Mediagazer: Unpublished Salinger Books Leaked to Private File-Sharing Site (Andy/TorrentFreak)

1:45 PM ET, November 28, 2013

Top News:

Mathew Ingram / Gigaom:

Lessons from journalism startup Matter: Paywalls make growing readership difficult — When journalism startup Matter launched a year ago, it was one of the most highly-funded media projects on Kickstarter, having pulled in more than $140,000 in donations — almost three times what it initially set out to raise.

Discussion: Medium, @raju and Poynter

Mark Sweney / Guardian:

Harding hires former Times deputy as managing editor of BBC news — Keith Blackmore was deputy editor of Times under Harding, who has also hired Jonathan Munro of ITV News — James Harding has hired his former Times deputy, Keith Blackmore, to be managing editor of BBC news and current affairs.

John Plunkett / Guardian:

'BBC should open more shows up to indies if it doesn't subsidise Channel 4' — Up to 75% of BBC's shows should be available to independent sector if it wants to defend licence fee, says All3Media chairman — All3Media chairman Steve Morrison has said the BBC should make up to 75% …

John Plunkett / Guardian:
BBC chief wants corporation to be ‘less British’ defending the licence fee

Discussion: bbc.co.uk

Andy / TorrentFreak:

Unpublished Salinger Books Leaked to Private File-Sharing Site — From very early in its life the Internet became a mine of amazing things, but while accessing information was relatively easy for most, becoming a publisher was a different matter. — Soon enough regular people learned …

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, Daily Dot, The Verge and BuzzFeed

The Huffington Post:

Top-Secret Document Reveals NSA Spied On Porn Habits As Part Of Plan To Discredit ‘Radicalizers’ — WASHINGTON — The National Security Agency has been gathering records of online sexual activity and evidence of visits to pornographic websites as part of a proposed plan to harm the reputations …

Kelefa Sanneh / New Yorker:

Why blockbusters still rule the entertainment industry. — In 1976, a music executive named Walter Yetnikoff launched a campaign that came to be known as Walter's War. He had recently become president of CBS Records, the parent company of Columbia Records, and resolved to rally his troops by providing them an enemy.

Discussion: @donetodeath

BBC:

Japan approves new state secrecy bill to combat leaks — The lower house of the Japanese parliament has approved a state secrecy bill that imposes stiffer penalties on civil servants who leak secrets and journalists who try to obtain them. — The move had been criticised by reporters …

Discussion: Daily Maverick, ABC and Global News

Megha Rajagopalan / Reuters:

China's rumor crackdown has ‘cleaned’ Internet, official says — (Reuters) - China's campaign against online rumors, which critics say is crushing free speech, has been highly successful in “cleaning” the Internet, a top official of the country's internet regulator said on Thursday.

Gavin J. Blair / Hollywood Reporter:

Amazon Launches Online Video Service in Japan — More than 26,000 imported and local films and TV shows are available on the Instant Video platform that will compete in the crowded Japanese Web video market. — TOKYO - Amazon Japan launched its ‘Instant Video’ online platform Tuesday …

Discussion: The Next Web, TechCrunch, The Verge, Home Media Magazine, Engadget, Electronista and Gigaom

BBC:

Tehelka's Shoma Chowdhury quits over sex assault controversy — The managing editor of a top Indian magazine has resigned days after her boss was accused of sexually assaulting a female colleague. — Shoma Chowdhury of Tehelka magazine said it was a “damaging time” for the publication …

Discussion: @andrewbuncombe and India Real Time

Violet Blue / ZDNet:

Despite US opposition, UN approves rights to privacy in the digital age — Summary: Despite last week's US-led opposition to the United Nations' “Rights To Privacy In The Digital Age,” the resolution put forward as a reaction to US surveillance activities was passed. — Violet Blue

Discussion: United Nations, Scoop, @violetblue, The Nation, english.cntv.cn and Softpedia News

Mark Sweney / Guardian:

BT to add music service to TV offerings — Music streaming and karaoke offering backed by Universal Music — BT is to launch a music and karaoke TV service backed by the world's largest music company, Universal Music. — The service will initially offer the equivalent of about 150 albums …

Discussion: Variety

Wall Street Journal:

Charter Arranging $25 Billion in Debt for Time Warner Cable Bid — Debt Will Allow Charter To Include Large Cash Consideration — Charter Communications Inc. is arranging about $25 billion of debt financing as it pursues an acquisition of Time Warner Cable Inc., allowing it to include …

Discussion: Deadline.com