Mediagazer: Huffington's Role Shrinks at AOL (Keach Hagey/Wall Street Journal)

5:45 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.

Discussion: Capital New York, Media Decoder, New York Magazine, The Wrap, FishbowlNY and JIMROMENESKO.COM

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

Mark Hosenball / Reuters:

U.S. senator likely to be rebuffed in News Corp inquiry — (Reuters) - The British judicial inquiry investigating questionable reporting practices by Rupert Murdoch's media properties is unlikely to cooperate with a prominent U.S. senator's request for evidence of misconduct in the United States …

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

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: MediaPost, Reuters, Politico, Poynter, 10,000 Words, AllThingsD and Washington Post

Mathew Ingram / GigaOM:

Does AOL need HuffPo more than HuffPo needs AOL? — The plot seems to be thickening at AOL, at least when it comes to Arianna Huffington's role at the former portal. She confirmed to the Wall Street Journal that her role within the company has been reduced, something that was the subject …

Discussion: paidContent and Capital New York

Keach Hagey / Wall Street Journal:

Huffington's Role Shrinks at AOL — Executive Says Shift Will Free Her to Focus on Her Namesake News Site as It Gears Up to Expand Abroad — Arianna Huffington acknowledged Thursday that her portfolio at AOL Inc. is being scaled back to include only the Huffington Post …

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest, New York Magazine, NYConvergence.com, VentureBeat, Hollywood Reporter and CNET

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: The New York Observer, FrontBurner, Folio, WWD, New York Magazine and Media Buyer Planner

Michael Calderone / The Huffington Post:
National Magazine Awards 2012: ‘Time’ Grabs Top Prize; ‘New York’ Wins Three

Discussion: Adweek, Gawker, AdAge, New York Post, minonline.com, Poynter, LA Observed and CJR

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

Erik Wemple / Washington Post:

Politico endorses post-first, check-later journalism — On April 20, New York Daily News photographer Todd Maisel was in Cartagena, Colombia, working on the story of the Secret Service scandal. Amid his wanderings, he banged out a provocative tweet: … Quite an allegation.

Discussion: @erikwemple, @jackshafer, @erikwemple and @jackshafer

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.

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest and NYConvergence.com

Michael Learmonth / AdAge:

Vice Throws Boozy Upfront With WPP, Leaks Bloomberg Talks — This is what all-grown-up Vice looks like: founder Shane Smith, with 10-gallon hat and cocktail in hand, hamming it up onstage with former MTV CEO Tom Freston and WPP royalty, including CEO Martin Sorrell.

Discussion: TVNewser

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, The New Republic, newsfeed.time.com, Gawker and www.wnyc.org