Top News:
Ben Cosman / The Wire:
Inside Amtrak's (Absolutely Awesome) Plan to Give Free Rides to Writers — Amtrak has begun offering “writers' residencies” to, well, writers - long roundtrip rides aboard Amtrak trains dedicated solely for the purpose of writing. — After New York City-based writer Jessica Gross took the first …
Discussion:
The Paris Review, @rebleber, @arimelber, The Verge, @alexanderchee and @richmhuff
Roy Greenslade / Guardian:
Discovery and BSkyB may make joint bid for Richard Desmond's Channel 5 — Channel 5, the broadcaster put on the block by Richard Desmond, could be sold to Discovery Communications, the US-based media conglomerate that is controlled by John Malone. — And, according to the Financial Times …
Discussion:
Financial Times
David Bauder / Associated Press:
A different Olympics on TVs across the world — You are here — Home » Mao Asada » A different Olympics on TVs across the world — In Sweden, commentators have fun with Norway's misfortunes. The Dutch can't get enough of their speedskaters. Japan is so crazy about figure skating they show warmups.
Ken Doctor / Nieman Journalism Lab:
While unbundling is the buzz, media companies team up to offer newer, smarter rebundling — The newsonomics of Spotified news subscriptions — In a first-of-its-kind partnership with streaming music leader Spotify, The Times of London has brought a whole new meaning to the subscription bundle …
Charlie Savage / New York Times:
Attorney General Signs New Rules to Limit Access to Journalists' Records — WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., who drew fire last spring over the Justice Department's aggressive tactics for secretly obtaining reporters' phone logs and emails as part of leak investigations …
Discussion:
USA Today, @emptywheel, @drudge, @kgosztola, emptywheel and Associated Press
CNN:
Venezuela says CNN can stay, a day after saying ‘get out’ — (CNN) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro told a CNN reporting team Friday that it could continue reporting in the South American country, a day after the government revoked or denied press credentials for CNN journalists.
Discussion:
Poynter, @romustgo, @jorgeramosnews, @statedept, MiamiHerald.com, US Department of State, Global Voices, @tv6tnt and Business Insider
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Natalie Kitroeff / The Lede:
Venezuela Battles Media, Social and Otherwise, to Restrict Protest Coverage
Venezuela Battles Media, Social and Otherwise, to Restrict Protest Coverage
Discussion:
Columbia Journalism Review, Mashable, Feministing and The Verge
Jon Brodkin / Ars Technica:
Netflix packets being dropped every day because Verizon wants more money — Verizon wants to be paid by consumers and Cogent, but Cogent refuses to pay. — The battle over who should pay to carry Netflix traffic is heating up again, and one of the main players blames Verizon's greed …
Discussion:
The Raw Story, @binarybits, @al3x, Softpedia News, Media Channel, @caseyliss and CNNMoney.com
RELATED:
Stacey Higginbotham / Gigaom:
Direct connection between Comcast and Netflix networks suggests peering agreement reached — Sources: Netflix and Comcast have reached a peering agreement — Consumers' troubles with online video may be subsiding — at least for Comcast customers. Comcast and Netflix appear to have resolved …
Sara Morrison / Poynter:
Since 2007, L.A. Times' Homicide Report has wrested stories from data — We've heard a lot about Chris and Laura Amico's Homicide Watch - and for good reason. The site tracks homicides in Washington, D.C., (and, as of just over a year ago, Chicago and Trenton) from police report to conviction …
Discussion:
@hfuhrmann and @rachelnixon
Esther Addley / Guardian:
Julian Assange's ghost writer breaks silence on failed autobiography — WikiLeaks founder a mercurial character who could not bear his own secrets, according to writer Andrew O'Hagan — The ghostwriter who collaborated with Julian Assange on his abortive 2011 autobiography has broken …
Discussion:
London Review of Books, @jamesrbuk, @arusbridger and Boing Boing
Cathy Loughran / BBC College of Journalism:
Getting into journalism: Just go out and do it, says VICE maverick Tim Pool — In the first of a series of blog posts on alternative ways to get into journalism, Chicago-born self-taught journalist Tim Pool, now an international correspondent for media company VICE, tears up the traditional rule book.
Discussion:
@bbccollege and @niemanlab
Gautham Nagesh / Wall Street Journal:
Comcast Sees Time Warner Cable Deal Boosting Broadband Competition — Executive Says Deal Wouldn't Harm Home Users or Content Companies — A Comcast executive said Friday the company's planned $45 billion acquisition of Time Warner Cable would create new competition in the commercial market …