Mediagazer: The Boston Globe tightens up as executives seek ‘the optimal balance’ between free and paid (Dan Kennedy/Nieman Journalism Lab)

5:20 PM ET, February 7, 2013

Top News:

Farewell, neighbors — We're sorry to report that EveryBlock has closed its doors. — It's no secret that the news industry is in the midst of a massive change. Within the world of neighborhood news there's an exciting pace of innovation yet increasing challenges to building a profitable business.

Discussion: Chicago Tribune, NetNewsCheck Latest, paidContent, Adweek, The Verge, Chicago Business, @pelletk, @dancow, @dancow, Lincoln Square, IL Patch, @romenesko, @digiphile, @dancow, @jkocherhans, @jamesrbuk and Kirk LaPointe's …

Jeff Sonderman / Poynter:

NBC closes hyperlocal, data-driven publishing pioneer EveryBlock — NBC News has shut down EveryBlock, one of the early pioneers of data-driven hyperlocal community news and information. — The decision took effect today. Vivian Schiller, senior vice president and chief digital officer of NBC News …

Discussion: VentureBeat, NetNewsCheck Latest, Street Fight, Gawker, CNET, TechCrunch, @scottros, The Huffington Post, @tomcoates, @ryansholin, @dancow, @a_l, @chanders, @sdkstl, @adrianholovaty, @kevindgrant, @amyhoy, @iandees, @elisharene and The FJP

Brian Stelter / Media Decoder:

NBC Shuts Down Hyperlocal Web Site — EveryBlock, a pioneering Web site for hyperlocal data-driven journalism, was shut down by its owner, NBCNews.com, on Thursday, disappointing long time fans of the site. — Hundreds of its users posted comments bemoaning the closure and wondering why it happened without warning.

Discussion: TVNewser and @ejacqui

Adrian Holovaty:

RIP Everyblock — I'm very saddened by today's news that EveryBlock has been shut down by NBC News. — I founded EveryBlock in 2007 after receiving a grant from the Knight Foundation. It was launched in January 2008 by an original team of four (Wilson Miner, Dan O'Neil, Paul Smith and me) and was acquired by msnbc.com in 2009.

Discussion: Mark Armstrong, ReadWrite, GeekWire and @lheron

Jeff John Roberts / paidContent:

New York Times posts ho-hum numbers, slow digital growth [updated] — This story was updated at 12:05pm with details from the company's earnings call, including the state of its dividend. — The New York Times Company posted earnings on Thursday morning that show the company's ongoing struggle …

Discussion: The New York Times Company, AdAge, NetNewsCheck Latest, @jackshafer, Guardian, CNET and Forbes

Robin Wauters / The Next Web:
The New York Times now boasts 668,000 paying digital subscribers, Q4 revenue rises to $575.8m

Discussion: Poynter, New York Times, @edmundlee, The Wrap and mediabistro.com

Ken Doctor / Newsonomics:
NYT & Mark Thompson's First Report: Unsteady as She Goes

Discussion: Nieman Journalism Lab

Rick Edmonds / Poynter: At New York Times, 65% of digital-only subscribers are ‘entirely new’

Joe Pompeo / Capital New York: ‘Times’ C.E.O. Mark Thompson promises a ‘new strategy,’ details in April

Jeff Bercovici / Forbes:

Coming Soon: A Juniors' Edition of The New York Times? — A new CEO is supposed to bring a new way of looking at problems. So how's this for some new thinking from New York Times Co. chief Mark Thompson: He's looking at launching an edition of the paper just for youngsters.

Discussion: Media & Entertainment, NetNewsCheck Latest, FishbowlNY and @jeffjohnroberts

Laura Hazard Owen / paidContent:

What would a New York Times for the youngs look like? — The New York Times is testing some kind of “entry-level” product aimed at a younger, more Internet-y audience, new CEO Mark Thompson said in the company's earnings call Thursday. Forbes' Jeff Bercovici followed up …

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest

Jeff Bercovici / Forbes:

News Corp. Admits 'World's Worst-Kept Secret': It's Planning ESPN Clone — Quarter after quarter, analysts have asked News Corp. executives about report that the media conglomerate intended to start its own national sports network to compete with ESPN, and the executives have duly played it coy.

Discussion: Los Angeles Times

Andrew Pugh / Press Gazette:
Phone-hacking scandal: News Corp costs rise to $360m

Discussion: Management Today, The Week UK, The Independent and Guardian

Joe Pompeo / Capital New York:
News Corp. says its split-up is on track

Discussion: Poynter, NetNewsCheck Latest, Media Week, Crikey, New York Magazine and Bloomberg

Amy Chozick / Media Decoder:
News Corp. Posts Gain on Strength of Cable Channels

Discussion: Broadcasting & Cable, AdAge, Home Media Magazine and The Wrap

Joe Pompeo / Capital New York:

Digital magazine sales doubled in second half of 2012, as newsstand sales dropped — The number of U.S. consumer magazines sold on tablet devices and other mobile platforms in the second half of 2012 more than doubled from the same period a year earlier, according to the latest figures released today …

Discussion: Adweek, Media Decoder, MinOnline, The Wrap and FishbowlNY

Laura Hazard Owen / paidContent:
Digital magazine sales still tiny overall, but titles like Reader's Digest see huge growth

Discussion: Alliance for Audited Media and Folio

Jeff Bercovici / Forbes:

Incoming News Corp. CEO Says The Daily Was ‘A Great Success, Revenue Aside’ — It burned through at least $40 million and never came close to turning a profit, but that doesn't mean The Daily was a failure, according to Robert Thomson, the soon-to-be CEO of News Corp.'s publishing spin-off.

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest

Erik Wemple:

Journal News legacy spreads — The decision of the Journal News to publish databases of gun holders in Westchester and Rockland counties (New York) brought on: — • Outrage; — • A cowardly reaction from Journal News principals; and, ultimately — Now, the legacy moves on.

Discussion: Poynter and Reuters

Andrew Beaujon / Poynter:

Circulation and ad revenue down at McClatchy — McClatchy's circulation revenues were down in the fourth quarter of 2012, the company said in an earnings report released Thursday morning. Circulation revenue fell 1.9 percent, and advertising revenue was down 6 percent.

Discussion: CNET, Sacramento Bee and PR Newswire

Ben Sisario / Media Decoder:

Warner Music Group Buys EMI Assets for $765 Million — 12:02 p.m. | Updated The Warner Music Group, the smallest of the three remaining major record companies, said on Thursday that it had reached an agreement to pay $765 million for the Parlophone Label Group, a package of divestments …

Discussion: BBC, Telegraph, Wall Street Journal and Billboard