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Facing a 24% decline in prime-time ratings year-to-date, MSNBC shakeup to focus more on news — As ratings plunge, MSNBC faces shakeup — Insiders say to expect more news, less bombast and, fresh voices. — It would be hard to imagine a news event better tailored to MSNBC's Venn diagram of …


News Corp raises stake in APN News to 14.99%; 30% of APN sold in $279M block trade — Rupert Murdoch's News Corp emerges with 14.9pc APN stake — of — About 30.8 percent of APN News & Media has been sold in $300 million block trade handled by Credit Suisse. Robert Rough
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Asia Stocks to Watch, National Business Review, Independent.ie, Business Wire and mUmBRELLA
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With its APN buy, is Rupert Murdoch's News Corp tuning in to radio? — Because his father controls the company with a voting gerrymander that would have made Joh Bjelke-Petersen blush, Lachlan Murdoch was made non-executive co-chairman of News Corp a year ago. — On Thursday he did something, buying 14.9 per cent of APN.
Discussion:
Sydney Morning Herald, Reuters, Bloomberg Business, ABC, Scoop, AdNews and Business Insider Australia


USA Today offering buyouts to about 15%, or 90 of 600 staffers, who are 55+ and have been with the company for 15+ years — USA TODAY offers buyouts to veteran staffers — USA TODAY announced Wednesday that it will offer buyout packages to veteran employees to trim staffing …
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Poynter, FishbowlNY, The Wrap, Washington Post, Guardian, American Press Institute, Politico and JIMROMENESKO.COM


One Mother Jones staffer arrested for trespassing near private La prison; second MoJo staffer worked at facility for 3 months, quit after colleague's arrest — Mother Jones: Staffer arrested photographing prison — Mother Jones magazine confirmed Wednesday that one of its journalists …
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Winn Parish Enterprise, PINAC, IND Media The INDsider, NOLA River, Gawker, Washington Post, @brianstelter, @tomkludt, Mediaite and Politico


StoryCorps, the project that preserves oral histories in US, uses $1M TED prize to release app and expand globally — StoryCorps Using $1 Million TED Prize to Become an App and Go Global — For the past decade, StoryCorps has amassed more than 65,000 recordings of ordinary individuals interviewing …
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NPR.org, @niemanlab, Times LIVE, Forbes, Quartz, Blog of New Orleans, Gambit, NPR, Globe and Mail, vancouversun.com, CTVNews, Co.Exist, Forbes, NOLA River, Forbes and Current.org


Egyptian court adjourns trial of Al Jazeera journalists to March 25 — (Reuters) - An Egyptian court adjourned until March 25 the trial of two Al Jazeera television journalists after hearing witness testimony on Thursday. — The pair are charged with aiding a terrorist organisation, a reference to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Refinery29 hiring politics, tech reporters in general-interest news push — Refinery29 doesn't want you to think of it as a website devoted exclusively to fashion and style anymore. — The digital media site is adding to its editorial staff, with new hires covering politics, culture and technology.

Two Myanmar Post journalists sentenced to two months in prison for defamatory quote — Myanmar court jails 2 journalists for defamation — YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A Myanmar court sentenced two reporters to two months in prison on charges of defamation, in the latest ruling that raises concerns …
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Voice of America, Reuters, RFA, Newsweek and Al Jazeera English


Ethical questions rise after The Jinx's filmakers wait six months to contact authorities — Durst murder case: When should the media go to the police? — NEW YORK (AP) — It was a filmmaker, not police, who uncovered a crucial piece of evidence in the murder case against Manhattan real estate millionaire Robert Durst.
Discussion:
ABC News, Associated Press, New York Times and Associated Press


Montreal media company Gesca sells six of seven regional newspapers to focus on its flagship daily, La Presse — Desmarais-owned Gesca sells six papers as La Presse+ takes off — MONTREAL and TORONTO — The Globe and Mail — Desmarais-owned Gesca Ltée is selling its six regional newspapers …
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Agence France-Presse, Ottawa Citizen, @jayrosen_nyu, Canadian Press, Montreal and QMI Agency


Media companies welcome extra protections for journalists as metadata laws pass the lower house — Metadata never worried Tony Abbott the journalist — The Prime Minister says reporters need not fear police accessing their metadata to identify their sources- he never worried about his own metadata …
Discussion:
Guardian, @latikambourke, The Age, Yahoo! News, Sydney Morning Herald and @politicsfairfax


How The Irish Times developed its new (very relaxed) metered paywall — DUBLIN — On February 23, The Irish Times erected a metered paywall on its website, making it the first major daily Irish newspaper to do so. … In the United States, newspaper paywalls are familiar [pick one: annoyances, understandable business choices] by now.
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Talking New Media, @rositaboland and @lindseymwagner