Mediagazer: Spanish journalists freed in Syria after six-month ordeal (Martin Chulov/Guardian)

10:45 AM ET, March 31, 2014

Top News:

Elizabeth Jensen / New York Times:

‘This American Life’ Considers Self-Distribution on Radio — The announcement two weeks ago that “This American Life” will part ways on July 1 from its distributor, Public Radio International, has set off a scramble among rivals for rights to the program, one of the most popular on public radio.

Discussion: @fagstein, @janeholley48, @lachlanfharris and @nprmonkeysee

David Carr / New York Times:

In Media Moguls' Rarefied Realm, It's Like Father, Like Son — Last week, Rupert Murdoch handed the future leadership of two publicly held companies worth a combined $80 billion to his two sons, almost as casually as if they were the keys to the family station wagon.

Discussion: @carr2n, @pkafka, @squigglyrick, @mathewi and @jswatz

Alexander Howard / Tow Center for Digital Journalism:

Aron Pilhofer on data journalism, culture and going digital — When it comes to computer-assisted reporting and the ways media companies are using technology, there are few people in the U.S.A. as knowledgeable as Aron Pilhofer. He runs a newsroom team at The New York Times that combines journalism …

Discussion: @macloo, @craigsilverman, @jayrosen_nyu and @elanazak

Ben Dooley / Mother Jones:

Who's Behind Newsweek? — TWO DAYS AFTER BARACK OBAMA won reelection, I met a young Chinese woman, whom I will call Anne, in the basement café at the San Francisco Public Library. Anne worked part time and gave a large portion of her earnings to a group she called “the Community,” …

Discussion: @tedolsen, The Raw Story, @clarajeffery, @aburnspolitico, @benjamindooley, @nickbaumann, @jbenton and USA Today

Rick Edmonds / Poynter:

Advance defends bonuses for reporters who post frequently and join comment chains — Advance's quota and bonus system at The Oregonian came in for heavy criticism last week, prompting a rejoinder from the typically close-mouthed private company. — In a note to senior executives shared with Poynter …

Discussion: @poynter

Jay Caspian Kang / New Yorker:

The Campaign to “Cancel” Colbert — On Thursday night, the official Twitter account for “The Colbert Report” committed the comedic sin of delivering a punchline without its setup. The offending tweet, “I am willing to show #Asian community I care by introducing the Ching-Chong Ding-Dong Foundation …

Discussion: @jeffchu, Wall Street Journal, Salon and TIME

The Wrap:

Josh Elliott Exiting ABC's ‘Good Morning America’ for NBC Sports — After months of speculation over Josh Elliott's future at ABC News' “Good Morning America,” contract talks broke down over the weekend and he will leave his anchor spot for a gig with NBC Sports.

Discussion: New York Times, TVNewser, CNNMoney.com, FishbowlDC, Deadline.com, FishbowlNY, Mediaite, Variety, @brianstelter, @brianstelter, @josephkapsch and Capital New York

Richard Deitsch / Sports Illustrated:

Dealing with racist abuse is a regular part of the job, say sports journalists — Race, the N-word, discrimination: Panel on role of race in sports media — Last November, I paneled a group of a six highly accomplished and respected female sports journalists for an SI.com email roundtable …

Discussion: @sinow, @jemelehill, @koblin, @keithlaw, @richellecarey and @richarddeitsch

Jordan Zakarin / The Wrap:

Why Net Neutrality Matters So Much to Indie Filmmakers — Consumer groups and tech advocates have been voicing concern about the growing threats to net neutrality, but Hollywood — especially independent filmmakers and distributors — have plenty of reason to worry about the walls and toll booths …

Discussion: Softpedia News and @jmmandel

Hadas Gold / Politico:

Tommy Christopher lands at The Daily Banter — Tommy Christopher, the former Mediaite writer, has officially landed at The Daily Banter. Starting Monday, Christopher will be White House correspondent and political analyst at the liberal news and opinion site.

Marcella Bombardieri / The Boston Globe:

Court documents reveal ambivalence in how MIT assisted Aaron Swartz's prosecution — The inside story of MIT and Aaron Swartz — More than a year after Swartz killed himself rather than face prosecution, questions about MIT's handling of the hacking case persist

Discussion: Gigaom, @matthewkeyslive, @caleb_crain, @bostonglobe, @jesselynradack, Mashable and @declanm

Danny Vinik / The New Republic:

Stop Beating Up on Nate Silver! — Nate Silver has taken a lot of abuse since the relaunch of FiveThirtyEight. He's been criticized professionally and personally. Data journalism, as a field, has taken a beating. Many of these critiques are right and Silver has done nothing to help his cause …

Discussion: Fox News