Mediagazer: Think Media Consolidation Is Good for Journalism? Think Again (Josh Stearns/Free Press Blog)

Exclusive: Financial Times shops for China buyer — The querying of potential Chinese buyers for Pearson's Financial Times reflects the tough outlook for western print media, though chances of a Chinese deal are very slim. … Main menu — Three months after British media company Pearson …

Peter Preston / Guardian:

The Financial Times needs to make a signal to the market — Is the FT for sale now that Dame Marjorie Scardino has retired? If not, hadn't someone at Pearson better say so, and quickly? — Uncertainty casts a blight on newspapering. When there's stability there's success: good people stay, good people want to join.

Brian Stelter / Media Decoder:

Eliot Spitzer Ends His Show on Current TV — Eliot Spitzer, the former New York governor turned progressive television host, said Sunday that his show on Current TV is over. — The announcement comes a few days after Al Jazeera said it was acquiring Current TV.

Discussion: TVNewser, @brianstelter, The Atlantic Wire and New York Magazine

Jay Rosen / Pressthink:

Mounting costs for the default model of trust production in American newsrooms — The outlines of the new system are now coming into view. Accuracy and verification, fairness and intellectual honesty-traditional virtues for sure-join up with transparency, “show your work,” …

Discussion: @antderosa, @digiphile, Kirk LaPointe's …, @andrewdonohue and @jayrosen_nyu

Brian Stelter / New York Times:

Cable Channels Like Current and Ovation Feeling Heat — There are two kinds of cable channels in the United States: those operated by major media companies that have dozens of other channels, and those that are on their own. — The outlets in the second group, the independent channels, are feeling threatened these days.

Discussion: @pkafka

Peter Kafka / AllThingsD:

HBO Renews Universal Deal Through 2022 — HBO has renewed a pact with Universal Pictures, which will keep the studio's movies, like “Ted” and “Bourne Legacy” on the pay-cable channel through 2022. — HBO, which normally plays up the value of its original productions like “Game of Thrones …

Discussion: Home Media Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Cable Television News, CNET, Engadget, TechCrunch, The Verge and Media Decoder

David Carr / New York Times:

For Legacy Media Companies, a Lucrative Year — Everyone knows that traditional media companies are dead in the water, overwhelmed by ad skipping, cord cutting and audience flight. We know that because Chicken Littles (like me) have been saying it for years.

Agence France Presse:

Iran designing software for controlled social media access — TEHRAN — Iran is designing “intelligent software” that would give citizens restricted and controlled access to banned social networking sites, local media on Sunday quoted police chief Esmaeil Ahmadi Moghadam as saying.

Discussion: The Next Web, CNET, The Verge and Associated Press

Josh Stearns / Free Press Blog:

Think Media Consolidation Is Good for Journalism? Think Again — Diversity in Media OwnershipRupert Murdoch ScandalQuality JournalismThe FCC and Media Policy — The Federal Communications Commission is pushing a plan to gut its 30-year-old newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership ban.

Andrew Beaujon / Poynter:

Following much dispute, Unity picks new name — Unity's board of directors has voted to officially change its name to Unity: Journalists for Diversity, Richard Prince reports. — Outgoing Unity President Joanna Hernandez told Prince that nine directors voted in favor with one opposed.

Pete Brook / Wired:

Extinction Tourism: Work at a Newspaper While You Still Can — Why on earth would a seasoned, decorated photographer take a job at a local, small-town newspaper in the northern reaches of Norway? — That's what we asked Jonas Bendiksen after he announced on Magnum's blog that he'd be working …

Jeff John Roberts / paidContent:

Don't say display ads are dead: ESPN shows there's life in an old format — Many online publishers spent last year fretting over how advertisers are paying less to display their messages beside news stories. Indeed, some say display ads should be declared dead altogether and replaced with …

Discussion: AdExchanger