Mediagazer: MediaHound raises $4.5M from UTA and others, launches invitation-only media discovery app (Todd Spangler/Variety)

11:30 PM ET, October 20, 2014

Top News:

Andrew Beaujon / Poynter:

Opinion: Why it's so disappointing that j-schools are panicking over Ebola — In the last week, we've learned that three U.S. universities have canceled invitations to journalists due to fears about Ebola: — Syracuse University rescinded an invitation to Washington Post photographer Michel du Cille …

Discussion: Poynter, Inside Higher Ed, Code Words and @erikwemple

Rodney Sieh / FrontPageAfrica:
University of Georgia journalism school canceled Liberian editor's speech because of Ebola fears

Discussion: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Washington Post, Flagpole Magazine, Peach Pundit, Talking Points Memo and @geoffreyyork

Jethro Nededog / The Wrap:

Jill Abramson Teaming With Steve Brill on Startup Venture — Jill Abramson is planning a startup with journalism entrepreneur Steven Brill. — The fired New York Times editor revealed her plans during an interview on NPR's “WBUR Live,” according to the show's tweets.

Discussion: JIMROMENESKO.COM, @ckrewson, @nicktheandersen, @nicktheandersen, @kelleychunn and @ylichterman

Ryan Chittum / Columbia Journalism Review:

Guardian's reporting on Whisper was ethical even though they had been editorial partners; some journalists' reactions are troubling — The ethics of The Guardian's Whisper bombshell — It would have been a journalistic lapse for the paper not to have told readers what it had learned

Discussion: @rabois, @paulcarr, @rabois, @dancow, @paulcarr, @janinegibson, @daviduberti, @cjr, Guardian, @ryanchittum, @janinegibson and @ryanchittum

Eric Johnson / Re/code:
Tech and media figures debate the ethics of Guardian's reporting of info obtained from a partnership meeting with Whisper

Discussion: VPN Creative, Wall Street Journal, @shlaq, @kitson, @strngwys, @jpwp and @matthewkeyslive

TechCrunch:

Sources: Yahoo In Talks To Buy Video Ad Platform BrightRoll For Around $700M — Yahoo has been building up its video and video advertising content, and we have heard that it may make another key acquisition in the area to further raise its game. The company is in talks to acquire BrightRoll …

Discussion: Marketing Land, Gawker and Business Insider

Caitlin Dewey / Washington Post:

Gamergate supporters combat negative media coverage with campaigns complaining to advertisers — Inside Gamergate's (successful) attack on the media — GamerGate has come to represent a lot of different things to a lot of different people. But to a core group of astoundingly fervent supporters …

Discussion: @rooshv, @userlich, Gawker, @libertarianblue, @fd1017, @chanders, @caitlindewey, bookforum.com and Polygon

Jillian D'Onfro / Business Insider:

Amazon closes multi-year digital and print deal with CBS's Simon & Schuster, one of Big Five publishers — Amazon Closes Multi-Year Deal With Simon & Schuster, The Other Big Five Publisher It Was In E-Book Pricing Negotiations With — Amazon has inked a multi-year deal with Simon & Schuster …

Discussion: New York Times, Wall Street Journal, @ampressman, Digital Book World, Publishers Weekly, @arhomberg, Mashable and TIME

Roger Yu / USA Today:

‘Bleacher Report’ claws toward respectability — Dave Finocchio Founder and General Manager of Bleacher Report Martin Klimek, USA TODAY — With a piercing article that had sports fans nodding their heads, satirical humor site The Onion had a good laugh in 2012 at the expense of Bleacher Report's quick-turn journalism.

Discussion: Deadspin, @rogerjyu, @jeffpearlman and @jclemensauthor

Todd Spangler / Variety:

MediaHound raises $4.5M from UTA and others, launches invitation-only media discovery app — UTA Invests in Content-Discovery Startup MediaHound — Startup raises $4.5 million from UTA and private investors; launched first iPhone app for media discovery

Mathew Ingram / Gigaom:

Chartbeat tries to fight the smoke and mirrors in web measurement by going public with its metrics — Chartbeat CEO Tony Haile says the web-measurement and analytics market is still too full of black-box style tricks and smoke and mirrors, so he is making his company's entire measurement process …

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest, @kaviguppta, @arctictony, @reikr, @jimbradysp and @titanas

Rowena Mason / Guardian:

Journalists should be given public interest defence in law, says Nick Clegg — Lib Dem leader says journalists should not fear being prosecuted under computer misuse, data protection and bribery laws — Journalists should be able to rely on a public interest defence if they break …

Discussion: @julesmattsson and Telegraph

John McDuling / Quartz:

The depressing truth behind the internet TV revolution — An internet television revolution is sweeping across America! HBO will finally begin selling a standalone streaming service next year. CBS just launched an internet service of its own, allowing access to all of its shows …

Discussion: Gigaom, New York Times, @thetelecomtoday and @gregorytaylor1

Dave Lee / BBC:

Google's changes to search results downgrade sites with unlicensed content after continuing pressure from UK music trade group BPI — Google changes ‘to fight piracy’ by highlighting legal sites — Music industry executives are frustrated by illegal sites appearing in Google search results