Mediagazer: X-Surface: Don't believe everything you read. (X-Surface)

3:45 PM ET, January 23, 2013

Top News:

As ESPN Debated, Manti Te'o Story Slipped Away — On Jan. 16, a fierce debate raged inside ESPN. Reporters for the network had been working for almost a week trying to nail down an extraordinary story: Manti Te'o's girlfriend — the one whose death from leukemia had haunted and inspired …

Discussion: Fast Company, Poynter, Gawker, mediabistro.com, Daily Download, The Wrap, TVNewser, Los Angeles Times, Media Decoder, Deadspin, The Daily Dish and Sports Illustrated

Barbara Goldberg / Reuters:

Te'o tells Katie Couric he lied to maintain hoax — (Reuters) - Notre Dame football star Manti Te'o told ABC News' Katie Couric that he had lied to keep up a hoax involving a nonexistent dying girlfriend once he learned he had been duped two days before the Heisman Trophy winner was announced.

John Koblin / Deadspin:
Report: ESPN Suspends Two Producers For Cutting Away From Notre Dame AD's Te'o Presser Last Week

Discussion: The Big Lead and The Wrap

CBS News:
Diane O'Meara, woman in fake Manti Te'o girlfriend photo, speaks out

Discussion: Sports Illustrated

Katy Bachman / Adweek:

CBS' Hopper Award Knock Could Set Back Media Ownership Rules — When CBS torpedoed CNET's planned “best of show” award for Dish's Hopper, it may have also blown to bits broadcasters' best chance for looser media ownership rules at the Federal Communications Commission.

Discussion: Radio & Television …

Jeff Blagdon / The Verge:
CBS claims Dish hid commercial-skipping Auto Hop feature during contract negotiations

Discussion: Reuters, Variety, SlashGear, Hollywood Reporter and Deadline.com

Josh Halliday / Guardian:

Emily Bell and Alex Graham appointed Scott Trust non-executive directors — Guardian News & Media's former digital director and TV producer join the 12-strong board of Scott Trust directors — Emily Bell, Guardian News & Media's former digital director, and Alex Graham …

Chris Roush / Talking Biz News:

Many Reuters editors, reporters won't recive raises in 2013 — Many Reuters editors and reporters will not receive any pay raises in 2013, according to a memo from human resources distributed on Tuesday. — The memo, obtained by Talking Biz News, says that all Reuters editorial staffers …

Kara Bloomgarden-Smoke / The New York Observer:
Through The Wire: Reuters Layoffs

Discussion: Forbes

X-Surface:

X-Surface: Don't believe everything you read. — I am a gamer. I don't work for Microsoft. — I, like most other gamers, am sick of seeing endless rumours and speculation citing “anonymous sources” or “insiders” with no evidence, no proof, no guarantee that they've been fact-checked or can be relied on.

Discussion: Forbes, Pocket-lint, VentureBeat, VG247 and Gizmodo UK

Janko Roettgers / GigaOM:

The story behind DIAL: How Netflix and YouTube want to take on AirPlay — Netflix and YouTube have teamed up to launch DIAL, a protocol that helps developers of second-screen apps to discover and launch applications on smart TVs and connected devices. The effort is already getting support …

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest, App Advice, TUAW, SlashGear, iDownloadBlog.com, The Verge, Gizmodo UK and WebProNews

Joe Hagan / New York Magazine:

Trump: Interest in New York Times in ‘Evaluation Stage’ — With Donald Trump, you can never tell where the TV show ends and reality begins. Is he serious about buying the New York Times? — In a brief interview this afternoon, Trump said he wouldn't comment on his intentions or strategy …

Joe Hagan / New York Magazine:
Donald Trump Exploring Improbable Ways He Might Buy the New York Times

Discussion: Forbes, Business Insider, @dkberman, The Huffington Post, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, FishbowlNY, mediabistro.com and Chickaboomer

Bill Carter / Media Decoder:

More Than 20 Million Viewers Watched Coverage of Inauguration — A total of 20.552 million viewers tuned in on 18 separate television networks to watch coverage of the second inauguration of President Obama, the Nielsen company reported Wednesday. — The number, which measured …

Discussion: Nielsen Wire, TVNewser, Broadcasting & Cable and The Huffington Post

Jesse Hicks / The Verge:

Tweeting the news: Andy Carvin test-pilots Twitter journalism — NPR's “one-man Twitter news bureau” on his process, the Arab Spring, and online literacy — Andy Carvin's official title is Senior Strategist, Social Media Desk at National Public Radio, but that bureaucratic fog undercuts the scale of his work.

Jim Romenesko:

No insurance for you, investigative reporter! … Lee van der Voo tells Romenesko readers: I was just informed by State Farm here in Oregon, where I'm an independent investigative journalist, that they are dumping my office rental policy because of the kind of journalism I do.

Reuters:

Thai magazine's former editor gets 10 years for insulting king — (Reuters) - A former Thai magazine editor was jailed for 10 years on Wednesday for insulting the royal family under the country's draconian lese-majeste law, a sentence that drew condemnation from international rights groups and the European Union.

Discussion: Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Voice of America, The Independent, Al Jazeera Blogs, TheAustralian, Bangkok Post, Agence France Presse, CNN, New York Times, Guardian and BBC

Chris O'Shea / FishbowlNY:

Mark Miller Leaves Newsweek/The Daily Beast for The Hollywood Reporter — Mark Miller is — once again — leaving Newsweek. The New York Post reports that Miller, who returned to Newsweek/The Daily Beast in 2011 after leaving it in 2010, is departing to join The Hollywood Reporter as its deputy editorial director.

Discussion: New York Post, MinOnline, FishbowlDC, FishbowlLA and TVNewser

Jason Del Rey / AdAge:

Gawker Expects at Least 10% of Revenue From E-Commerce This Year, Says Denton Memo — Seeking ‘Commerce Specialists’ for Gawker Sites — Apparently, Gawker Media is serious about its e-commerce business. In a memo to his employees today outlining some business-side promotions and departures …