Mediagazer: As it becomes harder to censor journalists, intimidation and violence increase (Emily Bell/Guardian)

9:01 AM ET, February 2, 2015

Top News:

BBC:

Peter Greste: Al-Jazeera journalist freed by Egypt — Jailed al-Jazeera journalist Peter Greste is being deported from Egypt, the state news agency and police say. The Australian ex-BBC correspondent was arrested in December 2013 and imprisoned last June on charges including spreading false news.

Discussion: Al Jazeera English, TVNewser, CNN, Guardian, Reuters, New York Times, Al Jazeera PR, The Week, @eldahshan, @cairoreview, @nycjim, @basildabh, @marklittlenews, @hamishnews, Mashable, Daily News Egypt and Telegraph

Reuters:
Al Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy expected to be released from Egypt jail soon - security official

Discussion: @nickkristof and @pen_int

Carol Morello / Washington Post:

Family of Post reporter held in Iran issues statement — The family of Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post reporter who has been detained in Iran for more than half a year, issued the following statement Sunday in response to the naming of Judge Abolghassem Salavati to hear the case in Revolutionary Court:

Discussion: @jeffreygoldberg and @erin_pelton

Carol Morello / Washington Post:

Hard-line judge reportedly assigned case of Post reporter Jason Rezaian, jailed in Iran — An Iranian judge known as the “hanging judge” for his harsh sentencing practices has been named to hear the case of a Washington Post reporter who has been imprisoned in Tehran for more than half a year, a human rights group said Saturday.

Discussion: New York Times, @anniegowen, International Campaign … and Associated Press

Martin Beck / Marketing Land:

Hashtags featured in 50% of Super Bowl ads; 4 Facebook mentions, 3 Twitter, 1 Snapchat — Super Bowl Commercials With Hashtags Slipped To 50% In 2015 — Facebook is the most mentioned social network with four; Snapchat makes its debut. — Fifty percent of 2015 Super Bowl ads carried hashtags …

Discussion: @learmonth, The Next Web and @dannysullivan

Emily Steel / New York Times:
Super Bowl features 15 first-time advertisers, the most since 2000, as ad sales slow

Discussion: Fact-Based, In-Depth News, Variety, mUmBRELLA and Adweek

Emily Bell / Guardian:

As it becomes harder to censor journalists, intimidation and violence increase — Journalists back in the firing line as digital media struggles to protect its own — As it has become harder to censor individual journalists and independent teams, the intimidation, violence and imprisonment has increased

Discussion: Gigaom

Brian Merchant / Motherboard:

Creator of music blog Hipster Runoff tells how he scaled, burned out, then sold out for $21K — The Last Relevant Blogger — Before he was voted Hipster of the Decade, before he was coining musical subgenres and helping the New York Times understand “alt” culture, Carles …

Discussion: Flippa, Gizmodo, @britticisms, The Observer, Junkee, Flavorwire, Stereogum, International Business Times, Hipster Runoff and PAPERMAG

Ravi Somaiya / New York Times:

After Turmoil, The New Republic Re-emerges on Newsstands — The New Republic is a small magazine that set off a big commotion. — Late last year the magazine's owner, Chris Hughes, decided to replace Franklin Foer, a former top editor whom Mr. Hughes had lured back to run the magazine in 2012.

Harry McCracken / Fast Company:

AOL officially plans to shut down TUAW and Joystiq, both among the earliest tech blogs — FAREWELL TO TUAW—AND TO A WHOLE ERA OF TECH BLOGGING — I was hoping that the ugly rumors were false. But TUAW—The Unofficial Apple Weblog, which has long been one of the most dependable sources of Apple news …

Discussion: TUAW, @oricohen, @fastcompany, @harrymccracken, Electronista and TechCrunch

Lucia Moses / Digiday:

How Salon tamed the trolls and saved its online comments — Online comments sections are a double-edged sword for publishers. For those trying to increase loyalty and engagement with readers, comments should be an essential part of an audience strategy. But all too often, they becomes a haven for trolls and spam.

Discussion: @hugeinc, @rowankaiser and @antderosa

Peter Kafka / Re/code:

Louis CK's latest digital-only comedy special outsells his first with little buzz or promotion — Louis CK's New Straight-to-Fan Special Has No Buzz - and It's Doing Better Than His First One — Three years ago, Louis CK filmed his own stand-up comedy special, then sold it on his own Web site.

Discussion: @fmanjoo and @pmarca

Lydia DePillis / Washington Post:

Why internet journalists don't unionize: lack of leverage, transitory nature of the job market — Why Internet journalists don't organize — The booming world of web media is almost entirely non-union, for reasons that are as much generational as structural.

Discussion: @errrica, @hoosteen, @robpegoraro, @greenhousenyt and JIMROMENESKO.COM, Thanks:@thestoryline

Susannah Nesmith / Columbia Journalism Review:

Venezuela uses US reporter's photo in tourism campaign — He had just been released from detention — MIAMI — The Miami Herald's Jim Wyss made a startling and surreally ironic discovery Friday morning. — The discovery: Venezuela state-run media was using a picture of him to promote tourism to the troubled South American nation.

Discussion: Washington Post, @susannahnesmith, @trentondaniel, @nmcrooks and miamiherald