Mediagazer: Discovery Channel Gets a Web Video Arm, Courtesy of Revision3 (Peter Kafka/AllThingsD)

12:40 PM ET, May 4, 2012

Top News:

New York Times confirms non-newsroom layoffs — I received multiple tips late Thursday about layoffs at the New York Times, including this report: … Another tipster says of Freeman: He was “one of the two go-to guys on news-department legal matters, from story vetting to fighting First Amendment cases.

Lisa O'Carroll / Guardian:

David Cameron wins advance access to Leveson inquiry witness statements — David Cameron and seven other cabinet ministers will be given advance sight of witness statements to the Leveson inquiry, including those submitted by the former Downing Street spin doctor Andy Coulson and ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks.

Discussion: Journalism.co.uk and Press Gazette

Gordon Rayner / Telegraph:
Leveson Inquiry: Government makes ‘controversial’ last-minute bid for advance sight of Andy Coulson's evidence

Discussion: Huffington Post UK and Guardian

Michael Calderone / The Huffington Post:

National Magazine Awards 2012: ‘Time’ Grabs Top Prize; ‘New York’ Wins Three — NEW YORK — NBC News anchor Brian Williams joked with attendees at Thursday night's National Magazine Awards dinner that given all the categories being honored, “if you publish a magazine in the United States …

Discussion: The Wrap, Adweek, Poynter, AdAge, LA Observed, MinOnline and CJR

Joe Pompeo / Capital New York:

At the often stodgy National Magazine Awards, best disruptor of decorum goes to a tall guy from Dallas — “I feel like when we win, everybody wins,” said Time managing editor Rick Stengel in a ballroom at the New York Marriott Marquis Thursday night, accepting a National Magazine Award for magazine of the year, the evening's top honor.

Discussion: Folio, Gawker, WWD and New York Magazine

Joshua Benton / Nieman Journalism Lab:

Announcing the 75th class of Nieman Fellows — This morning, the Nieman Foundation announced our incoming class of Nieman Fellows, which will be our 75th. (The Nieman Fellowships allow a group of accomplished journalists — half American, half international — to come to Harvard for a year of study on the subjects of their choice.)

Discussion: Nieman Foundation News, @niemanlab, @niemanlab and @jeffjarvis

Staci D. Kramer / paidContent:

WaPo digital revenue drops in Q1 — The Washington Post Co. newspaper division continues to struggle, nearly doubling its operating loss with drops in print circulation and advertising — and digital ad sales aren't picking up the slack. — The division, which includes the Washington Post and Slate …

Discussion: Poynter and AllThingsD

Georg Szalai / Hollywood Reporter:

Arianna Huffington's Role at AOL Narrowed to Focus on Huffington Post — She originally had editorial oversight of all AOL properties when the online company acquired her site, but she shoots down rumors that she could leave AOL. Arianna Huffington said Thursday that her role at AOL …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal and Poynter

Andrew Beaujon / Poynter:

The ‘falling bear’ is dead, immortalized in Colorado student photo — Two cars on Thursday struck and killed the Colorado bear who was photographed in mid-air. The black bear was wandering on a highway near Boulder, Colo., where it achieved fame via a viral photograph by University of Colorado student Andy Duann last week.

Discussion: Daily Camera, Gawker, newsfeed.time.com and The Awl

Mathew Ingram / GigaOM:

It doesn't matter what e-books cost to make — Book publishers are trying hard to defend the pricing of e-books — perhaps in part because they've been accused by the Justice Department of rigging prices to keep them artificially high — by arguing that it costs a lot more than most people …

Discussion: Techdirt and The FJP, Thanks:@mathewi

John Cook / Gawker:

A Low Six-Figure Book Deal for the Fox Mole — Congratulations to Joe Muto, formerly known as the Fox Mole, for selling a book about his experiences inside Fox News Channel to Dutton, an imprint of Penguin. — The book—tentatively titled An Atheist in the Foxhole—will be a …

Discussion: Erik Wemple, mediabistro.com, GalleyCat, Hollywood Reporter and TVWeek.com

Reid Pillifant / Capital New York:

Gillibrand signs Senate resolution asking Village Voice Media to drop adult-services ads from Backpage.com — Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has joined several colleagues to cosponsor a resolution asking Village Voice Media, owners of the online classifieds site Backpage.com, to shut down the adult-services section of the site.

Jed Lipinski / Capital New York:

It's the year 1472 in journalism, a fact some people like and some don't — Jarvis, Rosen, Dean Starkman, Karen Dunlap, Joshua Benton Jed Lipinski — “You ask what the future of news is? I have no friggin' idea. No one does.” — So said Jeff Jarvis at last night's roundtable discussion titled …