Mediagazer: Price of media is falling to zero because it's not scarce anymore, but inherently ubiquitous (Nilay Patel/Vox)

9:15 AM ET, July 21, 2014

Top News:

In the wake of a merger bid between non-print media giants, a meditation on print's inadequacy — Riding the Juggernaut That Left Print Behind — Even if you aren't one of those people worried about media consolidation — there are many in that number — the big bolt of lightning last week …

Discussion: @raju, @peterlattman, @chrishogg, @edwardboches, @poniewozik, @sulliview, @jeffjarvis, @michaelroston, @carlquintanilla, @karaswisher, @ckummer and @ericscherer

Brian Stelter / CNNMoney.com:

Sources: NBC pulled Ayman Mohyeldin from Gaza due to network infighting, not to silence him — What really happened with NBC and Ayman Mohyeldin — NBC News Foreign Correspondent Ayman Mohyeldin returned to Gaza on Sunday, four days after network management told him to leave the conflict zone amid breaking news coverage.

Discussion: @jayrosen_nyu, @blakehounshell, @jayrosen_nyu, @brianstelter, @jeffjarvis, @mlcalderone, @peterfhart, @jayrosen_nyu, @allisonkilkenny and Pressing Issues

Matt Wilstein / Mediaite:
NBC reverses decision to pull reporter Ayman Mohyeldin from Gaza; will send him back as soon as possible

Discussion: @aymanm, NBC Universal, @wjcarter, New York Times, TVNewser, @nbcnewspr, @tamerelg, @brianstelter, @daliaezzat_, @joshtpm, @leahmcelrath, Talking Points Memo, @ggreenwald, Mondoweiss, Business Insider and @kmbtweets

Author Earnings:

Study: 31% of ebooks sold on Amazon are self-published; DRM harms sales at all price levels — July 2014 Author Earnings Report — It has been nearly half a year since we first pulled data for nearly every ranked ebook on Amazon.com's thousands of category bestseller lists.

Discussion: Boing Boing

Bloomberg:

Fox Said to Mull Using Sky Sale to Boost Time Warner Bid — Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox Inc. (FOXA) is considering using proceeds from the sale of its Italian and German pay-TV assets to boost its offer for Time Warner Inc. (TWX), according to two people familiar with the matter.

Discussion: Business Insider, @pkafka and @edmundlee

Thanyarat Doksone / Associated Press:

Thai junta's gag on media raises alarm, criticism — FILE - In this June 13, 2014 file photo, Thailand's Army commander Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, left, arrives at the Royal Thai Army Club in Bangkok, Thailand. Critics and journalists raised concerns Saturday, July 19, 2014 …

Discussion: @jonrussell, Asian Correspondent and The Week

Josh Halliday / Guardian:

Sky News apologises after presenter is seen looking through MH17 luggage — Broadcaster met with storm of criticism after footage emerges of Colin Brazier picking items from suitcase at crash site — Media professor Joe Watson described Brazier's actions as a ‘horrible moment for journalism’.

Discussion: @wjoewatson, @sabinewolff, @unamullally, BuzzFeed, @pvdmeersch, @vidyut, @themurdochtimes and The Drum

Jeffrey Dvorkin / Now The Details:

NPR Learns About (New) Media Accountability - the Hard Way — NPR HQ in Washington, DC — It began with a job posting on the NPR website. — NPR is looking for a new ombudsman to replace Edward Schumacher-Matos who has held the post for the past three years. He steps down in September.

Discussion: @acarvin and @jayrosen_nyu

Mark Sweney / Guardian:

BBC gave 12 senior staff £150,000-plus payoffs last year — Severance payments totalling £2.76m were made to the dozen staff before director general Tony Hall's controls came into effect — The BBC gave 12 senior executives £150,000-plus payoffs last year.

Capital New York:

The 60-second interview: Taylor Lorenz, head of social media, The Daily Mail/Mail Online — CAPITAL: What are your major responsibilities as social media lead? What is your day-to-day like? — LORENZ: My responsibilities are pretty varied. My No. 1 goal is to promote …

Discussion: @stevekovach, @socarolinesays, @sfiegerman, @jaredbkeller, @mattnavarrauk, @perlberg, @timherrera, @lauraelizdavis and @elanazak

James Hanning / The Independent:

Phone hacking scandal: Police are holding back evidence, claims Glenn Mulcaire — The phone interceptor says a mysterious third person commissioned him to listen to Milly Dowler's voicemails — Glenn Mulcaire, the private investigator at the heart of the News of the World phone-hacking …

Discussion: Press Gazette, The Independent, @magsnews, @martin_hickman, Sunshine Coast Daily and The Independent

Nilay Patel / Vox:

Price of media is falling to zero because it's not scarce anymore, but inherently ubiquitous — Can you answer these 4 questions and save the media industry from Taylor Swift? — That headline is 100 percent pure clickbait, the finest in the world. Let's talk about why after you answer …

Discussion: The New York Observer, @jacobschulman and @kitson

Gail Sheehy / Politico:

Jill Abramson on Hillary Clinton, sexist “double standards”, and a lifetime of daring — What's Jill Abramson Made Of? — The fired Times editor on Hillary Clinton, sexist “double standards”—and a lifetime of daring. — The first thing one notices about Jill Abramson is her short stature.

Discussion: @abumuqawama, @nytimescohen, PandoDaily and Mediaite