Top News:
Financial Review:
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
Discussion:
Asia Stocks to Watch, National Business Review, Independent.ie, Business Wire and mUmBRELLA
RELATED:
Michael Pascoe / Sydney Morning Herald:
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, Scoop, ABC, AdNews and Business Insider Australia
Dylan Byers / Politico:
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 …
CNNMoney:
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 …
Discussion:
Winn Parish Enterprise, PINAC, IND Media The INDsider, NOLA River, Gawker, Washington Post, @brianstelter, @tomkludt, Mediaite and Politico
Ina Fried / Re/code:
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 …
Discussion:
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
Roger Yu / USA Today:
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 …
Discussion:
Poynter, The Wrap, Washington Post, Guardian, American Press Institute, Politico and JIMROMENESKO.COM
Reuters:
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.
Associated Press:
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 …
Discussion:
Voice of America, Reuters, RFA, Newsweek and Al Jazeera English
David Bauder / Associated Press:
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
Globe and Mail:
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 …
Discussion:
Agence France-Presse, Ottawa Citizen, @jayrosen_nyu, Canadian Press, Montreal and QMI Agency
Joseph Lichterman / Nieman Lab:
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.
Discussion:
Talking New Media, @rositaboland and @lindseymwagner
Latika Bourke / Sydney Morning Herald:
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