Mediagazer: This is why WikiLeaks is important, and why the NYT should be defending it (Mathew Ingram/paidContent)

Margaret Sullivan / The Public Editor's Journal:

Keeping Environmental Reporting Strong Won't Be Easy — Those who care deeply about environmental issues were understandably concerned Friday after learning that The Times was dismantling its special team - or “pod” - of seven reporters and two editors. — Beth Parke, executive director …

Discussion: The Huffington Post

Andrew C. Revkin / Dot Earth:

The Changing Newsroom Environment — There's been a flurry of blog, Facebook and Twitter shock and anger following Katherine Bagley's exclusive report for Inside Climate News on the decision by The New York Times to shut down its standalone environment “pod” and redistribute that able team …

Discussion: mediabistro.com and FishbowlNY

Katherine Bagley / InsideClimate News:

New York Times Dismantles Its Environment Desk — Times says demise of the nine-person team, created in 2009, won't affect climate coverage. — The New York Times will close its environment desk in the next few weeks and assign its seven reporters and two editors to other departments.

Discussion: The Sherman Report, The Politics of Poverty, International Business Times, The Huffington Post, Capital New York, LA Observed, The Daily Dish and kottke.org

Mathew Ingram / paidContent:

This is why WikiLeaks is important, and why the NYT should be defending it — Ever since WikiLeaks first emerged on the scene in 2010, there has been a debate about whether the organization should qualify as a media entity, and if so what duty we owe it. Many journalists have preferred …

Discussion: The Week and Boing Boing

Matt Williams / Guardian:

Key witness in Bradley Manning WikiLeaks trial defends Reddit webchat — Lauren McNamara says ‘none of this is private information’ while discussing her online conversations with Manning in 2009 — A former confidante of the WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning has defended her decision …

Discussion: SocialTimes

Will Sommer / City Desk:

D.C. Won't Prosecute David Gregory Over Gun Magazine — Looks like NBC's David Gregory won't have to turn to the life of a fugitive, after all. Despite waving around a 30-round magazine that's illegal under District law on a Dec. 23 Meet the Press broadcast, Gregory won't be prosecuted …

Discussion: Politico, The Huffington Post, TVNewser, Broadcasting & Cable and Erik Wemple

Mathew Ingram / paidContent:

Why BuzzFeed's photo spat with Reddit could be just the tip of the iceberg — BuzzFeed's impressive growth — capped off by a recent $15.5-million venture-financing round — is a testament to the site's ability to find and package “viral” content on a range of topics, from heartwarming photos …

Discussion: Mashable!

Jeff Bercovici / Forbes:

In CBS Vs. Dish Network, CNET's Credibility Is The Loser — It's axiomatic in journalism that an appearance of a conflict of interest is as much to be avoided as an actual conflict. There may be perfectly valid reasons for putting the owner's wife on the cover, but trying to convince readers of it is a fool's errand.

Discussion: The Verge, Kirk LaPointe's … and TECHGEEK.com.au

Rafat Ali / Skift:

Wikipedia's travel site's official launch coming soon; what to expect and not expect — [UPDATE: The Wikimedia Foundation is tentatively slated to launch Wikivoyage next week, on January 15, Skift has learned.] — Wikipedia's next big push is a travel wiki, and the official launch …

Discussion: Wired, the Econsultancy blog, SocialTimes, CNET and Mashable!

Charlie Warzel / Adweek:

Newsweek Unveils Its First Animated Cover — Freed from the chains of print, Newsweek is continuing its streak of digital firsts to raise eyebrows for its tablet edition, whose Jan. 11 edition will feature an animated cover image for the first time in the magazine's 80-year-history.

Discussion: The Wrap, The Verge and The Daily Beast

Joe Hagan / New York Magazine:

Major Shakeout Looms for Top New York Times Editors — The next two weeks are going to get tense inside the headquarters of the New York Times. — Last month, executive editor Jill Abramson told the staff she'd have to cut 30 positions from the news division to buffer against financial losses …

Joe Flint / Los Angeles Times:

NBC has no qualms about using news unit as a marketing tool — Josh Gad and Jenna Bush Hager on NBC's newsmagazine “Rock Center.” (NBC) — NBC's symphony strategy is starting to hit a bad note. — When Comcast took over the network in 2001, NBCUniversal Chief Executive Steve Burke put …