Mediagazer: What makes BuzzFeed the world's most important news organization is that it has a great business model (Ben Thompson/stratechery)

2:00 AM ET, March 4, 2015

Top News:

Cynthia Littleton / Variety:

NBCUniversal in early talks to bring former news president Andrew Lack back in senior role — NBC News Shakeup: Andrew Lack in Talks to Return in Top Role (EXCLUSIVE) — Former NBC News president Andrew Lack is in negotiations to return to a top post at the news division …

Discussion: Politico, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, TVNewser, @brianstelter, CNNMoney, Broadcasting & Cable, Business Insider, Mashable, The Wrap, @brianmka, @variety_cynthia and @bristei

Tina Nguyen / Mediaite:
Deborah Turness May Be Out as NBC News Chief

Discussion: @vivian, Politico, @noahcrothman, Broadcasting & Cable, @moorehn and @brianstelter

Ben Thompson / stratechery:

What makes BuzzFeed the world's most important news organization is that it has a great business model — Why BuzzFeed is the Most Important News Organization in the World — Like a great many such things, some of journalism's most precious ideals were the happy result of geography and economics.

Discussion: Nieman Lab, @abrams, @monkbent, @bencubby, @jyarow, @gfscott, @jessicalessin, @hunterwalk, @navalang, @cdixon, @melisbuzzfeed, @simonowens, @myurow and @dangillmor

Chicago Tribune:

Oprah's Harpo Studios to close in December, with production shifting to OWN in California — Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Studios to close in December — It's a wrap for Harpo Studios in Chicago. — Officials for Oprah Winfrey said Tuesday that her West Loop TV studios will close in December.

Discussion: Hollywood Reporter and Bloomberg Business

Kristen Hare / Poynter:

Poynter's longtime faculty member Jill Geisler joins Loyola University as Bill Plante Chair of Leadership and Media Integrity — Jill Geisler joins Loyola University — Jill Geisler is Loyola University's first Bill Plante Chair of Leadership and Media Integrity, according to a news release from the university.

Discussion: @jillgeisler and @kristenhare

T.C. Sottek / The Verge:

Netflix strikes deal with Australia's iiNet ISP for exemption from data caps, conflicting with the company's stance on net neutrality — Is Netflix's commitment to net neutrality a lie? — Netflix announced yesterday that it would be coming to Australia and New Zealand on March 24th …

Discussion: @dangillmor, CNET, @chillmage, PandoDaily, @mcuban, @chillmage, @sorendayton, Gigaom and iiNet

Todd Spangler / Variety:

NBCUniversal planning comedy video service with SNL, Tonight Show, original shows and clips from stars for about $2.50-$3.50 per month — NBC to Launch Comedy Internet-Subscription Service in 2015 — NBC is looking to get into the over-the-top game. — The Peacock is planning to launch …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Deadline, Engadget and The Verge

Agence France-Presse:

British Al-Jazeera reporter fined about $1,120 for flying drone over Paris; court seizes drone — Paris court fines UK journalist for flying drones over city — Al-Jazeera said the British reporter Tristan Redman, who pleaded guilty, was compiling a piece for them at the time

Discussion: Mashable and Associated Press

Jim Romenesko:

GateHouse lays off journalists at newspapers it acquired last year from Halifax Media — * Details of StarNews layoffs not disclosed (starnewsonline.com) — Newspaper downsizing continues. — I'm getting multiple reports of layoffs today at GateHouse papers that were formerly owned by Halifax Media …

Discussion: @johnbohnenkamp, @drewbrooks, Local News from … and @hdr_scott

John Biggs / TechCrunch:

Drop in ebook sales contributes to profit declines of 5.6% at Simon & Schuster and about 12% at Random Penguin House — Publisher Revenues Down As Ebook Buying Slows — Publishing conglomerates Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster are facing tough times this quarter as ebook sales fell …

Discussion: Ink, Bits, & Pixels

Jordan Chariton / The Wrap:

Media takes it easy on Bill O'Reilly after unrelenting onslaught on Brian Williams — Bill O'Reilly vs. Brian Williams: A Tale of Two Media Responses — Contrasting sharply with the collective tsunami that encircled suspended NBC News anchor Brian Williams, the media response …

Discussion: The Drum and Raw Story

Jay Hathaway / Gawker:

A list of some of the biggest hoax news sites spreading fake news on Facebook — The Antiviral Guide to the Worst Hoaxers and Liars on Facebook — Facebook is a big and maddening place. Antiviral wants to make it better. To that end, we're putting together a comprehensive guide to the new …

Reuters:

Fugitive ex-U.S. spy Snowden in talks on returning home: lawyer — (Reuters) - A Russian lawyer for Edward Snowden said on Tuesday the fugitive former U.S. spy agency contractor who leaked details of the government's mass surveillance programs was working with American and German lawyers to return home.

Discussion: /Film, The Wrap, RT, Daily Mail, Politico, Guardian, Hit & Run, Soup, @paleofuture and New York Magazine

Henning Meyer / Social Europe:

Poor reporting from Axel Springer's main titles raises questions about quality of Politico.EU before it's even launched — “Will POLITICO.EU Be Like ‘Die Welt’ And ‘BILD’?” by Henning Meyer — The European media scene is in for a bit of a shake-up in the coming months.