Mediagazer: Reader revenue and the great newspaper ad bubble (Ryan Chittum/Columbia Journalism Review)

12:40 PM ET, May 28, 2014

Top News:

Martin Shepard / the cockeyed pessimist:

Independent publisher says Amazon levels the playing field, and Hachette is just greedy — WHO'S AFRAID OF AMAZON.COM — On May 24, The New York Times ran a page one story “As Publishers Fight Amazon, Books Vanish.” In their alarmist zeal reporters David Streitfeld and Melissa Eddy conjure …

Discussion: Mashable, Business Insider, @thestalwart, @pmarca, @ericuman, @susanwisebauer, @baratunde and Bookseller news

Wall Street Journal:

Amazon Doesn't Expect Quick Resolution to Hachette Dispute — Contract Disagreement Has Led Amazon to Restrict Sale of Some Hachette Titles — Amazon.com Inc. said Tuesday it doesn't expect a quick resolution of a contract dispute with Hachette Book Group that has led to Amazon restricting the sale of some Hachette titles.

Erik Wemple / Washington Post:

UCSB newspaper board responds to criticism over non-coverage of killings — The editorial board of the Bottom Line, a student-run newspaper at the University of California at Santa Barbara, has released a statement clarifying — and nearly recanting — a much-commented-upon op-ed regarding …

Discussion: JIMROMENESKO.COM, The Bottom Line and Calbuzz

Kelly McBride / Poynter:
The right way to publish a killer's deranged manifesto

Discussion: New York Post, Washington Post, @scottleadingham, @mlcalderone and NME

Tom McCarthy / Guardian:
Daily Mail and New York Post criticised for ‘distorted’ Isla Vista coverage

Discussion: @sarahwatson42, @studiesincrap, @representpledge, @dmreporter, @sarahrapp, Latest News & Headlines, Slate, Gawker, Daily Mail, Hollywood Life, The Wrap and The Huffington Post

Monica Anderson / Pew Research Center:

As the New York Times' first black executive editor, Dean Baquet is in a distinct minority — Just as the May 14 dismissal of New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson sparked a debate about gender roles in journalism, the ascension of Dean Baquet—the first African-American to run the paper's newsroom …

Discussion: Poynter, FishbowlNY, @monicaranders and @edmundlee

Anne Mortensen / The Independent:

A journalist goes missing nearly every day in Ukraine — It's not just journalists who are being victimised by pro-Russian separatists, but entire newsrooms — The campaign by pro-Russian separatists to muzzle local Ukrainian journalists appears to be succeeding.

Aditya Kalra / Reuters:

Twitter to take India election innovations global — (Reuters) - U.S. social networking company Twitter is planning to replicate parts of its India election strategy across countries that go to polls this year, after it emerged as a key tool for politicians and media companies during the world's largest democratic exercise.

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Netflix Buys Pay-TV Rights to Sony Animated Films — Starz's agreement with studio carved out animated pics, which will come to Netflix starting with ‘Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2’ now and ‘Smurfs 2’ later in 2014 — Netflix reached a multiyear deal with Sony Pictures Television …

Discussion: Home Media Magazine and The Wrap

John Plunkett / Guardian:
Netflix beats BBC and ITV to “The Crown,” a £100m series on Queen Elizabeth II

Discussion: Daily Mail, The New York Observer and Rolling Stone

Margaret Sullivan / New York Times:

Kinsley review of Greenwald's book “unworthy” of NYT Book Review; ignored media's constitutional role — Kinsley, Greenwald and Government Secrets — Michael Kinsley's review of Glenn Greenwald's new book, “No Place to Hide” hasn't even appeared in the printed Book Review yet …

Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune:

Chicago Public Media taking over distribution of ‘This American Life’ … Chicago Public Media will begin self-distribution of its signature program, “This American Life,” on July 1, taking over key business functions for one of public radio's most significant franchises.

Discussion: Public Radio Exchange, New York Times and @currentpubmedia

Andrew Leonard / Salon:

How Disney learned to stop worrying and love copyright infringement — The Monday before the Oscars, Scott Kramer, a digital content producer based in Los Angeles, called his close friend Joshua Elson, a high school choir teacher, with an idea. For months, both their families had been obsessed …

Discussion: @mslods, Techdirt and @rothken

Sandy Cohen / Associated Press:

Stars campaign to keep kid shots out of media — LOS ANGELES (AP) — Suri Cruise did not ask for fame. Yet she's been chased by cameras practically from birth, with no choice in the matter, because her parents are Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. — Kristen Bell is exasperated just thinking about it.

Ryan Chittum / Columbia Journalism Review:

Reader revenue and the great newspaper ad bubble — Four decades of artificially high advertising goes pop — Newspaper advertising will almost surely fall to the lowest level on record this year, as ads continue to migrate to the Web. — Meanwhile, reader revenue—subscriptions and newsstand sales …

Jon Boone / Guardian:

Geo TV apologizes for saying Pakistan's spy chief plotted to assassinate journalist Hamid Mir — Geo TV owners print front-page apology to Pakistan's ISI spy chief — Move comes in week regulators rule on coverage that include claims Zaheer-ul-Islam behind attempt on life of star journalist

Discussion: @fispahani and @aqpk

William Turvill / Press Gazette:

UK daily newspapers have doubled in price since 2004 and shrunk in size - no wonder sales are down — Every month when the latest set of ABC national newspaper circulation figures are released, journalists across the country heave a collective sigh of despair.

Mark Sweney / Guardian:

Press regulator Ipso names its board — Members of PCC successor's 12-strong panel include pensions expert Ros Altmann and former Times editor Charles Wilson — Pensions expert Ros Altmann is to join the board of press regulator Ipso. Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian

Discussion: Press Gazette and Press Association

Paul Farhi / Washington Post:

Attorney general, top journalists discuss prosecutors' latitude in leak investigations — What is ordinary about “ordinary newsgathering”? — That question was at the heart of discussions Tuesday between Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. and a group of media representatives over rules …

Discussion: Poynter, New York Times, USA Today, Associated Press and Politico

Guardian:

Lord Coe ‘approached by government’ for role of BBC Trust chair — David Cameron reported to support appointment as successor to Lord Patten, with Boris Johnson also believed to back move — Lord Coe is understood to have been approached by government officials to be the next chairman of the BBC Trust.

Discussion: ITV and ITV

Joe Pompeo / Capital New York:

Newsweek strikes deal to build foreign editions — Newsweek has entered into a partnership with the global media consultancy Empirical Media to strike new foreign licensing agreements for the print magazine and its website. — Empirical, which is headed up by veteran media executive …

Jack Marshall / Wall Street Journal:

Twitter and Omnicom Strike $230 Million Mobile Ad Deal — Omnicom Media Group announced a mobile-focused deal with Twitter on Tuesday, worth $230 million over the next two years. — The deal will integrate Omnicom's programmatic ad buying unit Accuen with Twitter's ad exchange MoPub …