Mediagazer: Ad Pages Slip Further at New York Times' Magazines (Erik Maza/WWD)

9:40 AM ET, May 19, 2012

Top News:

So Warren Buffett likes newspapers again? — Just because Warren Buffett blew $142 million in cash on 63 daily and weekly Media General newspaper titles yesterday doesn't mean that newspapers are back. All it means is that an old cow that's still a milker has been moved to a neighboring farm's pasture …

Discussion: Newsonomics

Omaha World-Herald:
Deal shows Buffett's faith in community newspapers

Discussion: CJR, Tampa Bay Times, Poynter and Free Press

Dan Conover / Xark!:
What if we give it away? (w/apologies to REM)

Discussion: The Buttry Diary, @jayrosen_nyu and @stevebuttry

Erik Wemple:

CSIS to investigate Arnaud de Borchgrave's writings — The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said this afternoon that it will investigate the work of Arnaud de Borchgrave, one of the think tank's program directors and a columnist for the Washington Times and United Press International.

Mariah Blake / Salon:

Coverup at Washington Times — Editors knew there was an apparent plagiarist on staff but let him keep writing. An exclusive look inside the paper — During his long career, Arnaud de Borchgrave, a one-time Newsweek correspondent and editor, has earned his share of laurels.

Discussion: Erik Wemple

Andrew Beaujon / Poynter:

Facebook IPO may force journalists to consider their role in the social network's growth — Facebook's IPO just created a lot of billionaires. Probably not that many of them work in journalism. But journalists, Kristie Lu Stout argues, create part of Facebook's value.

Discussion: Bloomberg, J-Source, Lost Remote, CNET, Forbes, Business Insider, GigaOM and The Atlantic Online

Mathew Ingram / GigaOM:
Facebook's biggest problem is that it's a media company

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, DealBook, The Firewall, ReadWriteWeb, Adweek, Bits, Business Week, AllThingsD, @brianstelter, TechCrunch, The Kernel, Forbes, Hillicon Valley and PR Newswire

Mark Hosenball / Reuters:

Exclusive: Did White House “spin” tip a covert op? — (Reuters) - White House efforts to soft-pedal the danger from a new “underwear bomb” plot emanating from Yemen may have inadvertently broken the news they needed most to contain. — At about 5:45 p.m. EDT on Monday, May 7 …

Michael Hastings / BuzzFeed:

Congressmen Seek To Lift Propaganda Ban — Propaganda that was supposed to target foreigners could now be aimed at us. “Disconcerting and dangerous,” says Shank. — An amendment that would legalize the use of propaganda on American audiences is being inserted into the latest defense authorization bill, BuzzFeed has learned.

Discussion: Mediaite and @adrianchen

Erik Maza / WWD:

Ad Pages Slip Further at New York Times' Magazines — NO UPTURN: Sally Singer opened the most recent issue of T The New York Times Magazine with a tribute to leisurely evolutions. “You realize that even when taste is a given, patience is a virtue,” she wrote.

Discussion: FishbowlNY

Laura Hazard Owen / paidContent:

A kinder, gentler DRM? — With Harry Potter fan site and e-bookstore Pottermore.com now using watermarking instead of heavyweight DRM on all the Harry Potter e-books, anti-DRM arguments are growing louder. Now the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF), the organization that oversees …

Discussion: International Digital …, The Verge and TeleRead

Financial Times:

Murdoch quashes talk of UK paper spin-off — By Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson in New York and Matthew Garrahan in Los Angeles — Rupert Murdoch has moved to quash discussions within his own company about selling its tainted UK newspaper business, saying News Corp remained “firmly committed” …

Discussion: Guardian, CJR and Telegraph

Alex Pareene / Salon:

The National Review's fake plagiarism scoop — Updated: After falsely accusing Elizabeth Warren of plagiarism, the conservative magazine apologizes — The National Review says Elizabeth Warren is guilty of the gravest crime a writer can commit: Plagiarism.

Discussion: National Review, Media Decoder and Politicker

The Huffington Post:

'Reporter's Privilege' Under Fire From Obama Administration Amid Broader War On Leaks — RICHMOND, Va. — The Obama administration Friday morning continued its headlong attack on the right of reporters to protect their confidential sources in leak investigations.

Discussion: @mikeriggs and Capital New York

Bloomberg:

‘Pan Am’ May Fly Again As Web Revives Canceled TV Shows — In the world of television, canceled doesn't mean what it used to. — The four major U.S. networks this week unveiled 31 new shows for 2012-2013, meaning at least that many won't be back. Some, like CBS's “A Gifted Man,” failed to win viewers.

Discussion: Variety and Radio & Television …