Mediagazer: Astroturfing The New York Times and Wall Street Journal (Ryan Chittum/Columbia Journalism Review)

8:55 AM ET, November 11, 2013

Top News:

‘60 Minutes’ Airs Apology on Benghazi — Lara Logan was scheduled to deliver a report on Sunday's “60 Minutes” about disabled veterans who climb mountains. Instead, she appeared in front of the newsmagazine's trademark black backdrop and issued an apology.

Michael Calderone / The Huffington Post:

Why ‘60 Minutes’ Stood By Benghazi Source Before Retracting Report — NEW YORK — When The Washington Post revealed on Oct. 31 that security officer Dylan Davies once told his employer he never reached the U.S. compound in Benghazi during the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack …

Discussion: Poynter, Guardian, TVNewser, Pressthink, Pressing Issues, NPR, NY Daily News, Politico, Variety, The Lede, GalleyCat, Politico, CBS News, Washington Post, CBS News, The Huffington Post, Erik Wemple and CNN

Sara Morrison / The Wrap:
Fox News Stands By Its Benghazi Reporting

Discussion: Variety, @juddlegum and Erik Wemple

Jessi Hempel / Fortune:

Vox Media acquires Curbed Network for $20-30M — Vox Media has taken on sports, technology and video games. Now it's getting into real estate. — FORTUNE — Fortune has learned that ambitious digital media startup Vox Media will acquire Curbed Network, a saucy trio of urban lifestyle …

Discussion: AllThingsD, New York Times, Felix Salmon, @hblodget, @jfdulac, @lock, @brianstelter, TechCrunch, @brianstelter, @joshuatopolsky, @bankoff, @jayrosen_nyu, Wall Street Journal, @tcarmody, Media Wire Daily and Mashable

Edward Wong / International New York Times:

Bloomberg News Is Said to Curb Articles That Might Anger China — BEIJING — The decision came in an early evening call to four journalists huddled in a Hong Kong conference room. On the line 12 time zones away in New York was their boss, Matthew Winkler, the longtime editor in chief of Bloomberg News.

Discussion: Telegraph, Mediaite, Talking Biz News, Adweek, @edwardlucas, @dougsaunders, The Verge, @kenroth, The FJP, mUmBRELLA, @stevelohr, @dylanratigan, Gawker, @davidfolkenflik, @ingrahamangle, @franklangfitt, @benparr, @stone_skynews and @tomjolly

Lucas Shaw / The Wrap:

Bloomberg Fights Back: New York Times Front-Page Report is ‘False’ (Updated) — Bloomberg News has rejected a report in the New York Times alleging it killed articles on the corruption of Chinese officials out of fear. — The Times report, published Saturday, claims Bloomberg feared …

Discussion: The Huffington Post and Talking Biz News

Margaret Sullivan / New York Times:

Lessons in a Surveillance Drama Redux — IT was almost eight years ago that The Times published a blockbuster story by James Risen and Eric Lichtblau about a secret Bush administration program to eavesdrop on Americans without warrants. But for many Times readers, it still resonates deeply.

Discussion: @ggreenwald, @onekade, @dangillmor, @ggreenwald, @comradewong, @designmeans, @ggreenwald, @digiphile, @arusbridger, @froomkin, @marshallyoum, @jswatz, @kgosztola and Pressing Issues

John Plunkett / Guardian:

NSA leaks: Theresa May says editors ‘should recognise their responsibilities’ — Home secretary follows cabinet colleagues in criticising newspapers over stories based on Edward Snowden revelations — Theresa May has become the latest Tory cabinet minister to criticise the publication …

Guardian:
Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger to be questioned by MPs over NSA leaks

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Capital New York, @pgourevitch, Press Gazette, Associated Press, Softpedia News, The Independent and Telegraph

Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:

Home Sec suggests BBC must be curbed to protect local newspapers — Home Secretary Theresa May suggested today that the BBC may need to curb its activities at a local level to protect local newspapers. — She said: “If the BBC can provide all the locally-significant news, what reason is left for local people to buy a newspaper?

Discussion: @pressgazette, @fleetstreetfox and @nickcohen4

David Carr / New York Times:

Marrying Companies and Content — On Thursday, Contently, a hot little company, held a buzzy conference at the Bowery Hotel on a very of-the-moment topic. — The conference, the Brand Publishing Summit, included clients, agencies and publishers, with a lot of chatter about brands going direct …

Discussion: @paulbogaards, @jonathanwald and @carr2n

Zeina Karam / Associated Press:

Journalists in Syria face growing risk of kidnap — Behind a veil of secrecy, at least 30 journalists have been kidnapped or have disappeared in Syria — held and threatened with death by extremists or taken captive by gangs seeking ransom. The widespread seizure of journalists is unprecedented …

Discussion: Big News Network.com

Ryan Chittum / Columbia Journalism Review:

Astroturfing The New York Times and Wall Street Journal — A New Jersey businessman hits the media circuit again, with lobbying connections undisclosed — The New York Times writes about New Jersey voters raising the state's minimum wage a buck to $8.25 an hour and how “some business owners” …

Discussion: @jeffjohnroberts, @cjr and @ryanchittum

Andrew Jacobs / New York Times:

Reporter for Reuters Won't Receive China Visa — BEIJING — The Chinese government has rejected the visa application of a veteran American journalist who had been waiting eight months to begin a new reporting job in China for Thomson Reuters, the journalist said.