Mediagazer: Former MSNBC anchor Carlos Watson's media startup Ozy receives investment from Axel Springer (Sydney Ember/New York Times)

11:50 AM ET, March 31, 2014

Top News:

Sydney Ember / New York Times:

Former MSNBC anchor Carlos Watson's media startup Ozy receives investment from Axel Springer — Start-Up Ozy Media Adds Axel Springer as a Backer — Like many news start-ups, Ozy Media is trying to be heard. And investors, at least, are listening. — Though it has yet to attract …

Discussion: @lsemediapolicy, @nicktheandersen and @carr2n

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: Mother Jones, @monikabauerlein, @aburnspolitico, @tedolsen, The Raw Story, @clarajeffery, @benjamindooley, @nickbaumann and @jbenton

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

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

Suzanne Vranica / Wall Street Journal:

YouTube seeks more TV ad dollars, offering audience guarantees and placement on top shows — YouTube to Offer Advertisers Some Guarantees — YouTube Also Will Reserve Space for Advertisers That Commit to Buying in Top Shows — Google Inc. is ramping up its assault on traditional television's advertising business.

Discussion: VentureBeat

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: @timothypmurphy, @atossaaraxia, @salesses, @swerdlick, @zentronix, @jeffchu and Wall Street Journal

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

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: @jozdalt, @chaseruttig, @richarddeitsch, @sinow, @koblin, @keithlaw, @jemelehill and @richellecarey

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.

Discussion: @shoq

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

Frédéric Filloux / Monday Note:

Lessons from a good vertical: Skift.com — For digital media companies, creating good verticals that breed small but valuable audiences has become essential. On that subject, here are my takeaways following a conversation with Rafat Ali, founder and CEO of Skift.com.