Mediagazer: How ThinkProgress became ‘real competition for scoops’ (Andrew Beaujon/Poynter)

8:45 PM ET, April 7, 2014

Top News:

Marty Baron on Ezra Klein's departure: “The company is owned 100 percent by Jeff Bezos, so any decision to fund a new venture would be his to make” — It's remarkable, I think, how much mainstream-media attention the departures of Nate Silver from The New York Times and Ezra Klein …

Discussion: Nieman Journalism Lab, Gigaom, @maura, @kevglobal, @jbenton, @mathewi, Talking New Media, Talking Biz News, @webjournalist, @wesleylowery and @joshsternberg

Allie Jones / The Wire:

Redefining Internet Journalism Proving Harder Than Vox Expected — “What is marijuana?” Vox.com asks today, ready to seriously answer that question for anyone who's not sure. Ezra Klein's newly-launched site, which aims to report and explain the news in a way that's unlike anything we've ever seen …

Discussion: PandoDaily, Columbia Journalism Review, @mathewi, Associated Press, New York Magazine and Vox

Michael Calderone / The Huffington Post:
New York Times Changes Ezra Klein Quote To No Longer Criticize Washington Post

Discussion: @mikeisaac, @edbott, The New York Observer, @bankoff, Mediaite, Mediawire Daily, @romenesko, @umairh and New York Times

Bloomberg:

Microsoft Xbox launching six TV series in June; comedians Seth Green, Sarah Silverman onboard — Microsoft Goes Hollywood in Amazon-Like Programming Push — Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) is going Hollywood with a cast including comedians Sarah Silverman and Seth Green, aspiring World Cup players and eerily human robots.

Raju Narisetti / Nieman Journalism Lab:

We need to talk: 26 awkward questions to ask news organizations about the move to digital — Here are 25 awkward questions (and one counter-question) that I wish media reporters/critics would routinely ask of editors and mainstream news organizations, each year.

Discussion: @mathewi, @craigmod, @fieldproducer, @jbenton, @antderosa, @raju, @charlesforelle, @tothevictor, @sarahmarshall, @mattderienzo, @marklittlenews and Kirk LaPointe's …

Marc Frank / Reuters:

Cuba says U.S. created other ‘Cuban Twitter’ projects — HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba said on Sunday the United States continues to use social media to “subvert” the island's government and that the revelation this week of a U.S.-created, Twitter-like service for Cuba was just one of several examples.

Discussion: VentureBeat and Latin Times

Adi Robertson / The Verge:
USAID refutes claims about allegedly subversive Cuban Twitter clone

Discussion: USAID Impact, TechCrunch, The Next Web, TheHill and NPR

Laurie Penny / New Statesman:

From Vox to 538, white guys get feted as the future of journalism while everyone else gets attacked and dismissed — From Vox to 538, white guys get feted as the future of journalism while everyone else gets attacked and dismissed. — GOOGLE PLUS ONE — TWEET WIDGET

Discussion: @pmarca, @profbootyphd, @pennyred, @robert_exley, @katikrause, @peggyholman, @losowsky, @saramayeux, @jaredbkeller, @bronwen and @moorehn

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Six major movie studios file copyright lawsuit against Megaupload, seek $150k per infringement — Movie Studios Sue Defunct Piracy Site Megaupload, Seeking Millions in Damages — Six major U.S. movie studios have sued Megaupload — which U.S. law enforcement officials shut down in January 2012 …

Discussion: Gigaom, Home Media Magazine, Hollywood Reporter, Deadline.com, @kimdotcom and @kimdotcom

Stephen Buckley / Poynter:

Last Saturday, Omidyar gathered industry thinkers to brainstorm First Look Media's strategy — Omidyar's First Look Media looking to find its focus, target an audience — Pierre Omidyar has issues. Several problems, actually. — The billionaire technologist, philanthropist …

Discussion: @paulcarr, @davewiner, @megan, @samkirkla and @jayrosen_nyu

Bob Fernandez / Philly.com:

Senate hearing on Comcast merger comes amid major concerns — The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold the first public hearing on Comcast Corp.'s proposed $45.2 billion deal for Time Warner Cable Inc. on Wednesday, amid regulatory and financial concerns about merging the No. 1 and No. 2 cable-TV companies.

Discussion: Radio & Television … and Los Angeles Times

David Carr / New York Times:
Questions for Comcast as It Looks to Grow

Discussion: TVNewser, @davidsirota, @carr2n, @jcstearns and @samgustin

Martin Weil / Washington Post:

Charles S. Stone Jr, founder of National Association of Black Journalists, dies at 89 — Charles S. Stone Jr., journalist and professor, dies at 89 — Charles S. (Chuck) Stone Jr., a prominent and pioneering American journalist who touched and shaped many lives as a big-city newspaper columnist …

Discussion: Raleigh News & Observer, Poynter, Philly.com, @ericaperel, susankingblog, The Daily Tar Heel, Diverse, WNCT-TV, ncnn.com, @kpalmer433, The Newspaper Guild, Gawker, @geoffedgers and Associated Press

Erin Madigan White / The Definitive Source:

Associated Press CEO Gary Pruitt condemns attacks on journalists in order to control news — Pruitt: ‘Journalists today are targeted’ — Three days after the killing of an Associated Press photojournalist and the wounding of an AP correspondent in Afghanistan, AP President …

BBC:
Egypt al-Jazeera case: Fresh calls to free reporters

Discussion: @annaholligan, @bbclooknorth and @genesharpaei

Andrew Beaujon / Poynter:

Rutgers AD: If Star-Ledger died, 'That'd be great' — Speaking to a journalism class, Rutgers University Athletic Director Julie Hermann said “That'd be great” about the prospect of The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger dying. “I'm going to do all I can to not to give them a headline to keep …

Discussion: New Jersey Online, Muckgers, Mother Jones, New Jersey 101.5, @kellymcb and @mlcalderone

Cynthia Littleton / Variety:

Barbara Walters to Sign Off ‘The View,’ Retire From TV on May 16 — Barbara Walters has set May 16 as her final appearance on ABC's daytime strip “The View” as she retires from TV journalism. — Walters' 50-plus years in television will be feted that night with a two-hour primetime special on ABC.

Discussion: ABC News, TVNewser, The Wrap, Capital New York, The TV Guy, @taylormarsh, New York Times, Just Jared, Newsday, Associated Press and The Week

Jim Romenesko:

Lee Enterprises executives get six-figure bonuses for doing their jobs — Journalists at Lee Enterprises's flagship newspaper, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, haven't seen raises since 2008, but Lee's top execs continue to run to the bank with big bonus checks. — Mary Junck and Carl Schmidt

Discussion: @romenesko, @dangillmor, bizjournals and The Newspaper Guild

Sydney Ember / New York Times:

Business staff at Conde Traveler to do internships at hotels to learn “art of luxury service” — Traveler Magazine Learns Luxury Service at Hotels — Like most of the staff at the opulent Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan, Bill Wackermann was busy. He attended an early morning meeting to prepare for the day's guests.

Discussion: @condelibrary and Skift

Lorraine Luk / Wall Street Journal:

Foxconn family's content company eyeing partnership with Taiwan's largest cable TV operator — Foxconn's Founding Family Eyes Cable TV Alliance — Foxconn's founding family seems to have ambitions far beyond assembling iPhones and iPads for Apple. — An entertainment content company run …