Mediagazer: To lure subscribers, the Times debuts a free mini crossword (Alex Weprin/Capital New York)

10:00 AM ET, August 26, 2014

Top News:

Paul Sawers / The Next Web:

Netflix pushes to block the Comcast-Time Warner merger, submitting a ‘Petition to Deny’ to the FCC — Netflix has made no secret of its opposition to the proposed Comcast-Time Warner merger, previously calling it ‘anti-competitive’. Now, the streaming giant has officially lodged its concerns …

Discussion: Engadget

Ted Johnson / Variety:

Los Angeles Mayor: FCC Should Consider Dodgers Dispute in Comcast-TW Cable Merger Review — Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti says that the FCC's review of the proposed Comcast-Time Warner Cable merger should examine “real world problems like the Dodgers dispute,” in which more than 60% …

Discussion: Home Media Magazine

Emily Steel / New York Times:

Patrick Gottsch, Rural Media Group chief, warns rural America about the proposed Comcast-Time Warner merger — TV Chief Takes 2-by-4 to a Proposed Cable Merger — MEDINA, Minn. — As the oom-pah-pah oom-pah-pah of the band fades, Patrick Gottsch makes his way through silver-haired couples circling …

Discussion: corporate.comcast.com, @brianstelter, Gigaom and The Hill

Walt Mossberg / Re/code:

Re/code introducing native advertising — A New Advertising Format for Re/code — Eagle-eyed readers may notice a new feature here on Re/code today. It's called “Sponsor Content,” and is, for us, a new form of advertising. Known broadly as “native advertising,” this is a category …

Discussion: @monkbent and @jonrussell, Thanks:@steverubel

Joshua Brustein / Businessweek:

With high levels of engagement, Twitch users could make Amazon more attractive to advertisers — Why Amazon Is Paying $1 Billion to Help People Watch Video Games — For months Twitch, the video-game streaming service, was supposedly putting the finishing touches on a deal with Google (GOOG).

Discussion: Ars Technica, The Verge and @bradstone

Amazon.com:
Amazon acquiring Twitch for $970M in cash

Darrell Etherington / TechCrunch:

Rogers And Shaw Team Up To Launch A Netflix Competitor For Canada Called ‘Shomi’ — Canadian cable giants aren't just going to watch their audience slip away to streaming services - two of the nation's biggest providers have joined forces to launch shomi, a new subscription-based service …

Discussion: Globe and Mail, MobileSyrup.com, CityNews, Global News and Globe and Mail

Margaret Sullivan / New York Times:

NYT public editor says choice of words in Michael Brown profile a “regrettable mistake” — An Ill-Chosen Phrase, ‘No Angel,’ Brings a Storm of Protest — Two words — “no angel” — have become a flash point for many of the difficult, contentious, entrenched issues that have arisen …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, bookforum.com, Washington Post, @mlcalderone, Mediaite, The Huffington Post, @naacp_ldf, @fmanjoo, @andykindler, @jamilsmith, @jennydeluxe, @ggreenwald, @jayrosen_nyu, The Week and Pressing Issues

Erik Wemple / Washington Post:
New York Times defends Michael Brown Jr. ‘no angel’ characterization

Alex Weprin / Capital New York:

To lure subscribers, the Times debuts a free mini crossword — The New York Times is launching a free daily mini crossword puzzle for users of its crossword app for iOS devices, the company said today. — The puzzle, which is comprised of a five-by-five grid of blocks …

Discussion: FishbowlNY and Wall Street Journal

Peter Kafka / Re/code:

Tribune Hires John Batter to Run Digital Media, Shashi Seth Out — Tribune Media is bringing in a new leader for its digital operations: John Batter, who has been running streaming video service M-Go, is in. Shashi Seth, the former Yahoo executive who has been running Tribune Digital Ventures since May 2013, is out.

Discussion: TechCrunch, @pkafka and PR Newswire

Amanda Meade / Guardian:

Rupert Murdoch runs News Corp along feudal' lines, Kim Williams says — Former CEO says the Australian newspaper business is ‘vaingloriously ignoring the facts’ and is shackled by outdated management systems — News Corp Australia is a company run along feudal lines which is …

Discussion: Yahoo! News and ABC

Justin Ellis / Nieman Lab:

Verge Hack Week: developers, designers, and writers build new storytelling tools, plot growth — The Verge threw a hackweek and invited everyone they know — The idea for a Hack Week at The Verge was fairly simple, says editor-in-chief Nilay Patel. Looking at the example …

Discussion: Poynter, @clockwerks, @reckless and @niemanlab

Michelle Atagana / memeburn:

Erik Martin, general manager of Reddit, on journalism, comments, global expansion, democracy — Creating a more curious generation through memes: Q&A with Reddit GM — It's a slightly gloomy Seattle day but the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) is packed with students and members of the public.

Thanks:@steverubel

Michael Wolff / USA Today:

Mail Online success due to publisher ensuring digital and print function separately, different products with different functions — ‘Daily Mail’ solves Internet paradox — News is a reliable British export. The lineup of products has included the tabloid and broadsheet newspaper …

Discussion: @spencerreiss, @michaelwolffnyc, @amolrajan and @nero