Mediagazer: Two Syrian journalists killed in Damascus, reports say (Associated Press)

11:35 PM ET, August 13, 2012

Top News:

Michael Shain / New York Post:

Saving CNN — Suffering its worst ratings in 20 years, CNN is going Hollywood. In the past few weeks, the No. 3 cable news channel has started seeking out reality-show ideas and big-name stars not afraid to talk politics. They have even begun working on a late-night talk show, The Post has learned.

Discussion: CJR, JIMROMENESKO.COM, The Huffington Post, Business Insider, Mediaite, Vanity Fair, Top Digital Journal News, @brianstelter, Daily Mail, TVNewser, Deadline.com, Capital New York and TVWeek.com

Bill Carter / Media Decoder:

CNN to Promote Nonfiction TV, not Reality TV, Network Says — CNN says it is not getting into the reality television business, though it is considering adding weekend programs that are similar to a documentary-style travel show hosted by Anthony Bourdain that it will begin showing next year.

Discussion: The Atlantic Wire, AdAge and New York Magazine

Craig Silverman / Poynter:

Newsroom responses to Zakaria plagiarism reveal lack of consistency, transparency — The Fareed Zakaria plagiarism scandal has an interesting unintended consequence: it highlights how media outlets respond differently to plagiarism and fabrication cases. — My Poynter colleague Mallary …

Discussion: The Huffington Post and MinOnline

Andrew Beaujon / Poynter:

Yale reviewing relationship with Fareed Zakaria after plagiarism — Yale may review its relationship with university trustee and alumnus Fareed Zakaria, the Yale Daily News reports, after Zakaria was suspended from Time and CNN Friday for plagiarism.

Discussion: artsblog.dallasnews.com and The Huffington Post

Mark Leccese / Gatekeeper:
Fareed Zakaria: Another plagiarism scandal, another wrist slap

Discussion: Politico, The Daily Beast and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Jeff Bercovici / Forbes:

Google Buys Frommer's. Can We All Just Agree It's A Media Company Now? — Every few months, some Google watcher pens a chin-stroker asking whether it's fair to call the Mountain View, Calif.-based internet giant a media company. See, for instance: — GigaOm, 2007: “Is Google A Media Company?”

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, MediaPost, AllThingsD, TechCrunch, Skift, Deal Journal, Mashable!, Media & Entertainment and Business Insider

Rafat Ali / Skift:
Post-Google acquisition, Frommer's keeping book editors and laying off online staff

Discussion: Media Decoder, ReadWriteWeb, GigaOM and paidContent

Bill Carter / Media Decoder:

NBC Says Nearly 220 Million Watched the Olympics — The Spice Girls were part of the closing ceremony of the London Games on Sunday night. — NBC announced on Monday that its coverage of the London Olympics was the most watched entertainment or sporting event ever on American television.

Discussion: MediaFile and Forbes

John Clarke / Forbes:
Despite Criticism, NBC Scores Big Ratings With London Olympics Closing Ceremonies

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Chelsea J. Carter / CNN:
Viewers outraged after NBC cuts away from closing ceremonies

Discussion: NPR, Bleacher Report, @jayrosen_nyu, Poynter and Seattle Times

Erik Wemple:

Paul Ryan bio: New Yorker piece underscores pol's openness — Now that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has been selected as Mitt Romney's running mate, news outlets across the land will be putting together long-form profiles of the budget cutter. Preferably ones that draw on extensive interviews with Ryan.

Discussion: Mediaite, The New Yorker Blog, New York Times and CBS News

Matt Viser / Boston Globe: Fox News gets first solo interview with Paul Ryan

Albany Times Union:

Legendary editor Helen Gurley Brown dies — Helen Gurley Brown, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazines' 64 international editions and one of the world's most popular and influential editors, died today at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. She was 90.

Discussion: AdAge, The Huffington Post, JIMROMENESKO.COM, Speakeasy, Back Issues, Associated Press, Bloomberg, Capital New York, Poynter, Media Decoder, The Awl, FishbowlNY and Forbes

Emily Bell / Guardian:

Google v Oracle: judge's order creates ethical dilemma for tech bloggers — Court tells companies to reveal names of journalists and bloggers they might have a financial relationship with — In the dog days of a hot American summer, the tech journalism and blogging community are being made to sweat a little more than usual.

Discussion: Kirk LaPointe's …

John Plunkett / Guardian:

BBC Olympics coverage watched by 90% of UK — A total of 51.9 million people watched at least 15 minutes of the London games on BBC TV — The BBC's Olympics coverage was watched by 90% of the UK population, delivering what BBC1 controller Danny Cohen described as the “largest TV audiences since the pre-digital age”.

Discussion: The Next Web

Associated Press:

Two Syrian journalists killed in Damascus, reports say — AMMAN, Jordan - Two Syrian journalists have been killed in the capital, according to reports on Sunday from Syrian state news agency SANA and an Arab satellite station. SANA said its reporter, Ali Abbas, was killed at his residence in the Jdaidet Artouz area.

Laura Hazard Owen / paidContent:

Attorney asks DOJ to release findings on Amazon's “predatory” ebook pricing — Attorney and Royalty Share CEO Bob Kohn is seeking permission (PDF) from U.S. District Judge Denise Cote to file an amicus brief in the Department of Justice's proposed ebook pricing settlement with book publishers.