Mediagazer: Netflix now has more paying subscribers than HBO in the United States (Zachary M. Seward/Quartz)

8:25 AM ET, October 22, 2013

Top News:

Michael Calderone / The Huffington Post:

Associated Press Fires Journalists Over Erroneous Terry McAuliffe Report — NEW YORK — The Associated Press has fired a reporter and editor over an erroneous Oct. 9 report that Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe lied to an investigator in a federal fraud case, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Discussion: WTVR-TV, @thefix, Terry McAuliffe for Governor, @jmartnyt, Talking Points Memo, New York Magazine and Pressing Issues

Erik Wemple: AP owes public a better explanation of McAuliffe mistake

Dylan Byers / Politico: Bob Lewis firing stuns Virginia media world

Ryan Lawler / TechCrunch:

Netflix's Q3 Beats Analyst Estimates With 1.3M New Domestic Subscribers, $0.52 Earnings Per Share — Netflix's third-quarter earnings report just came out, with the company beating analyst expectations on higher-than-expected subscriber numbers. For the third quarter …

Zachary M. Seward / Quartz:

Netflix now has more paying subscribers than HBO in the United States — Netflix just reported that its streaming video service had 29.93 million paying subscribers in the United States at the end of September. That surpasses, for the first time, HBO's paid subscriber base of 28.96 million in the US.

Discussion: Motherboard and GigaOM

Leslie Kaufman / New York Times:

BuzzFeed Hires Pulitzer Winner to Head Investigative Unit — BuzzFeed, the media Web site focused on viral content, announced on Monday that it was again expanding its reporting staff, this time to introduce an investigative unit. A new team of about half a dozen reporters will be led by Mark Schoofs …

Discussion: 10,000 Words, JIMROMENESKO.COM, @nycjim, @stefanjbecket, @judybott, Capital New York, @buzzfeedben, FishbowlNY, @jessicaplautz, @kkjschmidt, @sallykohn, @nickriccardi, @mattdpearce, @wblau, @add and @laureni

Greg Toppo / USA Today:

Chalkbeat covers education as a non-profit news site — A handful of refugees from print journalism are providing an alternative model for covering state and local schools. — CONNECT — Here's a phrase you don't hear much: newsroom expansion. — That's the goal of a new non-profit …

Discussion: @patrick_wall, @joeygarrison, @chendrie, @anniekarni and @davidepstein

Reuters:

U.S. high court declines to hear privacy lawsuit against Thomson Reuters — (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider whether a unit of Thomson Reuters Corp can obtain and sell information on drivers provided by state agencies without violating a federal privacy law.

Discussion: @joshua_roberts_ and @antderosa

Associated Press:

Associated Press CEO: Press freedom v. security a ‘false choice’ — DENVER — Governments that try to force citizens to decide between a free press and national security create a “false choice” that weakens democracy, and journalists must fight increasing government overreach …

Andrew Beaujon / Poynter:

Pioneer Press paywall coming Nov. 1 — Star Tribune reporter Rachel E. Stassen-Berger tweeted a picture of a letter she received explaining the changes: “On November 1, the Pioneer Press, like many other newspapers, will begin charging for our exclusive content on TwinCities.com, mobile …

Discussion: The Blotter

Sam Gustin / TIME:

Google Unveils Tools to Access Web From Repressive Countries — The tech titan is introducing products to track Internet attacks and aid free expression — Google Ideas, the New York City-based “think/do tank” run by the Internet search giant, is launching several new technologies designed …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, The Official Google Blog, Motherboard, Mashable, BetaNews, @thehackersnews, @mattcutts, CNET and Mashable

Christine Haughney / New York Times:

Staff of Washington Post Bids Farewell to Grahams — WASHINGTON — The Graham family said goodbye to The Washington Post after eight decades of ownership with an emotional send-off reception on Monday night for roughly 650 current and former employees at its downtown headquarters.

Discussion: @steph_steinberg, @pierrefitter and @romenesko

Mark Sweney / Guardian:

YouTube video channel SB.TV wins private equity backing — Youth lifestyle broadcaster started by Jamal Edwards when he was just 16 is valued at £8m after Miroma Ventures investment — Jamal Edwards's popular YouTube video channel SB.TV is to bring on board its first private equity backer …

Discussion: campaignlive.co.uk, Business news, Londonlovesbusiness.com, London Evening Standard, @yazjamal, @nicky_harrison and @vmpioneers

Matthew Shaer / The New Republic:

On the Ground With Syria's News Smugglers — They go where professional journalists won't — From Antakya, the seat of the Turkish province of Hatay, it is a 40-minute drive to the town of Reyhanli, the last ten minutes of which follow the jagged line of the Syrian border.

Discussion: @theatavist, @will_mccants, @wolfe321, @franklinfoer, @kristinasorge, @matthewshaer and @longreads

Jim Farber / NY Daily News:

Lady Gaga, One Direction among nominees for first annual YouTube Music Awards ahead of November concert — YouTube has announced that Eminem, Demi Lovato, Lady Gaga, M.I.A., Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, PSY and One Direction are among the stars up for YouTube Music Awards …

Discussion: Variety, Billboard, Engadget, Hollywood Reporter, TIME, The Verge and WebProNews

John Naughton / Guardian:

Edward Snowden: public indifference is the real enemy in the NSA affair — Most people don't seem to worry that government agencies are collecting their personal data. Is it ignorance or apathy? — One of the most disturbing aspects of the public response to Edward Snowden's revelations …

Discussion: @asawinstanley and @yaliberty

Joe Mullin / Ars Technica:

Wikipedia editors, locked in battle with PR firm, delete 250 accounts — Investigation follows reports that Wiki-PR scored Viacom, Priceline as clients. — Wikipedia editors have disabled hundreds of paid Wikipedia editing accounts in recent weeks as part of a campaign against so-called “sockpuppetry.”