Mediagazer: Say Media Buys Out Investors As It Exits The Media Business And Focuses On Its Publishing Platform (Ryan Lawler/TechCrunch)

9:00 AM ET, December 5, 2014

Top News:

Facebook Prince Purges ‘The New Republic’: Inside the Destruction of a 100-Year-Old Magazine — Silicon Valley arrivistes have chosen to destroy the 100-year-old journal and build a “new BuzzFeed” in its place. — When Facebook billionaire Chris Hughes, the owner of The New Republic …

Discussion: @yair_rosenberg, @noahshachtman and @jonathanchait, Thanks:@justinjm1

Dylan Byers / Politico:

TNR staff fear CEO Guy Vidra's plans for digital focus; meeting Friday, more resignations possible — Implosion of a Washington institution — Two weeks ago, Washingtonians gathered to celebrate the 100th birthday of The New Republic, the magazine that helped shape Woodrow Wilson's views …

Dylan Byers / Politico:

New Republic shakeup: Foer and Wieseltier quit, Gabriel Snyder to replace Foer as editor; magazine moving to NYC, reducing print frequency — Frank Foer, Leon Wieseltier out at TNR — Franklin Foer and Leon Wieseltier, the top two editors at The New Republic, have just quit amid an editorial shakeup …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, New York Times, Gawker, @ryanlizza, Poynter, Folio, Washington Times, New York Magazine, Washington Post, Gawker, Capital New York, NPR, Talking Points Memo, @peterbakernyt, Haaretz, International Business Times, Wall Street Journal, Lawfare, DCist, kspr.com, The National Interest, Power Line, FishbowlNY, FishbowlDC, @dylanbyers, @ravisomaiya, @mtomasky, @adamfplunkett, @yappelbaum, Media & Entertainment, @ryanlizza, @chucklane1, @erikwemple, Washingtonian, @dylanbyers, @davidfolkenflik, @mlcalderone, @erikwemple, @bendreyfuss, @jayrosen_nyu, @thefix, @tcarmody, @ravisomaiya, @dleonhardt, @ryanchittum, @nbj914, USA Today, @nickconfessore, @erikwemple, @mlcalderone, @jayrosen_nyu, @ravisomaiya, @moorehn, @weareyourfek, @nbj914, @justinraimondo, @jacremes, Tablet Magazine, AdAge, @johnmcquaid, @hillelneuer, @themadbrand, @stevenacook, @timothynoah1, @michaelschaffer and Poynter

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Trying to copy a digital media formula from BuzzFeed or the Huffington Post is wrong for The New Republic — A Eulogy for The New Republic — A century-old liberal institution gazes at the end. — Shares — Not long after he purchased The New Republic, Chris Hughes had lunch with me …

Discussion: The New York Observer, Vox, @jonathanchait, The Dish, @christinecipri, @nytfridge, @reihan, @daveschwartz, @justaschill, Lawfare, @leon_krauze, @fmanjoo, @nprmelissablock, @michaeldweiss, @tanehisicoates, Washington Post, Melville House Books and Talking Points Memo

Alexis C. Madrigal / Fusion:

Facebook mobile apps drive up to about half of unattributed mobile traffic, or “dark social”, to some media sites — Dark social traffic in the mobile app era — About two years ago, I wrote a story about a strange phenomenon on the web: in a medium known for its ability to track people …

Discussion: Business Insider, Gigaom, @ilana, @mattyglesias, @joelcifer, @fxmatt4, @jayrosen_nyu, @alexismadrigal, @johnjannuzzi, @joshdzieza, @corybe, @antderosa, @mims, @scottros and @taylorlorenz

Martin Beck / Marketing Land:
Chartbeat changes how it tracks traffic from mobile apps to measure dark social referrals better

Discussion: Chartbeat Blog, @jdevalk, @daozers, @direwolf11, @thisislankylank, @jeress, @daozers, @joshuadschwartz, @chartbeat and SocialTimes

Alex Sherman / Bloomberg:

Starz Said to Consider New Options as It Fails to Find Buyer — Starz LLC (STRZA), the pay-TV channel with more than 50 million subscribers, is considering alternatives to a sale after reaching out to potential bidders who passed on making an offer, according to people familiar with the matter.

Discussion: @sherman4949 and CNBC

Jason Deans / Guardian:

BBC Radio 4 Extra to broadcast hit US podcast Serial — US podcast to be broadcast daily at 9pm on digital station, beginning with Sarah Koenig re-investigating 1999 murder of high-school student Hae Min Lee in Baltimore — BBC Radio 4 Extra is to bring Serial, the critically lauded US podcast …

Discussion: bbc.co.uk, Digital Spy, TIME, Telegraph, Telegraph, BBC, BuzzFeed and RadioTimes

Matt Boggie / Medium:

Metrics should support a strategy, not be a strategy — On July 5, 1989, a pilot episode of a new sitcom called The Seinfeld Chronicles aired on NBC. It received good, but not great, ratings for the time, coming in second on the night overall. The network debated whether or not to purchase more episodes …

Discussion: @chrisboutet, @mattboggie and Tow Center for Digital …

Nick Statt / CNET:

Eddy Cue testimony in antitrust trial: Apple's iPod updates, DRM strategy were to prevent hacks, piracy — Apple defended iPod from hackers, iTunes chief says in antitrust trial — In a trial questioning Apple's use of software updates, iTunes chief Eddy Cue says they were necessary …

Discussion: AllAccess.com, AppleInsider and The Verge

Ted Johnson / Variety:

President Obama Signs Satellite TV Bill — President Obama signed into law the Satellite Television and Localism Act, which extends the ability of rural satellite subscribers to access broadcast channels. The legislation passed Congress despite efforts by some lawmakers to include provisions …

Discussion: The Hill

Ryan Lawler / TechCrunch:

Say Media Buys Out Investors As It Exits The Media Business And Focuses On Its Publishing Platform — After four years of operating a portfolio of digital magazines, Say Media is saying goodbye to its media business. The company is also saying goodbye to its investors …

Discussion: @levitmc, @nelson_keating and @seanglass

Gregg Kilday / Hollywood Reporter:

Sony Hack Reportedly Includes 47,000 Social Security Numbers, Celebrity Data — The files include information on former employees as well as celebrities like Sylvester Stallone — As fallout from the cyber attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment continues to grow, it now appears …

Discussion: Neowin, Electronista, BuzzFeed and CNET

Ray Locker / USA Today:

Luke Somers named as hostage journalist US attempted to rescue last month in Yemen — Pentagon: Mission failed to rescue U.S. hostage in Yemen — Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this story misstated the number of rescue attempts of Somers.

Discussion: Associated Press and BBC