Mediagazer: Censorship, Translation and the Chinese Market (Jeffrey Wasserstrom/The LARB Blog)

5:00 AM ET, November 8, 2013

Top News:

Accounts Differ to F.B.I. and CBS on Benghazi — Dylan Davies, a security officer hired to help protect the United States Special Mission in Benghazi, Libya, told the F.B.I. he did not go there the night terrorists attacked it on Sept. 11, 2012, an account that contradicts a version of events …

Jack Mirkinson / The Huffington Post:

‘60 Minutes’ Says It Is ‘Reviewing’ Benghazi Piece After New Reports Contradict Key Witness Story — In the possible first sign of a major climbdown, “60 Minutes” announced Thursday night that it is “reviewing” its controversial report on the Benghazi attacks after finding further evidence …

Discussion: CBS News, TVNewser, Capital New York, Business Insider, @juddlegum, The Wrap and The Raw Story

Ben Popper / The Verge:

Twitter's stock closes at $44.90 a share, up 73 percent on its first day — A more conservative approach than Facebook could lead to a big first day of gains — Twitter is set to hold its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange this morning. The company has priced its stock at $26 a share.

Discussion: Forbes, Businessweek, NetNewsCheck Latest, Forbes, Reuters, @corytv, @marketwatch, VentureBeat and Softpedia News

Kathryn Schulz / New York Magazine:

That Goddamned Blue Bird and Me: How Twitter Hijacked My Mind — I joined Twitter, with very bad grace, on March 5, 2010. I was a few months away from publishing my first book, and my agent, editor, publicist, and assorted other media-savvy types sat me down and informed me that if I cared …

Discussion: @matthewteller, bookforum.com, @bwrighted, @clairecm, @edyong209, @nytimesbits, @david_dobbs, @dskok, @zimbalist and Gigaom

Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge:

Marvel creating four superhero shows exclusively for Netflix, premiering in 2015 — Marvel is creating four live-action superhero series that will air exclusively on Netflix beginning in 2015. The first of the TV series will focus on Daredevil, while the following series will star Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage.

Discussion: Hollywood Reporter, FilmDrunk, App Advice, New York Times and Inside TV

Joe Flint / Los Angeles Times:

Netflix-Marvel deal leaves Hulu without superheroes — Marvel's Jessica Jones is getting a series on Netflix. — When the owners of Hulu — Walt Disney Co., 21st Century Fox and Comcast Corp. — opted not to sell the online video site, Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger said …

Discussion: @efeng

David Lieberman / Deadline.com:

Disney Tops Fiscal Q4 Earnings Estimates With Strong Theme Park Results — The basic numbers look fine but investors may find reasons to be concerned by Disney's unusually complicated report for a quarter that included a writedown for The Lone Ranger and an accounting adjustment that reduced ESPN revenues.

Discussion: MediaPost, The Wrap, The Walt Disney Company …, @alexweprin, Los Angeles Times, @jboorstin, New York Times, @jboorstin, @jboorstin, CNBC and Business Wire

Katherine Fung / The Huffington Post:

Guardian Responds To UK Spy Chiefs On Edward Snowden Leaks — The Guardian is hitting back at criticism of the press by heads of British intelligence agencies on Thursday. — The heads of MI5, GCHQ and MI6 spoke in Parliament about Edward Snowden's leaks, which revealed secret domestic spying programs …

Discussion: BBC

Jack Shafer:
Governments worldwide buried in the Snowden avalanche

Discussion: SiliconBeat

Dan Gillmor / Guardian:

A simple question for new FCC chair Tom Wheeler: which side are you on? — Tom Wheeler is the new head of the agency overseeing US ‘airwaves’. Will he be a reformer or another industry lackey? — Given that most Americans probably can't name both of their US senators …

Discussion: @dweinberger

Jon Brodkin / Ars Technica: New FCC chair was industry lobbyist, but might not be industry shill

Alex Weprin / Capital New York:

NBC News Digital to launch J.F.K. anniversary site with 275 videos from Brokaw interviews — NBC News Digital will unveil a project today looking back at the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. — The digital project (you can view it here) will be tied to the debut of a TV special hosted …

Discussion: TVNewser

Jeffrey Wasserstrom / The LARB Blog:

Censorship, Translation and the Chinese Market … Ezra Vogel, author of Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of Modern China, statement made during a Chinese book tour. … Rebecca Karl, author of Mao Zedong and China in the Twentieth-Century World. … Michael Meyer, author of The Last Days of Old Beijing.

