Mediagazer: Microsoft says the government's transparency report isn't enough. Here's why. (Brian Fung/The Switch)

10:40 PM ET, August 30, 2013

Top News:

Margaret Sullivan / The Public Editor's Journal:

In News Coverage and Editorials on Syria, How Much Skepticism in The Times? — Many Times readers are looking at recent news coverage of Syria, and editorials on the same subject, through the lens of another international conflict: the United States invasion of Iraq.

Alex Weprin / TVNewser:

Network Correspondents Converge On Syria And Surrounding Countries — All eyes are turning to Syria, as escalated rhetoric suggests that a U.S. attack could be imminent. Unlike Iraq, which saw correspondents reporting while embedded with U.S. troops or from the balcony of their hotels …

Discussion: @yancyfaith, FishbowlDC and FishbowlNY

Ben Sisario / New York Times:

For News From Syrian Battleground, a Reliance on Social Media — When Secretary of State John Kerry delivered the United States' report on Friday about the use of chemical weapons in Syria, he noted that “all hell broke loose in the social media” just 90 minutes after the alleged attack.

Discussion: @sukille, @kirstinestewart, @jncatron and Foreign Policy

Sara Morrison / The Wrap:
Syria Crisis: How the Networks Are Covering

Discussion: Mediaite, The New Yorker Blog, Hollywood Reporter and @saramorrison

David Barrett / Telegraph:

David Miranda was carrying password for secret files on piece of paper — A journalist's partner who was detained carrying thousands of British intelligence documents through Heathrow airport was also holding the password to an encrypted file written on a piece of paper, the government has disclosed.

Discussion: Joshua Foust, Business Insider, The Independent, @harrisj, Softpedia News, Politico, New York Magazine and @jayrosen_nyu

Mark Hosenball / Reuters:

UK asked N.Y. Times to destroy Snowden material — (Reuters) - The British government has asked the New York Times to destroy copies of documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden related to the operations of the U.S. spy agency and its British partner …

Discussion: Mediaite, @emilydparker, @jayrosen_nyu, @mattwaite and @jesselynradack

Robert Booth / Guardian:

UK took three weeks to act over data at New York Times, says Guardian — Alan Rusbridger hits back at Downing Street's claims in high court that it ‘urgently’ needed access to leaked GCHQ files — The British government took over three weeks to act on authoritative information …

Discussion: @fredriklaurin, @rydermc, The Switch, @kgosztola, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Associated Press, RT, Telegraph, @dangillmor, @jamesrbuk, @ncilla and Softpedia News

Rosie Gray:
British Embassy Approached New York Times About Snowden Documents

Discussion: @buzzfeedben, @rosiegray and @buzzfeedben

Press Gazette:
High Court told Miranda was carrying ‘58,000 highly classified UK intelligence documents’

Discussion: The Verge, The Independent, The Atlantic Wire, London24 News, National Updates, The Register, Bloomberg, Guardian and Head of Legal

insideradio.com:

Townsquare Media buys 53 stations from Cumulus. — In deal-making that will solidify its position as the third-biggest radio group, Townsquare Media is adding 71 stations in 15 markets. It'll do that a series of three deals, valued at a combined $281 million.

Discussion: radioworld.com and AllAccess.com

Jeff Bercovici / Forbes:
Looking To Radio's Future, Cumulus Media Buys Syndicator Dial Global

Discussion: New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Billboard, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Businessweek and Benzinga

Hannah Karp / Wall Street Journal:
Cumulus Radio Deal Could Crowd Clear Channel

Discussion: @ethanwsj, Radio Ink Magazine, Reuters, NetNewsCheck Latest and AllAccess.com

Lucia Moses / Adweek:

People Mag Prepares New Subscription Model — Time Inc. cash cow People is preparing to unveil a new pricing model designed to transform the way people think about subscriptions, according to people familiar with the publisher's plans. Other titles in the company are expected to follow suit.

Discussion: FishbowlNY

Erik Maza / WWD: Time Inc. CEO Laura Lang to Exit in September

Joshua Benton / Nieman Journalism Lab:

New York Times improves its recommendations engine — Discussions about the future of news often feature a dystopian, filter-bubbly argument: Let people personalize the news they consume and it'll kill the common conversation essential to democracy. — I've always been suspicious of that argument.

Discussion: The Next Web and @niemanlab

Mike Isaac / AllThingsD:

Twitter General Counsel Alexander Macgillivray to Leave Company — Twitter's free speech defender is leaving the nest. — Alexander Macgillivray, Twitter's general counsel and chief navigator of its thorny digital First Amendment issues, is departing the company.

Discussion: bricoleur, Guardian, SlashGear, NYT Bits, Los Angeles Times, The Verge, ReadWrite, CNET, @mikeisaac, TechCrunch, GigaOM, @trevortimm, Betabeat, Mashable, Hillicon Valley and Digits

Ian Burrell / The Independent:

Censure for reporter over Gaza tweet sparks BBC rethink over social media — Governing body calls for rethink over use of Twitter but journalists worry about losing credibility — The censure of a senior BBC correspondent over his use of Twitter in covering the Middle East …

Discussion: @jeffjarvis, @scottbix, @daschles and @colrichardkemp

Meg James / Los Angeles Times:

L.A. City Council to debate Time Warner Cable-CBS blackout — The Los Angeles City Council plans to wade into the contentious contract dispute between Time Warner Cable and CBS Corp., which has led to a four-week blackout of local CBS stations in more than 1 million homes in Los Angeles.

Discussion: @megjameslat

Jim Romenesko:

[UPDATED] Society of Professional Journalists considers changing its name to Society for Professional Journalism — SPJ is considering changing its name from Society of Professional Journalists to Society for Professional Journalism. [My error: My original post had OF, not FOR.]

Discussion: @scottleadingham and @justinsilverman

Adrienne LaFrance / Nieman Journalism Lab:

Columbia is launching a new post-bac program to breed journalism unicorns — The journalism unicorn exists. I've seen one — even worked with one. Maybe you know the kind: a journalist who's as nimble and dynamic as a reporter as she is with coding. — Yes, journalism unicorns are out there …

Discussion: @emilybell, @sisiwei, @kleinmatic, @greglinch, @derekwillis and Tow Center for Digital …