Mediagazer: China investigating Amazon's e-book business (Liau Yun Qing/ZDNet)

1:40 PM 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, @jeffbercovici, @thejongardner, @jacobwe, @rafat and NetNewsCheck Latest

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: NetNewsCheck Latest and @jorcohen

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

Thanks:@jaredbkeller

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: FishbowlNY, Guardian, paidContent and The Huffington Post

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

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

Peter Kafka / AllThingsD:

The Daily Says — And Sings — Goodbye — The Daily, Rupert Murdoch's attempt to make a tabloid newspaper for the iPad age, shuts down this week. Anyone — and everyone — can tell you why The Daily didn't work, and they've already done so. — So instead, watch this video …

Discussion: JIMROMENESKO.COM and The Atlantic Wire

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

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

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.

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: Journalism.co.uk and NetNewsCheck Latest

Don Kaplan / NY Daily News:

Jeff Zucker is looking for something funny: late-night satire for CNN — Network source: New chief wants ‘smart, funny comics like Jon Stewart’ — Jeff Zucker (r.), shown here with Phil Kent, wants to broaden CNN's appeal & enjoys ‘infotainment.’ — CNN's new chief is looking to liven …

Liau Yun Qing / ZDNet:

China investigating Amazon's e-book business — Summary: The General Administration of Press and Publication of China is looking into whether the U.S. company flouted local laws by piggybacking on the sales license of its Chinese partner, Chineseall.com. — Liau Yun Qing

Discussion: CNET, Digital Book World, Reuters and GigaOM

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 …