Mediagazer: Bono praises Apple and Spotify over digital music payments (Stuart Dredge/Guardian)

4:45 PM ET, January 5, 2015

Top News:

POLITICO hires Marilyn Thompson as deputy editor — POLITICO has hired Marilyn Thompson as a deputy editor, POLITICO editor Susan Glasser and executive editor Peter Canellos announced in a staff memo Monday titled “The Politico Class of 2015.” — Thompson currently serves as Washington bureau chief for Reuters.

Discussion: @carolleonnig, @mattdelong, @peterbakernyt, @joepompeo, @thegarance, @adamnagourney and @michaelkruse

Michael Calderone / The Huffington Post:

Politico's deputy managing editor Dianna Heitz leaves for editor role at CNN Politics Digital — Politico's Dianna Heitz Joins CNN Digital Politics Team, The Latest In String of Departures — NEW YORK — Politico deputy managing editor Dianna Heitz is joining CNN Politics Digital …

Discussion: @erikwemple

Matt Apuzzo / New York Times:

James Risen, in Tense Testimony, Refuses to Offer Clues on Sources — ALEXANDRIA, Va. — James Risen, a reporter for The New York Times, took the witness stand in federal court on Monday and refused to answer any questions that could help the Justice Department home in on his confidential sources.

Discussion: @nicoleperlroth, @onekade, @jeremyscahill, @dangillmor, Bloomberg, @ryanjreilly, @atabarrok, @paulszoldra, @eisingerj, @mattapuzzo, @thewillhobson and @alovizavickery

Peter Kafka / Re/code:

Dish announces Sling TV: stream channels like ESPN, CNN, and TNT over the internet for $20 per month without a cable subscription — You Can Finally Get ESPN on the Web, For $20 a Month — Lots of people say they want to ditch cable TV for the Web, but can't because they want to watch sports …

Discussion: Gigaom, Broadcasting & Cable, The Verge, VentureBeat, AppleInsider, @pkedrosky, Reuters, Business Insider, @nsj, @waltmossberg, Gizmodo, @pkafka, @sherman4949, @mikeisaac and Mashable

Andrew Wallenstein / Variety:

Skeptical About North Korea's Role in Sony Hack? Don't Be — If the mounting skepticism regarding North Korea's involvement in the Sony hack was expected to weaken the resolve of President Obama, that's not what happened last week. — Days after the FBI reaffirmed its initial contention …

Discussion: @jayrosen_nyu, @devincf and The Verge

Variety:

Variety Hires Veteran L.A. Times Journalist Jim Rainey As Senior Film Reporter — Award-winning journalist Jim Rainey, who spent most of the last 30 years working as a reporter, editor, columnist and blogger for the Los Angeles Times, has joined Variety as a Senior Film Reporter.

Discussion: Politico, LA Observed, @awallenstein, @foundasonfilm, @latimesrainey, @lfung, @dawnc331 and @davidfolkenflik

Howard Kurtz / Fox News:

Former CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson sues Justice Department over alleged computer hacking, seeks $35M in damages — Sharyl Attkisson sues administration over computer hacking — Former CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson has sued the Justice Department over the hacking of her computers …

Discussion: The Wrap, Politico, Mediaite, Poynter, @mlcalderone and The Daily Caller

Jeff Baumgartner / Broadcasting & Cable:

ESPN's Aaron LaBerge succeeds Chuck Pagano as CTO — Aaron LaBerge Named ESPN's CTO — Succeeds the retiring Chuck Pagano — ESPN has appointed Aaron LaBerge to the post of executive vice president and chief technology officer, making him the second CTO in the network's 35-year-history.

Discussion: NetNewsCheck Latest

Christopher Massie / Columbia Journalism Review:

Q&A with Joe Weisenthal on his new job at Bloomberg, his time at Business Insider — Boosting Bloomberg's ‘shares’ — Joe Weisenthal on what he learned at Business Insider, his love for charts, and his new job — In October, Bloomberg hired Business Insider's Joe Weisenthal amid …

Discussion: @niemanlab and @thestalwart, Thanks:@amandabcowie

Todd Spangler / Variety:

Top 10 Pirated TV Shows of 2014: ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Walking Dead’ Lead List — HBO's “Game of Thrones” and AMC's zombie splatterfest “The Walking Dead” were the two most-pirated TV shows worldwide in 2014 by a sizable margin, with each cable series downloaded via torrent networks about 48 million times last year.

Stuart Dredge / Guardian:

Bono praises Apple and Spotify over digital music payments — U2 frontman's new year post says songwriters are getting ‘a poor deal’ but hails Apple as ‘unique in big tech in trying to get artists paid’ — Bono has praised Apple and Spotify for their efforts to pay musicians for downloads …

Discussion: New York Times, U2 > Home, PandoDaily and The Drum

Jane Martinson / Guardian:

The virtues of Vice: how punk magazine was transformed into media giant — It's a hit with the millennial generation and predicts revenue of $1bn this year, so what can young company teach its rivals? — In a break from making millions as the world's richest ad man, Sir Martin Sorrell …

Discussion: @girllostincity and @venkatananth