Mediagazer: Discovery's Oprah Problem (Business Week)

9:25 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: Media Decoder, Capital New York, New York Magazine and FishbowlNY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Samantha Critchell / Associated Press:

Vogue bans too-skinny models from its pages — NEW YORK (AP) — Vogue magazine, perhaps the world's top arbiter of style, is making a statement about its own models: Too young and too thin is no longer in. The 19 editors of Vogue magazines around the world made a pact to project the image …

Discussion: Daily Mail, Globe and Mail, Vogue.com UK, Folio, Guardian and On the Runway

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

Josh Halliday / Guardian:

BBC News website stalwart Tim Weber to leave corporation after 20 years — Weber, who helped launch BBC News website, will leave corporation in June after 20 years — Tim Weber, who helped launch the BBC News website, is to leave the corporation after more than 20 years.

Discussion: The Next Web

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: 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

Business Week:

Discovery's Oprah Problem — Oprah Winfrey stood before advertisers and media executives in New York last month and offered a humble assessment of her effort to create OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. Despite her popularity, the new cable channel attracts less than a 10th of the audience her syndicated TV show used to pull in.

Discussion: Company Town