginning immediately, owner Stephen Humphreys said today. — There are no plans to change the name of the publication …

Craig Silverman / Poynter:

How The New York Times' corrections tracker improves accuracy — How do you handle a reporter who's making more mistakes than usual? — The New York Times recently confronted this issue with a regular freelancer whose corrections total was spiking. — Greg Brock, the Times senior editor …

Discussion: Editors Weblog

Rupal Parekh / AdAge:

Daily-Deal Sites Offer Dose of Growth for Magazine Circulation — Responses to Subscription Offers on Groupon, LivingSocial and Fab.com Have Been Positive, but Will Strong Renewal Rates Follow? — For the past two years, there's been a healthy amount of debate — and maybe a bit of praying …

Thanks:@learmonth

Kat Stoeffel / The New York Observer:

No Tabloid For Old Men: Laid Off Photographers Take Daily News to Court — Two longtime Daily News staff photographers laid off in November are suing the tabloid for unlawful termination, citing age and gender discrimination. They seek compensatory and punitive damages, including legal costs.

Discussion: @romenesko

Seth Godin / paidContent:

Who Decides What Gets Sold In The Bookstore? — We can probably agree that the local supermarket has no moral or ethical or business obligation to sell cherry-flavored Cap'n Crunch. If the owner doesn't like cherries, she doesn't have to sell them. — And the cereal maker shouldn't work under …

Discussion: TechCrunch, GeekWire, Melville House Books, Joho the Blog and The Domino Project

Dave Itzkoff / ArtsBeat:

Michael Mann Brings ‘Witness,’ Documentary Series About War Journalists, to HBO — Having taken a deep dive into the world of hardened gamblers for the HBO drama “Luck,” the director Michael Mann is reteaming with that cable channel to create a documentary series about the lives of combat photographers.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, TVWeek.com and Deadline.com

Peter Beaumont / Guardian:

Syrian activists killed in Paul Conroy rescue mission — Up to 13 activists died smuggling the Sunday Times photographer out of the country, it has emerged — Paul Conroy, the Sunday Times photographer wounded in the leg in an attack in the besieged city of Homs, has been smuggled …