Mediagazer: What Happened To Music Writing This Year? (Maura Johnston/NPR)

6:00 AM ET, December 31, 2012

Top News:

Owen Matthews / Spectator:

Who killed Newsweek? — Tina Brown can't just blame the internet — So farewell then, Newsweek magazine, which published its last print issue this week. After 79 years — 15 of them as my employer — the venerable old rag is to disappear into an uncertain, web-only future.

Discussion: @ianbirrell

Salman Masood / New York Times:

Pakistan Lifts YouTube Ban, for 3 Minutes — ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A ban on YouTube, which Pakistan imposed after an anti-Islam video caused riots in much of the Muslim world, was lifted Saturday, only to be reinstated — after three minutes — when it was discovered that blasphemous material was still available on the site.

Discussion: The Express Tribune, AllThingsD, CNET, The Verge, Times of India, Examiner, CHINAdaily, TechCrunch, The Lede, Electronista and Business Insider

Associated Press:

German magazine mistakenly publishes Bush obituary — You are here — Home » George H. Bush » German magazine mistakenly publishes Bush obituary — BERLIN (AP) — Germany's respected news weekly Der Spiegel mistakenly published an obituary Sunday for former U.S. President George H.W. Bush …

Discussion: New York Magazine, Mediaite and Gawker

Noreen O'Donnell / Reuters:

New York newspaper to list more gun permit holders after uproar — (Reuters) - A suburban New York newspaper that sparked an uproar among gun enthusiasts by publishing names and addresses of residents holding pistol permits is now planning to publish even more identities of permit-toting locals.

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, PandoDaily, The Gateway Pundit, Gawker and The Gateway Pundit

David Zurawik / Daily Download:

Chelsea Clinton, Still NBC's Pretend Journalist — I know there are questions on my beat larger and more pressing than who's worse as a TV journalist, Chelsea Clinton or Jenna Bush Hager, the presidentially-connected, pretend correspondents at NBC News. — But I continue to be fascinated …

Discussion: Politico, @bobbywarrentdr, TVNewser, Mediaite and @howardkurtz

Erika Fry / Fortune:

Can the media escape the wilderness in 2013? — The news and publishing industries are on no firmer ground than a year ago as the quest for a sustainable business model continues. What did we learn from 2012? — FORTUNE — In a year with a highly contentious presidential election …

Discussion: Beet.TV

Anthony Ha / TechCrunch:

Touch Publishing Platform Onswipe Now Reaching 10M Monthly Active Users On iOS — Onswipe, a startup that helps publishers build websites optimized for iPads and other touchscreen devices, is closing out what sounds like a big year. Content published through the Onswipe platform reached …

NPR:

Margaret Atwood's Brave New World Of Online Publishing … If you're a Margaret Atwood fan — and you've got some spare change under the couch cushions — just a few dollars will get you a stand-alone episode of the new novel she's writing in serial form. — It's called Positron …

Julie Moos / Poynter:

Local journalists balance compassion, community service in coverage of Newtown shooting aftermath — Sandy Hook Elementary students are scheduled to resume classes a week from today, at a new location near Newtown, Conn., after 26 children and staff were killed at their school earlier this month.

Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune:

Tribune Co. to emerge from bankruptcy Monday — The last day of 2012 is the first of a new era for Tribune Co. After spending more than four years embroiled in a contentious Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, the reorganized Chicago-based media company will emerge Monday under new owners …

Discussion: AllThingsD

Matthew Roth / Wikimedia blog:

Wikimedia Foundation raises $25 million in record time during 2012 fundraiser — The Wikimedia Foundation is happy to announce the successful completion of our ninth annual fundraising campaign in record time. Wikipedia readers donated $25 million and once again affirmed the value …

Discussion: The Next Web, TechCrunch, LNR Journalism, AllThingsD and VentureBeat

Maura Johnston / NPR:

What Happened To Music Writing This Year? — The question “what do readers want?” has hovered over any media business worth its advertising revenue for years, but in 2012, it took on more urgency. Any item worth its pixels this year was built for sharing, for posting on Twitter …