Mediagazer: The Thorny Challenge of Covering China (Margaret Sullivan/New York Times)

9:30 PM ET, December 7, 2013

Top News:

Margaret Sullivan / New York Times:

The Thorny Challenge of Covering China — HOW do major American news organizations write about a Communist country with the world's second-largest economy — a country that doesn't believe in press rights and that punishes tough-minded coverage? — Aggressively? Cautiously? Fearlessly?

Discussion: @felixsalmon, @niubi, @jonathanshainin, @kgosztola, @raju, @jayrosen_nyu, @blakehounshell, @dicktofel, @sarahkendzior and Prof Chris Daly's Blog

Kathy Chu / Wall Street Journal:

U.S. Media Firms Stymied in China — Financial News Sites Blocked Inside China as Rivals Seek to Unlock a Fast-Growing Market — China's recent clampdown on foreign media is crimping the expansion plans of Western news organizations, at a time when many experts believe the Chinese market …

Discussion: Talking Biz News

Evan Osnos / New Yorker:

The Meaning of China's Crackdown on the Foreign Press — The Chinese government is threatening to expel nearly two dozen foreign correspondents, working for the Times and Bloomberg News, in retaliation for investigations that exposed the private wealth of Chinese leaders.

Discussion: @nickkristof, @maureenfan, @blakehounshell, GlobalPost, @comradewong, @jwassers, @lpolgreen and The Huffington Post

Reuters:

Once piracy havens, China's Internet video websites turn police — (Reuters) - The website of China's biggest Internet video company Youku Tudou Inc was once a haven for illicit Hollywood blockbusters and hit South Korean soap operas, until it realised piracy really doesn't pay.

Discussion: Kirk LaPointe's …

Nicole Levy / Capital New York:

Remnick: ‘New Yorker’ mulled biweekly route, once — Since news of New York's move to biweekly publishing in 2014 broke on Monday, media personalities have spun the decision two ways: as a promising flank of the magazine's digital advance and a dismal signifier of the industry's retreat from print.

Discussion: @nbj914 and Capital New York

Margaret Looney / IJNet:

Knight Lab's Joe Germuska: “We have to find room for the big experimental ideas” — What started as an idea for creating tools for local media in Chicago three years ago has evolved into an innovation hub for the global journalism and technology community. — The Knight Lab at Northwestern …

Jack Shafer:

What's worse than sponsored content? The FTC regulating it — What's more dangerous to consumer well-being, sponsored content or the intervention of the Federal Trade Commission? On Wednesday, the agency held a conference, “Blurred Lines: Advertising or Content,” to “discuss native advertising,” as the New York Times put it.

Discussion: @bdeskin and PRNewser

Robert Mahoney / Committee to Protect Journalists:

A chill over British press — A prime minister says a newspaper has damaged national security and calls for its editor to be brought before Parliament; his government tells the same paper there has been “enough” debate on an issue and sends its security officials into the paper's offices …

Discussion: The New Yorker Blog, TheHill, TechCrunch and Free Press Blog

Jennifer Howard / Wired Campus:

Elsevier forces Academia.edu to take down research papers shared by their authors — Posting Your Latest Article? You Might Have to Take It Down — Guy Leonard received an unpleasant surprise in his inbox early this morning: a notice from Academia.edu saying it had taken down a copy …

Discussion: VentureBeat, CNET, @ai1sa, @bryanalexander, @thesiswhisperer, @jenhoward, @nowviskie and @jmarkockerbloom

Mike Masnick / Techdirt:
Elsevier Continues Its Efforts To Stifle The Sharing Of Knowledge To Pump Up Its Own Profits

Discussion: Sauropod Vertebra Picture …, @hylopsar, @vkhosla, @rmounce, @openscience, @bioinfocus, @lambo, @macloo, @glynmoody and @kevincarson1

Tom Gara / Corporate Intelligence:

Behind the FCC's Intervention in a $985 Million Local TV Deal — The TV business has been on a furious consolidation drive this year, with billions of dollars worth of mergers and acquisitions snapping up the companies that bring broadcast TV to local markets across the country. But a letter from

Keach Hagey / Wall Street Journal:
FCC Asks Sinclair to Revise Plans to Use ‘Sidecar’ Companies

Discussion: TVNewsCheck.com

Dante D'Orazio / The Verge:

Google could launch ‘Nexus TV’ Android set-top next year, says report — Google isn't giving up its living room ambitions. The company is said to be working on a “Nexus TV” device that will run Android, stream video from services like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube, and play a selection of video games.

Discussion: The Information, Mashable, PhoneArena and BGR

Wayne Friedman / MediaPost:

Newspaper Dollars Still Tops In Local Media — Local small and medium size businesses are “optimistic” about local media growth in the near term. Still many are cautious. — When it comes to where local media dollars are spent, the survey says newspapers are still tops …

Gautham Nagesh / Wall Street Journal:

FCC Delays Spectrum Auction Until 2015 — Auction Intended to Encourage TV Stations to Sell Airwaves to Wireless Carriers — WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission said Friday it has delayed a planned reverse auction of TV airwaves until 2015, a decision that reflects …

Discussion: Gigaom, CNET, Engadget, The Verge, Variety, Radio & Television …, AllThingsD and TheHill

Mohana Ravindranath / Washington Post:

New White House plan reaffirms commitment to open data — A White House plan released on Friday announced new plans to make government data open to the public. — The Second Open Government National Action Plan updates an earlier iteration and lists a few new open data initiatives …

Discussion: Sunlight Foundation, White House.gov Blog and rcfp.org