Mediagazer: Discovery Strikes 2 Deals in Bid for International Growth (Michael J. De La Merced/DealBook)

10:35 AM ET, December 14, 2012

Top News:

Jeff Bercovici / Forbes:

Tote Bag, Anyone? Slate Considers Membership Model as Way to Get Readers' Cash — Would you pay for face time with Farhad? (Photo credit: Wikipedia) — Add Slate to the list of news organizations with a sudden interest in getting online readers to contribute some cash rather than leaving the whole thing to advertisers.

Discussion: JIMROMENESKO.COM, @jacobwe, @jeffbercovici, NetNewsCheck Latest, @rafat and @thejongardner

Sam Kennedy / Morning Call:

Warren Buffett eyeing Allentown Morning Call? — Ownership of Lehigh Valley newspaper in question, and one of the world's richest men has something to say about it. Tribune Co.'s imminent emergence from an epic bankruptcy has fueled a flurry of speculation about the future …

Discussion: Guardian, Poynter, JIMROMENESKO.COM and Baltimore Sun

Edmund Lee / Bloomberg:

Buffett Is Latest Billionaire to Struggle With Newspaper Revival — Warren Buffett, the investor famous for betting on aging industries like railroads and insurance, is now trying to pull off something other billionaires have tried and failed to do: save the newspaper business.

Thanks:@jaredbkeller

Felix Salmon:

The transparent DealBook conference — Margaret Sullivan, the NYT public editor, has mixed feelings about the first DealBook conference, which took place on Wednesday. Her job is to worry about such things, but it's worth taking her post seriously, because conferences and other live events …

Discussion: Talking Biz News

Margaret Sullivan / The Public Editor's Journal:

DealBook Conference Was Impressive, Lucrative and Chummy — There was a lot happening at the inaugural DealBook conference on Wednesday — and much of it was undeniably impressive. — Here is what the invitation-only conference had going for it: Big Wall Street names, flashy graphics …

Discussion: @pkedrosky, @davewiner, @fmanjoo, @brianstorms, @romenesko and Pressing Issues

Martin Belam / currybetdotnet:

The rise and #fail of the Guardian Facebook app — This week the Guardian has announced they are changing the way that they integrate with Facebook, by closing the app that I helped design and launch. It is the perfect moment to reflect on what did and didn't work, and why the app was designed as it was.

Discussion: Guardian, Journalism.co.uk, AndyDickinson.net, neurope.eu, sbs.com.au and The Verge

Mathew Ingram / GigaOM:
Guardian kills its Facebook social reader, regains control over its content

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest

Keith J. Kelly / New York Post:

Bloom is off the rose for Time Inc. CEO Lang — The honeymoon appears to be over for Time Inc. CEO Laura Lang. — As employees await a new round of cuts that seems all but certain to shake the nation's largest publisher in mid-January, morale is plunging.

Charlie Warzel / Adweek:

This is What Newsweek's Digital Future Will Look Like — It's been quite a year for Newsweek. — As the magazine plans for its transition to a digital-only future, you can count the remaining print editions of the storied publication on one hand. It's without question that this fall …

Discussion: @jorcohen

Kara Swisher / AllThingsD:

Around the World in 80 Ways: Huffington Post Now Lands in Japan — As part of what is beginning to feel like a global takeover, the Huffington Post Media Group said it will be launching a Japanese-language version of the service in that country. — The AOL-owned content arm will be partnering …

Discussion: Guardian and paidContent

Lisa O'Carroll / Guardian:

Lord Smith, Simon Jenkins and Lord Phillips named press regulator advisers — Ex-Labour culture secretary, Guardian columnist and ex-supreme court president to help establish new appointments — Lord Chris Smith, the former Labour culture secretary, the Guardian columnist …

Bloomberg:

Murdoch Son Seen Vying to Reclaim Ten Network: Real M&A — For buyers as diverse as Rupert Murdoch's eldest son Lachlan and rural broadcaster Southern Cross Media Group Ltd., there's no cheaper media target in Australia than Ten Network Holdings Ltd. (TEN) — The country's third-ranked …

Peter Kafka / AllThingsD:

“Mobile Video” Means “Video You Watch at Home” — Yes, you can use your iPhone to watch movie clips and music videos while you're in a car or on your way to work. — But you're probably using it watch stuff when you're sitting on your couch or in your bed.

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest and VentureBeat

Michael J. De La Merced / DealBook:

Discovery Strikes 2 Deals in Bid for International Growth — Discovery Communications struck two deals on Friday aimed at expanding its reach in Europe, including buying the Nordic arm of the German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1. — The deal for SBS Nordic, which has an enterprise value of $1.7 billion …

Discussion: Cable Television News, Adweek, Bloomberg, Reuters, Fox Business, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times

Robert Andrews / paidContent:

Internet may soon beat TV as main source of national news — Internet users already rely more on the network than newspapers and magazines for their national news. Now the net is also on the verge of overtaking television, according to research. — In fact, more connected Italians already …

Discussion: BetaNews

Lisa O'Carroll / Guardian:

Who will be the next editor of the Times? Our runners and riders — Sunday Times editor John Witherow is tipped to take the hot seat but some other names are emerging — John Witherow, the long-standing Sunday Times editor, is being touted as contender to take over as editor …