Mediagazer: Politico Stonewalls Mike Allen Payola Scandal (Jonathan Chait/New York Magazine)

6:50 PM ET, December 3, 2013

Top News:

Carl Bernstein / Guardian:

An open letter from Carl Bernstein to Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger — Watergate scandal journalist's letter comes as Guardian editor prepares to appear before MPs over Edward Snowden leaks — There is plenty of time - and there are abundant venues - to debate relevant questions …

Reuters:

Guardian Newspaper Staff May Face Charges For Assisting Terrorists — * Guardian newspaper editor summoned to parliament — * Accused by some of helping terrorists by publishing leaks — * Snowden files exposed extent of government surveillance — * Senior police officer …

Discussion: Gawker, Guardian and Techdirt

Guardian:

Guardian will not be intimidated over NSA leaks, Alan Rusbridger tells MPs — Editor tells parliamentary committee that stories revealing mass surveillance by UK and US have prompted global debate — The Guardian has come under concerted pressure and intimidation designed to stop …

Discussion: @chanders, @chanders, David Higgerson, @rosental, Softpedia News, @youranonnews, @guardian and The Verge

Jill Lawless / Associated Press:

Guardian: We have published 1 pct of Snowden leak — LONDON — The editor of the Guardian said Tuesday his newspaper has published just 1 percent of the material it received from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, and denied the paper had placed lives or national security at risk.

Discussion: Politico, ABC News, The Daily Caller, Daily Dot, @gretawire, @davidmwessel, Committee to Protect …, @inteldump, Boing Boing, @hackingdave, @amypeikoff, @freedomofpress, @postbaron, The Drum and TheHill

Jack Mirkinson / The Huffington Post:
Alan Rusbridger Asked Some Ridiculous Questions At Parliamentary Hearing

Capital New York:

Zucker plans massive change at CNN — After almost a year of tinkering, CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker has concluded that a news channel cannot subsist on news alone. — So he is planning much broader changes for the network—including a prime-time shakeup that's likely to make CNN traditionalists cringe.

Dave Weigel:

If You Want Reporters to Check Stories Before They Publish, You're a Hater — Instead of doing something productive, like finishing chapter two of my book (it's going well anyway!), I spent about an hour today noticing how the Internet had fallen for yet another hoax.

Discussion: On the Media, The Awl, @dangillmor, @dkiesow, Gawker, The Daily Caller, @clairesuddath, @jonathanlkrohn and Guardian

Justin Ellis / Nieman Journalism Lab:

The Guardian experiments with a robot-generated newspaper with The Long Good Read — The Guardian is experimenting in the craft newspaper business and getting some help from robots. — That may sound odd, given that the company prints a daily paper read throughout Britain. A paper staffed by humans.

Discussion: @revdancatt, @mrjohncrowley, @moorehn, @jeremytai, @rubinafillion, @newspaperclub, @mattmcalister, @tomtaylor, @jbenton and @justinnxt

Sarah Hedgecock / Gawker:

What's Wrong With America's Newspaper Opinion Columnists in One Chart — Why are newspaper opinion columnists so consistently baffled by the politics, technologies, and social mores of the 21st century? We've crunched some data, and we think we've figured out the answer: They're old as hell.

Discussion: FishbowlNY, The Wrap, The Daily Caller, @traceyleeholmes, @byheatherlong, @connieschultz, @nickkristof, @azmatzahra, @heyveronica, @dskok, @jacremes and @minethatdata

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:

The Sad Final Demise Of “The Daily Download” — A board of advisers who didn't seem to know they were on the board of advisers. — View Video › — The Daily Download, the much-scrutinized project of media personalities Lauren Ashburn and Howard Kurtz, appears to be no more.

