Mediagazer: Bright House Networks plans to drop merger with Charter-sources (Liana B. Baker/Reuters)

9:40 AM ET, May 8, 2015

Top News:

Robert Channick / Chicago Tribune:

Tribune Publishing to buy U-T San Diego for $85 million — Tribune Publishing has entered into an agreement to buy San Diego's flagship newspaper for $85 million. The deal, confirmed Thursday evening, includes $73 million in cash and $12 million in Tribune Publishing common stock …

Discussion: Nieman Lab, UT San Diego, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, CNNMoney, UT San Diego, Poynter, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Politico, FishbowlNY, XETV - Local News, Times of San Diego, KPBS Public Media, U-T San Diego and JIMROMENESKO.COM

Christian Sandvig / Social Media Collective:

Facebook's news polarization study is flawed because it only counted users self-reporting their ideological affiliation — The Facebook “It's Not Our Fault” Study — Today in Science, members of the Facebook data science team released a provocative study about adult Facebook users in the US …

Discussion: Crooked Timber, Cyborgology, Medium, @snurb_dot_info, @mathewi, Engadget, Joho the Blog, @digiphile, @jayrosen_nyu and USA Today

Adi Robertson / The Verge:

Facebook study: our News Feed algorithm makes you just 5-8% less likely to see news from the opposing political side — Facebook says its algorithms aren't responsible for your online echo chamber — In 2011, progressive activist and author Eli Pariser told an unsettling story …

Discussion: New York Times, Medium, Mashable, Bloomberg Business, Science, @verge, Pacific Standard, CBS News, NBC News, Guardian, Rachel Metz, BBC, Co.Exist, Gizmodo, TIME and Engadget

Michelle Castillo / Adweek:

Snapchat debuts 10-second video ads for Discover publishers that cost two cents per view — Snapchat Debuts Video Ads for 2 Cents a View — Snapchat wants companies to know its not just for millennials: Advertisers can find a home there as well. At the Daily Mail/Elite Daily Digital …

Discussion: AdAge and mUmBRELLA

Mark Sweney / Guardian:

London Live to backtrack on promise to increase original programming — Evgeny Lebedev's struggling TV service to drop commitment to do more original, local programming after getting Ofcom go-ahead for cutbacks — Evgeny Lebedev's London Live has secured Ofcom's permission to backtrack …

Liana B. Baker / Reuters:

Bright House Networks plans to drop merger with Charter-sources — Bright House Networks, the sixth largest U.S. cable operator, is preparing to abandon a $10.4 billion deal to be acquired by larger peer Charter Communications Inc, according to people familiar with the matter.

Dominic Ponsford / Press Gazette:

News Corp hacking scandal costs rise to $512m — The cost to News Corp of dealing with the phone-hacking scandal at the News of the World has risen to $512m (£332m). — The figure is included in the latest quarterly results for the US-based owner of News UK, which publishes The Sun, Times and Sunday Times.

Discussion: Press Gazette

Peter Jukes / Politico:

The UK elections may not be remembered as much for the outcome as the way the media covered it — LONDON — Fasten your seatbelt: it's going to be a bumpy ride. With the two major parties, Conservative and Labour, neck and neck in the polls; and two new insurrectionary forces …

Discussion: Guardian, One Man & His Blog, Guardian, Washington Post, @kirancmoodley, @marklewislawyer, @geoffrey_m_b and @bassmadman

David Uberti / Columbia Journalism Review:
How British media bring UK general election news across the pond

Discussion: Variety, Globe and Mail, Forbes, Pocket-lint, UK - The Huffington Post, The Irish Times, The Daily Beast, New York Times, @daviduberti, Guardian, bbc.co.uk, Financial Times and NPR

Benjamin Mullin / Poynter:

Inside the upcoming life sciences newsroom from Boston Globe Media, headed by ex-editor of Politico, Rick Berke, and based in Boston and DC — Inside the upcoming life sciences newsroom from Boston Globe Media — Shortly after Rick Berke resigned from his post as executive editor of Politico …

Discussion: Media Nation

James Warren / Poynter:

Lack of fact-checking by press means ISIS messages go unchallenged, US Senate panel told — Without fact checking, ISIS' messages go unchallenged — Media worldwide have at times exaggerated the strength of ISIS terrorists due to a combination of their use of social media and an inability …

Ed Pilkington / Guardian:

Chelsea Manning writes bill to protect journalism and curb Espionage Act — The US soldier imprisoned for leaking state secrets in 2010 seeks to reform laws used to prosecute journalists and whistleblowers in the name of national security — Chelsea Manning, the US soldier serving …

Discussion: @jesselynradack, @runasand and Chelsea Manning Support …

Michael Malone / Broadcasting & Cable:

Expanded Media General Revenue Up 106% — Huge earnings reflect merger with LIN; apples to apples, net revenue up 3% — When you double the size of your group, it stands to reason that you might double your earnings as well. Media General, having absorbed the LIN Media group …

Discussion: Radio & Television …