Top News:
Margaret Sullivan / New York Times:
After New York Times ends a focused beat on race, proof of its commitment to coverage of the topic remains to be seen — In a Time of Racial Turmoil, Why Change Course on Covering Race? — To state the obvious, it seems like an odd time to discontinue the one Times beat devoted solely to race and ethnicity.
Discussion:
The Maynard Institute …, @aaronmedwards, @sdkstl, @bluechoochoo, @jamilsmith, @justinnxt, Poynter, @sulliview and Columbia Journalism Review
Benjamin Mullin / Poynter:
Al Jazeera English news director tells employees to continue leaking memos — Al Jazeera English has a plan to deal with the recent leaks that have aired the organization's preferences regarding style and usage: invite its employees to keep leaking. — Salah Negm, director of news …
Discussion:
Capital New York, @ivorytowerjourn, @markgurman, @mathewi, @kristenhare and Fox News
Jeet Heer / The New Republic:
The New Republic's Legacy on Race — A historical reflection — Legacies are never simple; they create victims as well as beneficiaries. The more substantial the legacy, the more heated the disputes are over who has title of ownership, who gets to enjoy an inheritance, and who is left out in the cold.
Discussion:
@coreyrobin, The Huffington Post, @tomsugrue, @seanmcelwee, @mazmhussain, @rortybomb, @nickfoxnyt, @clairegroden, Gawker and Politico
Reuters:
Japan, Jordan working closely on fate of captive Japanese journalist — (Reuters) - Japan was working closely with Jordan on Friday to find out what was happening to a Japanese journalist held by Islamic State militants after a deadline passed for the release of an Iraqi would-be suicide bomber on death-row in Jordan.
Discussion:
Associated Press, CNN and @reutersmaris
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Katie Hawkins-Gaar / Poynter:
NYT featured nine Instagram photos on its front page, but didn't tell photographers before publication — Instagrammers discover front-page NYT placement by chance — It was an exciting moment for user-generated content. The New York Times featured nine Instagram photos on the front page of its Wednesday edition.
Discussion:
@antderosa, @alexjamesfitz, @mdeziel, @mathewi, @digiphile and BAGnewsNotes
Ross Miller / The Verge:
Associated Press now writes 3K stories per quarter on US earning reports after teaming with Automated Insights, plans to expand globally — AP's ‘robot journalists’ are writing their own stories now — Minutes after Apple released its record-breaking quarterly earnings this week …
Discussion:
THE DEFINITIVE SOURCE, @mtdukes, @jameskotecki, Washington Post, @eamonjavers and Poynter
Todd Spangler / Variety:
Amazon Spent $1.3 Billion on Prime Instant Video in 2014 — Amazon.com, which is gunning for Netflix in the subscription-video space, invested $1.3 billion in its Prime Instant Video last year, according to founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. — Netflix, by contrast, spent $3.8 billion in 2014 …
Discussion:
BuzzFeed, Pocket-lint, @emilysteel and Home Media Magazine
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Michael Geist Blog:
Canadian carriers Bell, Videotron ordered to stop exempting own TV services from data caps — “No Fast Lanes and Slow Lanes”: CRTC Rules Bell's Mobile TV Service Violates Telecommunications Act — The CRTC has issued a major new decision with implications for net neutrality …
Discussion:
Electronista, OpenMedia.ca, Reuters, Ars Technica, The Huffington Post, @mgeist and Gigaom
David Ljunggren / Reuters:
Wife of flogged Saudi blogger says his health is worsening — (Reuters) - The wife of a Saudi rights activist, sentenced last year to 1,000 lashes for criticizing the Kingdom's clerics in his blog, said on Thursday her husband's health had worsened after the first round of flogging and that he could not survive the full punishment.
Todd Shields / Bloomberg Business:
FCC considers formal complaint process for reviewing paid peering deals like those for Netflix — Netflix Deals With Broadband Providers Said to Get Oversight — Don't Miss Out — (Bloomberg) — U.S. regulators plan to issue rules next month allowing them to review …
Discussion:
Gigaom
David Pierce / The Verge:
Inside the studio where ESPN is betting billions on the future of sports — “Oh my goodness,” NBC football analyst Cris Collinsworth shouts into his headset mic over the roar of the Dallas Stadium crowd. “This is sick. Put this to music. I don't think he stepped out, either.
Discussion:
@danrubenstein and @rockatalic
Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge:
Imgur introduces new tool to make high-quality GIFs from streaming video like YouTube — Imgur's new tool makes the most beautiful GIFs on the web — Imgur has been on a quest to upgrade the GIF, and part of that means making GIFs look a whole lot nicer.
Discussion:
Re/code, SlashGear, BuzzFeed, The New York Observer, The Imgur Blog and Engadget
Caroline O'Donovan / Nieman Lab:
Bloomberg digital editor Josh Topolsky on uncomfortable news design, new ad units, and why they killed the comments. — Bloomberg launched a fresh, new Bloomberg Business Tuesday night, to both acclaim and confusion. Change has long been afoot lately at Bloomberg Media …
Discussion:
@bobbymacreports, @joshuatopolsky and @mathewi, Thanks:@amandabcowie
Ben Cohen / Wall Street Journal:
NBA players and fans turn to Vine for game highlights — Vine: The Best Way to Watch the NBA — How Six-Second Videos Are Changing the Game for Fans; See Ballmer Dance and LeBron Ignore Waiters — It was a play that, in the olden days, no one would have remembered.
Andy Baio / Medium:
As Google leaves archival projects in limbo, the Internet Archive steps in to preserve digital history — Never trust a corporation to do a library's job — Google wrote its mission statement in 1999, a year after launch, setting the course for the company's next decade:
Discussion:
@pbump, @exiledsurfer, @craigmod and Techdirt
Paul Sawers / VentureBeat:
RunKeeper and Spotify team up to let you play your music without switching apps — Perennially popular fitness-tracking app RunKeeper is introducing support for Spotify today, meaning runners, walkers, and cyclists can listen to tunes from the music-streaming service while they use the app.
Discussion:
Beyond the Miles, App Advice, The Next Web, Gigaom, The Verge and TechCrunch
Benjamin Mullin / Poynter:
Indiana governor cancels controversial news site — Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has told the Indiana press corps that he plans to cancel “Just IN,” a proposed state-run news source that some feared would be used as an end-around the press. — Maureen Hayden, Indiana statehouse bureau chief …
Discussion:
Indianapolis Star and Talking Points Memo
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