Top News:
New York Times:
If a Story Is Viral, Truth May Be Taking a Beating — Truth has never been an essential ingredient of viral content on the Internet. But in the stepped-up competition for readers, digital news sites are increasingly blurring the line between fact and fiction, and saying that it is all part …
Discussion:
@kevglobal, @adriennelaf, @anttiisokangas, @flemingsean, @jswatz, @magicofpi, @saramorrison, @marcsettle and @pkafka
J.K. Trotter / Gawker:
Fox News Paid Fired Executive $8 Million to Keep Quiet — Roger Ailes' secrets command a heavy price. Last week, the New York Times reported that Fox News had reached an out-of-court settlement with Brian Lewis, the former Roger Ailes aide who was abruptly fired in late July.
Discussion:
@davidfolkenflik, @davidfolkenflik, @will_bunch, Erik Wemple, Variety, @gabrielsnyder, @stevesilberman, PRNewser, @dangillmor, @dylanbyers and The Huffington Post
Marcella Bombardieri / The Boston Globe:
New York Times columnist David Carr to join Boston University faculty — Boston University has landed star New York Times media columnist David Carr to fill a new endowed chair dedicated to exploring creative business models to support journalism in the digital era.
Discussion:
@sachapfeiffer, @dankennedy_nu, @markleibovich, @petersterne, @nycjim, @craigsilverman, @petersterne, @brianstelter, @cynthianeedham and @postbaron
Lyra McKee / The Muckraker:
Matter had over 10K paying readers but paywall wasn't right model, says co-founder — In 2012, tech journalists Bobbie Johnson and Jim Giles raised over $140,000 on crowdfunding site Kickstarter for their new publication, Matter. The idea was simple: a digital publishing house that produced in-depth …
Discussion:
@niemanlab and @jayrosen_nyu
Ingrid Lunden / TechCrunch:
Scripps Buys Newsy For $35M To Expand From TV And Newspapers To Digital Video — Another exit for a new media startup into the arms of the old media industry: E.W. Scripps, the storied owner of 19 local television stations and daily newspapers in 13 markets across the U.S. …
Discussion:
The E.W. Scripps Company, Folio, Variety, @zachtoombs, Lost Remote, @stlarchangels, @davidherzog, @newsyvideos, @michaelroston, @laurenzima, MediaPost, StartupBook, NetNewsCheck Latest, @wadefoster, Poynter, Gigaom and The Commercial Appeal, Thanks:@steverubel
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Swisher/Mossberg venture, “Revere Digital”, plans to announce another partner January 2 — NBCUniversal Buys Stake in AllThingsD, Which Is Set to Get New Name: Report — Tech-news venture founded by two former WSJ editors to be renamed ‘Revere Digital,’ according to Bloomberg report
Discussion:
@fmanjoo, @qhardy and Deadline.com
RELATED:
Darren Boyle / Press Gazette:
Linux Voice secures £90,000 crowdfunded launch target — The editorial team behind a new computer magazine are busily working on the first edition having secured £90,000 investment on the Indiegogo crowdfunding platform. — Linux Voice is being launched by the former editorial team …
Oliver Laughland / Guardian:
Murdoch is evil: the message hidden in a children's puzzle in one of his papers — Third line down says LIVESIHCODRUM (read it backwards) as puzzlemaster has a laugh at paymaster's expense — Harry the Dog's weekly kids' word search in Sydney's Sunday Telegraph tabloid
Discussion:
The Standard, Junkee and mUmBRELLA
Guardian:
International bill of digital rights: call from 500 writers around the world — In a petition to the United Nations, a group of authors agree that democratic rights must apply in virtual as in real space — • State surveillance of personal data is theft, say world's leading authors
Discussion:
The Huffington Post, @poetryarchive, presstv.ir, The Dawn News, The Week UK, The Irish Times, The Australian, Bookseller news and Guardian
Joe Pompeo / Capital New York:
Layoffs ahead at Time Inc. — Time Inc. staffers were informed today that layoffs lie ahead in the New Year, Capital has learned. — The publishing giant has implemented cuts in recent years while aiming to rein in costs. Just under a year ago, 500 jobs were slashed from the company …
Discussion:
AdAge, @tmcgev and The Huffington Post
Agence France Presse:
Two Spanish journalists held by Al-Qaeda-linked group in Syria — Madrid (AFP) - A radical group linked to Al-Qaeda kidnapped two Spanish journalists reporting in Syria in September and is holding them captive, El Mundo newspaper reported on Tuesday. — El Mundo correspondent Javier Espinosa …
Discussion:
@patrickgaley, @syrianpost, @antderosa, @estheralvarado, @manulucas77, @jcstearns, @erinmcunningham, La Prensa, @lizsly, @leloveluck and @inigogilmore
Dave McNary / Variety:
Netflix Picks Up Mitt Romney Documentary — Streaming service will run ‘Mitt’ soon after Sundance preem — Ramping up its documentary business, Netflix has acquired theatrical and TV rights to the Mitt Romney documentary “Mitt” with plans to air it exclusively on Jan. 24.
Discussion:
Deadline.com, Post Politics, The Verge, Los Angeles Times, The Wrap and The Huffington Post
Mathew Ingram / Gigaom:
Experiments in viral journalism: Trinity Mirror launches Ampp3d for sharing data-driven stories — As we pointed out recently, everyone seems to be trying to come up with an Upworthy or BuzzFeed-style portal that does “viral” content, and that includes media outlets like the Washington Post, with its Know More project.
PJ Vogt / On The Media:
Today's hoax: the screaming Google employee — Last week, we threw up our hands in the face of the endless deluge of viral hoaxes. Then, we tried to make peace with living in a fake world and even found a lie that we liked. Well, it's Monday, and just like you and I, viral internet hoaxes are clocking in for their workweek.
Discussion:
sfbg.com, Digits, Valleywag, New York Magazine, @susie_c, @juliacarriew, @tcarmody, @susie_c, CNET, Associated Press and TechCrunch
Charlie Warzel / BuzzFeed:
Publishers Nervously Await The Facebook “Correction” — Traffic is up, and things are going great. And now some people are starting to worry. “We got the sense they didn't even really know how this massive beast they have actually works ... that they can make or break entire companies.”
Discussion:
Gigaom, The Atlantic Online, Forbes, @buzzfeedben, @mckaycoppins, @cwarzel and Poynter