Mediagazer: Al Jazeera Wrests Back Its Web Sites From Pro-Assad Hackers (The Lede)

7:35 PM ET, September 5, 2012

Top News:

Another Tough Step — Folks, Today Digital First Media announced Journal Register Company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will seek to implement a prompt sale. We expect the auction and sale process to take about 90 days, and I am pleased to tell you the Company has a signed stalking horse bid …

Joshua Benton / Nieman Journalism Lab:

Journal Register Co. declares bankruptcy...again: Is this the industry's first real reboot? — It was just three years ago that the Journal Register Co. filed for bankruptcy, its collection of small local newspapers hit hard by the economic crisis and the secular decline of the newspaper industry.

Discussion: Journal Register Company

Steve Buttry / The Buttry Diary:

Financial maneuvers won't slow Digital First progress — I don't pretend to understand corporate finance. So I won't have a lot to say about today's announcement that Journal Register Company filed for Chapter 11 and is for sale. — Here's what I know: JRC is making great strides …

Jim Romenesko:

Journal Register files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy — Digital First Media CEO John Paton writes on his blog: Journal Register Company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will seek to implement a prompt sale. We expect the auction and sale process to take about 90 days …

Mark Sweney / Guardian:

News Corp bonuses cut following phone-hacking scandal — Four of News Corporation's top executives have had their bonuses cut due to the adverse impact of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal, although chairman and chief executive Rupert Murdoch still pocketed more than $30m (£18.9m) for the year to the end of June.

Discussion: Capital New York, Media & Entertainment, @dansabbagh and Wall Street Journal

Mark Sweney / Guardian: News Corp paid Elisabeth Murdoch almost $4m for running Shine

Bloomberg: News Corp. Selects Board Member With Ties To Colombia Wiretaps

Gabriel Sherman / New York Magazine:

Not Their Party: Fox News Eschews Convention Celebrations — Isn't winning a reason to celebrate? Not for Fox News. At last week's Republican National Convention, Fox crushed its television news rivals with some 9.1 million viewers when Clint Eastwood and his empty chair took the stage …

Discussion: Poynter, The Huffington Post, Capital New York, TVNewser and Associated Press

James Poniewozik / Time:
What We're Learning from the Convention Ratings (Or Lack Thereof)

Discussion: Hollywood Reporter, Politico, The Huffington Post and TVNewser

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:
A media lovefest in Charlotte

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Mediaite and New York Times

Glenn Greenwald / Guardian:

Why didn't CNN's international arm air its own documentary on Bahrain's Arab Spring repression? — In late March 2011, as the Arab Spring was spreading, CNN sent a four-person crew to Bahrain to produce a one-hour documentary on the use of internet technologies and social media by democracy activists in the region.

Discussion: GULF DAILY NEWS, @acarvin, @monaeltahawy, @alaashehabi, @nickkristof, @jayrosen_nyu, @twdonovan, @drew3ooo and @amelscript

Glenn Greenwald / Guardian:
CNN and the business of state-sponsored TV news

Discussion: @jeremyscahill and Boing Boing

Kevin Gosztola / Firedoglake:

Undercover Agent or Cop Threatens to Assault Journalist, Grabs Other Journalist with Credentials at DNC — Charlotte, NC — Two journalists covering the Democratic National Convention were confronted on Sunday by two undercover agents who assaulted one and threatened to punch the other in the mouth for photographing them.

Discussion: Pixiq and Pressing Issues

Jack Mirkinson: Journalists Confronted By Police While Covering DNC

Clay Shirky:

Save Homicide Watch — Homicide Watch, one of the most important experiments in improving journalism in the era of the internet, will die in a week, unless we save them. They need our help. Please donate $50 on Kickstarter to help them keep working. If you can't do $50, do $25, or $5.

Discussion: 10,000 Words, @justinnxt, @anjalimullany and Hillman Foundation blogs

Jodi Enda / American Journalism Review:

Staying Alive — As traditional news organizations struggle, nonprofit journalism outlets are playing an increasingly important role. But will the money be there to enable them to go the distance? Wed., September 5, 2012. — Senior contributing writer Jodi Enda (jaenda@gmail.com) …

Discussion: CJR

Josh Halliday / Guardian:

Public cost of Leveson inquiry at £3.9m — Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry into press standards cost £3.9m of public money in the 11 months to 30 June. The four lawyers acting as counsel to the inquiry have taken home just over £1m. The highest-paid of these will have been lead counsel Robert Jay QC.

Lisa O'Carroll / Guardian: Leveson inquiry report into press regulation now expected in November

Adrienne LaFrance / Nieman Journalism Lab:

Tuesday Q&A: Bill Marimow on his new old job, and the future of the Philadelphia Inquirer — Here's an understatement: It's been a wild ride at Philadelphia's daily newspapers. In April, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Daily News were sold, after ratcheting concern over the political influence of the buyers.

Joel Mathis: Why Bill Marimow is wrong

Jim Romenesko:

Oregonian memo describes a beat reporter's digital day — An unsigned, memo (how ironic!) titled “Portrait of a Digital Day — Beat Reporter” is being given to Oregonian staffers as they meet with managers to discuss boosting the Newhouse newspaper's digital efforts.

Discussion: PandoDaily and @timwindsor

The Lede:

Al Jazeera Wrests Back Its Web Sites From Pro-Assad Hackers — 6:15 p.m. Hackers said to be supporters of the Syrian government temporarily seized control of the Arabic and English news sites of Al Jazeera, the Qatari satellite network, which has been accused of bias in favor of protesters …

Discussion: BuzzFeed and Gizmodo

Jeff Sonderman / Poynter:

Knight Foundation funds 20 projects for community reporting, data and collaboration — The Knight Foundation announced $3.67 million in matching funds today that will support 20 local news and information projects. — The Knight Community Information Challenge aims to boost home-grown news efforts …