Mediagazer: What the New York Times really lost with the passing of Arthur O Sulzberger (Michael Wolff/Guardian)

3:40 AM ET, October 2, 2012

Top News:

Washington Post Co. buys hospice firm Celtic Healthcare — The Washington Post Co. said Monday that it has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Celtic Healthcare, a provider of skilled home health-care and hospice services in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic regions.

Discussion: New York Magazine, The Wrap, Gawker, @jeffsonderman, The New York Observer, JIMROMENESKO.COM, @jcstearns, @jeffjarvis, @scottrcrawford and The Newspaper Guild

Rick Edmonds / Poynter: Washington Post buys hospice company

James Ball / Washington Post:

Video emerges of Austin Tice, U.S. journalist who disappeared in Syria — Video footage has emerged showing U.S. freelance journalist Austin Tice being held by a group of masked men toting assault rifles in the first direct evidence of his condition since his disappearance in mid-August.

Discussion: JIMROMENESKO.COM, New York Times, McClatchy Washington Bureau, The Lede, Boing Boing, Business Insider and @blakehounshell

Michael Calderone / The Huffington Post:

For 2012 Presidential Debates, Campaigns Speed Up The Spin — NEW YORK — When President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney leave the debate stage at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, many of the 3,000 journalists churning out stories in the University of Denver's Hamilton Gymnasium will head to the spin room …

Discussion: TVNewser

Paul Farhi / Washington Post:

Post reporter David Finkel among 23 awarded MacArthur grants — David Finkel, a Washington Post journalist whose immersive reporting has produced illuminating stories about the toll of war on American soldiers and the struggles of refugees around the world, has been named one of 23 MacArthur Fellows …

Discussion: The Huffington Post

Jim Romenesko:

Report: Over 100 layoffs at Syracuse Post-Standard — Longtime #Syracuse Post Standard columnist Dick Case among those let go. One worker says 110 total layoffs at the paper. (Michael Benny is a Syracuse TV news anchor.) The Syracuse Press Club's reaction: The Syracuse Press Club …

Discussion: Poynter

Eric Hananoki / Media Matters for America:

Following Criticism, WSJ Identifies Writer Max Boot As A Romney Adviser — Following criticism of its disclosure practices, The Wall Street Journal identified frequent writer Max Boot as an adviser to Mitt Romney's campaign in a recent book review he wrote for the paper.

Discussion: Politico

Michael Wolff / Guardian:

What the New York Times really lost with the passing of Arthur O Sulzberger — Arthur Ochs “Punch” Sulzberger, the former publisher and chairman of the New York times, whose death at 86 is getting head-of-state treatment (at least by the New York Times), was a very nice, old-fashioned and …

Josh Sternberg / Digiday:

Gawker's Ad Haul Leans on Standard Ads — Gawker head honcho Nick Denton yesterday tooted the company's horn for bringing in $2 million in revenue in one day. Not bad for a publication that claims to eschew traditional banner ads. — Yet for a publisher that believes banners are on the way out …

Frederic Lardinois / TechCrunch:

YouTube Partners With ABC News To Offer Its First-Ever Live Stream Of The U.S. Presidential Debates — For the first time ever, YouTube will offer a live video stream of the U.S. presidential and vice presidential debates this year. To do this, YouTube has partnered with ABC News and the debates …

Discussion: Media & Entertainment, Forbes, YouTube Blog, Mashable!, Fast Company and CNET

Michael Wolff / USA Today:

What ad biz needs are writers — 7:05PM EST September 30. 2012 - Not too long ago, I had lunch with the head of a large digital advertising agency — owned by a larger traditional agency, in turn owned by a much larger holding company — who offered the following cryptic explanation for the way his firm did its job:

John Cook / Gawker:

Yes, Mitt Romney Is Getting a Raw Deal From the Press — First off—there is no such thing as “the media.” The people and entities who shape our political coverage represent a fractured, disaggregated, chaotic mass of divergent agendas and interests. While they often display pack behavior …

Discussion: Mediaite, American Thinker and Politico

Jeff John Roberts / paidContent:

More mobile devices equals more news consumption, says study — New research shows that smartphone and tablet-toting Americans are packing their day with more news than ever before, allaying publisher fears that people might quit the news for other digital distractions.

Discussion: Poynter

Jeff Bercovici / Forbes:
More Mobile News Consumers Choosing Web Over Apps

Discussion: Nieman Journalism Lab, Journalism.org, newsplexer, VatorNews, Free Press Blog, Digiday, TechCrunch, Poynter, Change of Subject, MediaPost and PC Magazine

Julie Moos / Poynter:

Penn State student journalist suspended for fabrication, plagiarism — Penn State's student newspaper has suspended a writer who fabricated and plagiarized quotes by Sue Paterno in a story about the opening of a center on campus named for her. Paterno is the widow of former coach Joe Paterno …

Discussion: JIMROMENESKO.COM

Josh Halliday / Guardian:

Counter-terrorism officer charged with breaching Official Secrets Act — A senior counter-terrorism detective has been charged with breaching the Official Secrets Act in relation to information allegedly sent to the News of the World about the Scotland Yard probe into phone hacking.