Mediagazer: In praise of tabloid TV (Jack Shafer)

12:25 PM ET, July 8, 2013

Top News:

Brian Stelter / New York Times:

Campaign Ad Cash Lures Buyers to Swing-State TV Stations — When Allbritton, the media company that owns Politico, put its seven television stations up for sale this spring, analysts quickly singled out one as the most attractive: WJLA, the company's ABC-affiliated station in Washington …

Discussion: Poynter, Reflections of a Newsosaur, Mother Jones and TVSpy

Peter Lattman / DealBook:

Thomson Reuters to Suspend Early Peeks at Key Index — Over the last several years, an exclusive group of investors has paid a steep premium to receive the results of a closely watched economic survey a full two seconds before its broader release. Those two seconds can mean millions …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Quartz, Corporate Intelligence and Business Insider

Hamish McKenzie / PandoDaily:

Not pretty, but profitable: Wall St Cheat Sheet writes its own rules for new media — The Wall St Cheat Sheet looks like a throwback to an almost-obsolete Internet media era. Banners are dead? Not here. The site has two on each page, along with three square ad units, a skypscraper …

Discussion: eMedia Vitals and The Week

Lisa O'Carroll / Guardian:

Press industry pushes ahead with new regulator despite political deadlock — Leading newspaper and magazine publishers take first steps in setting up Independent Press Standards Organisation — The newspaper and magazine industry is pushing ahead with the establishment of a new press regulator despite …

Discussion: Jon Slattery, @joshhalliday, pressgazette.co.uk, Guardian, Big News Network.com, Hollywood Reporter, City A.M. Feed and HoldTheFrontPage

Brent Lang / The Wrap:

Village Voice Taps Tom Finkel for Editor — Former Riverfront Times editor tasked with revitalizing troubled alt-weekly — Tom Finkel will take the reins of struggling alt-weekly the Village Voice, the Voice Media Group said Monday. — Finkel comes to the New York publication …

Discussion: Poynter, FishbowlNY, Capital New York and The New York Observer

Jack Shafer:

In praise of tabloid TV — Allow me to defend cable TV's extended live coverage of the George Zimmerman murder trial, even though I've not watched a second of it, nor have I tuned in to any of the nightly rehashes aired on CNN, HLN, MSNBC and Fox News Channel.

Discussion: @ravisomaiya

Daniel Ellsberg / Washington Post:

Snowden made the right call when he fled the U.S. — Many people compare Edward Snowden to me unfavorably for leaving the country and seeking asylum, rather than facing trial as I did. I don't agree. The country I stayed in was a different America, a long time ago.

Discussion: Business Insider, msnbc.com, @erbrod, @ggreenwald and Esquire

Kareem Fahim / New York Times:

Egypt's New Leaders Press Media to Muzzle Dissent — CAIRO — As soldiers and policemen opened fire on supporters of President Mohamed Morsi outside an army officers' club on Friday, killing at least four people, one of Egypt's state television channels broadcast a religious show that advised viewers to respect the elderly.

Discussion: The Huffington Post and Al Jazeera English

Ken Yeung / The Next Web:

Inside YouTube's massive LA studio where it hopes to foster content that will rival television and cable — The Internet is certainly a magical place and has become the place to share information with everyone. YouTube has been one of the preeminent services to help people express themselves.

Discussion: ClickZ

Sarah Young / Reuters:

App developer Shazam gets $40 mln backing from tycoon Carlos Slim — (Reuters) - Smartphone app developer Shazam has found an unlikely ally in the form of Carlos Slim, one of the world's richest men, who is investing $40 million to back the development of the start-up best known for helping music fans identify catchy songs.

Discussion: Sky News, AllThingsD, Yahoo! News, Financial Times, Hollywood Reporter, Mashable, CNET, TechCrunch, Guardian and Beet.TV

Joe Flint / Los Angeles Times:

DirecTV among pay-TV distributors seeking over the top rights — Some of the nation's biggest pay-TV distributors are seeking to secure so-called over-the-top, or OTT, rights from programmers, according to several industry executives. — The efforts, if successful, could ultimately clear …

Discussion: The Verge

Associated Press:

Newseum draws visitors but loses money; Officials reorganize education programs — Most museums have been struggling in recent years since the Great Recession, Ellis said. Many are contending with rising expenses and must find ways to increase revenue. — As part of its reorganization …

Discussion: Poynter