Discussion: @buzzfeedandrew

David Weigel / Slate: Howard Kurtz and the Daily Download: The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name

Jake Batsell / Idea Lab:

Where Did the Chicago News Cooperative Go Wrong? Not Putting Business First — Nearly two years after he folded the Chicago News Cooperative, co-founder James O'Shea has had time to reflect on his short-lived stint as a news entrepreneur. — O'Shea launched the political news startup in late 2009 …

Discussion: @davidfolkenflik

Sarah Lyall / New York Times:

Fates of Brooks and Coulson in Tabloid Hacking Case Are Diverging — LONDON — Once they were friends and colleagues who reveled in the heady world of British news, politics and intrigue. Together they rose from the scrappy newsrooms of London's tabloids to the heights of establishment power …

Discussion: @chrismurphys, @sarahlyall and mUmBRELLA

David Sirota / PandoDaily:

Glenn Greenwald faces attacks from critics because he's an “affront to the news cartel” — The journalist who hacked the old system — With Edward Snowden becoming a leading candidate for Time magazine's Person of the Year, it is important to remember that he is the central character …

Discussion: @barryeisler, @johncusack, @bill_owen, @trevortimm, @davidsirota and @digiphile

Michael Sebastian / AdAge:

As New York Mag Cuts Issues, The Week Decides to Add a Few — One day after New York magazine said it would reduce its print frequency to every other week, The Week said it plans to increase the number of issues it publishes to 51 next year from 48. — New York's decision was informed …

Discussion: Folio

Joe Pompeo / Capital New York:

‘New York Post’ in the clear on discrimination suits — The New York Post and attorneys representing a former employee have apparently settled a high-profile lawsuit that has dogged the paper for the past several years. And the Post has emerged victorious in a related suit by two other employees.

Discussion: The New York Observer

Ezra Klein / Wonkblog:

Being a viral genius is going viral — Farhad Manjoo's profile of Gawker's Neetzan Zimmerman is getting a lot of well-deserved attention and, if my Twitter feed is any indication, scaring the daylights out of more traditional reporters. — Zimmerman is basically Gawker's chief finder of viral content.

Discussion: Facebook, Forbes, @mjenkins, @digiphile, PandoDaily, @brookekroeger, @ezraklein, @erikwemple, The Verge and Gawker

Adam Sherwin / The Independent:

Spotify answers Thom Yorke attacks by revealing ‘$0.006 per play’ royalties figure — Music streaming service has received criticism from musicians, but boasts that is has paid out more than $1bn in royalties since its 2008 launch — A song played on Spotify can earn an artist just $0.006 …

Discussion: ReadWrite, Death and Taxes, TIME, Fast Company and @independent

Kate Solomon / TechRadar:
Spotify spills beans on how much it pays, adds ticket and merch options

Discussion: Guardian, Music Ally, SlashGear, Gizmodo UK, Complete Music Update, Engadget, The Next Web, TechCrunch and Pocket-lint

Joe Mullin / Ars Technica:

Hotfile settles copyright case, agrees to $80 million in damages — Hotfile users made more than 2.9 billion downloads during the site's lifetime. — Six days before movie studios were set to begin a jury trial over alleged copyright violations by the “cyberlocker” site Hotfile, the case has settled.

Discussion: Gigaom, The Wrap, Ars Technica, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times, The Verge and Daily Dot

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Politico Stonewalls Mike Allen Payola Scandal … Travel Design Dates Weddings Real Estate Doctors NYC Tourist Guide Best Of New York Issue

Discussion: Erik Wemple, @jonathanchait, @howardweaver and @carr2n

John Eggerton / Broadcasting & Cable:

House Republican Leaders Announce Effort to Reform Communications Law — Signal it will be lengthy process with hearings, papers and public comment — House Republicans Tuesday said they were launching an effort to rewrite communications law that has been outstripped by technology and innovation.

Discussion: Deadline.com and TheHill

Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune:

Sun-Times, union deal would bring back 4 photographers — Sun-Times Media, publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times, has agreed to hire back four fired photographers as part of a new collective bargaining agreement, according to a union spokesman. The tentative three-year agreement …

Discussion: chicagonewsguild.org, JIMROMENESKO.COM, The Verge and @romenesko

Arti Patel / Folio:

Bonnier Acquires Sport Diver UK — The buy extends dive portfolio internationally. — Bonnier Corp. extended its dive market portfolio by acquiring Sport Diver UK, an international magazine that mirrors its own U.S.-based Sport Diver brand. — Bonnier CEO Dave Freygang would not divulge …