Mediagazer: Dow Jones Shuts Down SmartMoney Magazine (Jeff Bercovici/Mixed Media)

7:50 PM ET, June 21, 2012

Top News:

Lisa O'Carroll / Guardian:

Leveson inquiry ‘will cost almost £6m’ — The Leveson inquiry into press ethics will have cost the taxpayer almost £6m by the time it reports back to the prime minister in October or November, it has emerged. The culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has told fellow MP Steve Baker …

Discussion: Jon Slattery

Katherine Rushton / Telegraph:

News Corp directors ‘allowed hacking cover up’ — News Corporation's directors facilitated a “cover-up” of phone hacking and bribery at the News of the World and allowed the company to forge ahead with a “whitewash” inquiry, a US lawsuit has claimed.

Josh Halliday / Guardian: Phone hacking: Met refers files on four more journalists to CPS

Brian Stelter / Media Decoder:

NBC Made Contingency Plans, but Ann Curry Reports to Work at ‘Today’ — For a couple of hours on Wednesday, as Ann Curry's negotiations to leave the “Today” show were first reported publicly, NBC News officials believed that she would not be coming into work Thursday morning …

Discussion: Lists, TVNewser, Poynter, PopWatch, Capital New York, The Huffington Post, New York Times, Tampa Bay Times, Media Decoder and Inside TV

James Poniewozik / Time:
Why Didn't Morning TV Love Ann Curry?

Discussion: lhj.com, The Week, @keitholbermann, The Daily Beast, Gawker and Washington Post

Jack Shafer:
Turning the morning news into soap opera

Discussion: JIMROMENESKO.COM, Media Decoder, WebProNews and Los Angeles Times

Jennifer Schuessler / ArtsBeat:

Lehrer Apologizes for Recycling Work, While New Yorker Says It Won't Happen Again — The science writer Jonah Lehrer, author of the runaway bestseller “Imagine: How Creativity Works,” has become the latest high-profile journalist to be caught up in a plagiarism scandal …

Discussion: CJR, American Journalism Review, JIMROMENESKO.COM, WWD, Poynter, MarketWatch, New York Magazine, Plagiarism Today, Erik Wemple, The Daily Dish, Media Decoder and JIMROMENESKO.COM

Jim Romenesko: David Remnick says New Yorker isn't dropping Jonah Lehrer

Christine Haughney / Media Decoder:

The Times Co. Names 2 Directors, Including Joi Ito, Internet Entrepreneur — The New York Times Company, continuing its efforts to move forward in the world of news media, has added two new members to its board who have extensive technology backgrounds. — The company announced …

Discussion: AdAge

Business Wire: Joichi Ito and Brian McAndrews Join The New York Times Company Board of Directors

Jeff Bercovici / Mixed Media:

Dow Jones Shuts Down SmartMoney Magazine — SmartMoney, a magazine about managing your finances, isn't such a good investment in the eyes of its owner, Dow Jones & Co. The 20-year-old title is shutting down its print edition, its staff learned this afternoon. It will survive in online form.

Discussion: Media & Entertainment, Adweek, WWD, The Wrap, AllThingsD, paidContent, AdAge, Capital New York, LA Biz Observed, MinOnline, Wall Street Journal, MediaPost, @edmundlee and JIMROMENESKO.COM

Guardian:

BBC's Mark Thompson in talks to head New York Times — Outgoing BBC director general Mark Thompson is in talks with the New York Times about becoming its new chief executive to fill the vacancy left after Janet Robinson was fired in December. Discussions between Thompson and New York Times executives …

Discussion: Forbes, paidContent, FishbowlNY and Poynter

Lauren Indvik / Mashable!:

The Atlantic Merges Digital, Print With QR Code-Like Extras — Quick-response codes are making their way into the next three issues of The Atlantic. Using a smartphone app, print readers will be able to scan select pages of the magazine, giving them access to video interviews …

Discussion: mediabistro.com

Staci D. Kramer / paidContent: Atlantic adds revenue exec for global business bet

Jack Mirkinson / The Huffington Post:

‘The Cycle’: Inside MSNBC's New 3 PM Show — MSNBC has found its replacement for Dylan Ratigan's show: “The Cycle.” — The new program, which the network was set to announce on Thursday, will feature a permanent cast of four: conservative commentator S.E. Cupp, author and pundit Touré …

Discussion: Media Decoder, Deadline.com, Politico, Mediaite, TVNewser and Broadcasting & Cable

Jeremy W. Peters / New York Times:

‘Fox & Friends’ Finds Ratings and Controversy — When it comes to sitting for interviews Mitt Romney is not usually a willing and eager subject. But there is one invitation he rarely turns down. — “Fox & Friends” has had Mr. Romney as a guest 21 times in the last year.

Discussion: The Huffington Post, TVNewser, Prof Chris Daly's Blog, Media Decoder, Erik Wemple, Mediaite and Inside Cable News

Wall Street Journal:

Indecency Ruling Fails to Clarify Broadcast Rules — WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously threw out government sanctions against networks that aired fleeting profanity and nudity, saying regulators didn't provide fair notice that they were taking a tougher stance.

Discussion: CNN and The Consumerist

Bill Mears / CNN:
High court rules for broadcasters on TV ‘indecency’

Discussion: Poynter, Media Decoder, paidContent, VentureBeat, Hit & Run, New York Times, Mediaite, Adweek, Broadcasting & Cable, AllThingsD, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times

Charlie Warzel / Adweek:

Politico Is Making Money With Subscriptions — In an era where it has been difficult to get anyone to pay for quality reporting, Politico is finding ways to make some cash. — Eighteen months ago, Politico went out on a limb with the launch of Politico Pro, a hyper-focused subscription service covering …

Discussion: @joepompeo

Peter Kafka / AllThingsD:

After Divorcing Sports Illustrated, Turner Wants to Hook Up With Bleacher Report — Bleacher Report and Turner, which have been circling each other for months, are edging closer to a deal. People familiar with both companies say they haven't agreed on final terms, but are now negotiating exclusively …

Discussion: Business Insider