Sarah Laskow / Columbia Journalism Review:

Why Getty Images is partnering with Pinterest — Why Getty Images is partnering with Pinterest — Say you come across a gorgeous picture of Michelle Obama's latest dress, and you want to remember it next time you're in the market for a fancy get-up. You pin it to your DRESSES!!! board on Pinterest.

Discussion: @ndorokakung

Joe Coscarelli / New York Magazine:

Businessweek Editor Josh Tyrangiel Taking a Break to Focus on TV — The buzzy and boyish Josh Tyrangiel, editor of Bloomberg Businessweek, will temporarily “detach” from the magazine for the rest of the year to help grow the company's television presence, according to an internal memo obtained by Daily Intelligencer.

Discussion: Capital New York, TVNewser, FishbowlNY, @jwherrman, @justinjm1 and Talking Biz News

Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:

Startups Pitching A “Netflix For E-Books” May Have A Tough Sell — When it comes to getting consumers to pay for things on a subscription basis, some services fare better than others. A growing number of people seem happy to pay for entertainment-based offerings like Netflix or on-demand streaming music …

Erik Wemple:

WaPo editor: Costa will be Costa for us — The Post this morning broke the in-house news that celebrated National Review reporter Robert Costa will join the paper's politics team on Jan. 6. A memo from three Post editors on the hiring observes, “Bob has become an absolute must-follow …

Discussion: Poynter, The Huffington Post, FishbowlDC, Talking Points Memo, JIMROMENESKO.COM, @jayrosen_nyu and @gabrielsnyder

Kristen Hare / Poynter:

Toronto Star paid $5,000 for latest Ford video — “It's fully transparent,” Toronto Star reporter Kevin Donovan told Poynter on the phone about the paper's new video showing Toronto Mayor Rob Ford swearing and shouting, vacillating between whether he needs 10 or 15 minutes to kill someone.

Discussion: VICE, Featured stories and The Daily Caller

Michael Rondon / Folio:

Leaked memo reveals founders of Press+ are dissatisfied with RR Donnelley, seek new ownership — RR Donnelley, Press+ Exploring Sale — Memo says international expansion, new markets, are priorities. — RR Donnelley's digital paywall platform, Press+, is on the market, according to an internal memo obtained by Folio.

Andrew Beaujon / The New Republic:

Betsy Rothstein, Washington's Strangest Gossip, Does Not Explain Washington — One of Washington's most enduring mysteries deepened Thursday, when Politico reported that former FishbowlDC editor Betsy Rothstein would join The Daily Caller as a blogger. The news interrupted a week …

Discussion: Politico, @mikemadden, @hillarykelly, @betsyscribeindc, @michaelroston, @abeaujon, @tnr and FishbowlDC

Michael Sebastian / AdAge:

Guns & Ammo Editor Apologizes for Pro-Gun Control Column, Steps Down — Unconditional Apology Follows Reader Outrage in Social Media — Jim Bequette, the editor in chief of Guns & Ammo, issued an abject apology Thursday for the magazine's recent editorial advocating gun regulation …

Discussion: Guns & Ammo, Mediaite, Gawker, Media Wire Daily, @tom_watson, Yahoo! News, The Daily Beast, Talking Points Memo, The Huffington Post, The FJP and The Raw Story

Owen Bowcott / Guardian:

David Miranda detention based on legitimate concerns, court told — Police wanted to know how encrypted files were arranged as they feared release of all Snowden material, lawyers argue — Border controls exist to check on travellers where there is insufficient information to justify an arrest …

Darren Boyle / Press Gazette:

Fleet Street editor claims libel fears will force industry to support Government's Royal Charter regulator — Newspapers will sign up to the Government's Royal Charter once they start getting hit for costs in libel courts a leading editor has claimed. — Chris Blackhurst …

Jason Deans / Guardian: Publishers lodge appeal over ruling against judicial review of royal charter