Mediagazer: Japan's SoftBank Launches A La Carte TV Service for Mobile Users (Patrick Frater/Variety)

9:05 AM ET, November 18, 2014

Top News:

Ben Smith / BuzzFeed:

Uber exec, at NYC dinner with CEO present, suggested digging up dirt on critical journalists — Uber Executive Suggests Digging Up Dirt On Journalists — Emil Michael floated making critics' personal lives fair game. Michael apologized Monday for the remarks.

Discussion: Business Insider, Gawker, New York Times, Poynter, Forbes, PandoDaily, Re/code, BBC, @juliebosman, @lpolgreen, @jamilsmith, @espiers, @biancorobert, @tomcheshiresky, @oliverburkeman, @pkafka, @atotalmonet, @markamesexiled, @carr2n, @flaneur, @moorehn, @emilmichael, @jessicaelgot, @janinegibson, The Wrap, New York Magazine, @lifewinning, @cerenomri, @kenlerer, Mashable, @dangillmor, @karaswisher, The Daily Beast, @zpower, @nycjim, @mims, @emjbanks, @pkafka, @doreeshafrir, @heyheyesj, @dancow, @caitleg, @jacobwe, @mat, @greenhousenyt, @fieldproducer, @aterkel, Forbes, NPR, @anildash, @elcush, @sg, @darlin, @glinner, @buzzfeedben, @kagrox, @ryanlawler, TechCrunch, @caseynewton, @mattgarrahan, @daveweigel, @heoj, @haasbenjamin, @clarajeffery, @elisewho, @jackshafer, @daweiner, @thegarance, @funnymonkey, @emilmichael, @dearauthor, @bplewis, @jason_pontin, @amir, @daveweigel, @jmbooyah, @heyfeifer, @robertmackey, @tomgara, @digiphile, @tomgara, @nitashatiku, @ashleyrparker, @markberman, @willbrinson, @socarolinesays, @tonyromm, @cshirky, @sacca, @bydanielvictor, The Technology Chronicles, @annehelen, @clarajeffery, Gigaom, @gaberivera, @dovseidman, @sarahcuda, @jbarro, @billmon1, @mims, VatorNews, @tomgara, @mikeindustries, @shaneferro, @mollywood, @kristyt, Jalopnik, @joeruiz, Engadget and Boing Boing

Sarah Lacy / PandoDaily:

Sarah Lacy, the journalist named as a target by Uber's Emil Michael, says Uber went too far — The moment I learned just how far Uber will go to silence journalists and attack women — A big debate among the Pando staff for the past two years has been over just how morally bankrupt Uber is.

Discussion: @realityblurred, @jeffjarvis, @orvet, @mat, @fmanjoo, @sarahcuda, @charlesarthur, @karaswisher, @sarahcuda, @alisongriswold, @helenbrosnan, @yashalevine, Forbes, @mattschiavenza, @swardley, @erikb, @sarahnemerson, @filmladd, @glennf, @mims, Business Insider and @derektmead

Alex Hern / Guardian:

Uber executive apologises after suggesting the firm dig dirt on hostile journalists — Emil Michael says he regretted saying that a female journalist should have her private life exposed after criticising the site — Luxury cab firm Uber has been forced to apologise after a senior executive suggested …

Discussion: TIME, @mattdpearce, @jeffjarvis, @janole, Daily Mail, @moorehn and Business Insider

Michael Sebastian / AdAge:

Outbrain strikes $100M deal with Time Inc. to become exclusive external provider of recommended stories — Time Inc. Locks in Outbrain's Headline Recommendations in $100 Million Deal — Content Recommendation Widgets Push Traffic Around the Web — An Outbrain box that appeared beneath an article on Time.com.

Discussion: @mashplant, @raju, @msebastian, @j_feller and @jeffjarvis

Patrick Frater / Variety:

Japan's SoftBank Launches A La Carte TV Service for Mobile Users — TOKYO — Softbank, the Japanese investment conglomerate that recently held acquisition talks with DreamWorks Animation, has launched a new streaming service for Japanese smartphone users. It allows them to sign …

Discussion: Telecompaper, Digital TV Europe and Hollywood Reporter

Jack Marshall / Wall Street Journal:

Meet PetFlow, The Retailer that Hatched a Media Business — Brands and retailers are increasingly trying to become publishers of sorts. They use blogs, social media and other forms of content to attract and entertain online audiences, with the ultimate goal of selling them something.

Discussion: @jackmarshall

Jason Abbruzzese / Mashable:

Amazon and Hachette: Bad for everyone but consumers — The can has been kicked. — Amazon and Hachette have resolved a months-long conflict that had been closely watched as a dispute that would indicate the future of the publishing industry. — The core of the disagreement reportedly centered on e-book pricing.

Discussion: The Huffington Post and Hollywood Reporter

Russ Mitchell / Los Angeles Times:

L.A. Times names Internet strategist Nicco Mele deputy publisher — Nicco Mele, the Internet strategist credited with pushing political campaigns into the digital era, has been named deputy publisher of the Los Angeles Times. — “We intend to be one of the great journalism organizations …

Discussion: @joetrippi, @shorensteinctr, @vermontgmg, RTTNews, @npalmerrothman, @garveylatimes and @nicco

Amanda Meade / Guardian:

Australian communications minister says ABC budget will be cut by 5%, or $50M/year, will result in loss of up to 500 jobs by year end — ABC budget will be cut by 5%, says Malcolm Turnbull — Communications minister tells Q&A program reductions can easily be made in office and administration costs

Discussion: Business Insider, @meadea, @tonykevin, @ockhamsbeard, The Age, @albericie, The Age and BBC

Marco Arment / Marco.org:

Podcasts are neither exploding nor dying - they've been steadily growing for a decade — Why podcasts are suddenly “back” — Did you hear? Podcasts were dead, and now they're back! — This story is suddenly everywhere. It's not extremely accurate, but I'll take it.

Discussion: @om, @craigsilverman, @jayrosen_nyu, @clarkhat, @pmarca, @mathewi, New York Times, @beachwoodreport, @stan_alcorn, @jsb and ParisLemon

Jeff John Roberts / Gigaom:

Google has free speech right in search results, court confirms — A San Francisco court ruled last week that Google has the right to arrange its search results as it pleases, which confirms the company's long-held view, while underscoring the stark difference in how U.S. and European seek to regulate the search giant.

Discussion: Gizmodo, Search Engine Land, 9to5Google and Engadget

Brian Flood / TVNewser:

Q&A with Baratunde Thurston on his new position co-hosting TakePart Live, Twitter, and his favorite kind of media — 5 Questions with... Baratunde Thurston, Taking a Sledgehammer to the Traditional Newscast — Baratunde Thurston is a modern-day Renaissance man.