Top News:
Las Vegas Review-Journal:
GateHouse ordered Las Vegas Review-Journal to scrutinize local judges before sale of paper; one judge is involved in Adelson casino wrongful termination suit — Judge in Adelson lawsuit subject to unusual scrutiny amid Review-Journal sale — Just over a month before Sheldon Adelson's family …
Discussion:
Poynter, Reno Gazette-Journal, Las Vegas Review-Journal, New York Times, @sulliview, Boing Boing, @howardstutz, @jayrosen_nyu, USA Today, TeleRead, @sulliview, Poynter, Reuters, @dabeard, Gawker, @pkafka, @max_read, @edmundlee, @shaliniwsj, @danprimack, @lrozen, @lrozen, @ericuman, @marcbodnick, @benpershing, @davisshaver, @dmjreports, @jeffjarvis, @shermfrederick, @coltonlochhead, @jeannewhalen, @ethartley, @martyleary1, Code Words, @charlesornstein, @will_bunch, @dangillmor, @eisingerj, @erikmal, @jasonfelch, @rosiegray, @sarablask, @zerwekh, @michaelluo, @cwmcguinness, @jfloum, @kurtgessler, @jasonfelch, @senyorreporter, @_ejohnson_, @robertfaturechi, @cp_phaedra, @mathewi, @ryangabrielson, @andrewflowers, @mmckinne17, @dankennedy_nu, @andrewmseaman, @maddow, @jayrosen_nyu, The Huffington Post and Media Nation
Caitlin Dewey / Washington Post:
Washington Post “What was fake on the Internet this week” column ends because readers who share hoax stories aren't convinced by debunking — What was fake on the Internet this week: Why this is the final column — There is nothing — NOTHING — too crazy for the Internet hoax beat.
Discussion:
@mathewi, @uptomyknees, @bruce_arthur, @lindasgrant, @mantzarlis, TeleRead, @jayrosen_nyu, @dangillmor and The Huffington Post
Bloomberg Business:
Star Wars sets record for largest opening weekend, with $238M earned in US and Canada, and $517M worldwide — ‘Star Wars’ Soars With Record-Breaking $238 Million Debut — Anousha Sakoui and Christopher Palmeri — “Chewie, we're home.” — Han Solo's line in the new “Stars Wars” …
Discussion:
Forbes, The Wrap, Hollywood Reporter, New York Times, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Rolling Stone, Variety, Variety, The Wrap, The Atlantic, Fusion, @richbtig, Los Angeles Times and The Wrap
Benjamin Mullin / Poynter:
NYT Public Editor Margaret Sullivan will depart in 2016 — Margaret Sullivan will conclude her tenure as public editor of The New York Times when her four-year contract expires in eight months, she told Poynter today. — “Yes, I am headed into the home stretch of my four-year term,” she said in an email.
Mark Sweney / Guardian:
Ofcom study: 31% in UK read print newspaper to keep informed, down from 41% 2014, making newspapers the least popular medium for news — Newspapers now the least popular medium for news, says Ofcom study — Just 31% of the UK population read a newspaper to get their current affairs fix, down 10 points on 2014 figure
Discussion:
@stuartrowson
Nicola Clark / New York Times:
Axel Springer executives talk about digital transformation, learning from Silicon Valley, international plans, investments in Business Insider, Airbnb, more — An Old-Media Empire, Axel Springer Reboots for the Digital Age — BERLIN — When Mathias Döpfner, chief executive of Axel Springer …
Discussion:
@rafat, @petersterne and @jeffjarvis
Tom Kludt / CNNMoney:
How two reporters from ProPublica and The Marshall Project overcame traditional competitive instincts to collaborate on a 11K-word project — Two rival reporters team up to produce one incredible story — On Wednesday, ProPublica and The Marshall Project teamed up to publish a powerful story …
Discussion:
NPR
Alastair Reid / Nieman Lab:
Eyewitness accounts to become more important in newsgathering and verification, with organizations devoting more time and resources to social media — A new dawn in social newsgathering — When social media users and mobile devices already outnumber the global population …
Ken Doctor / Politico:
Sources: Mashable is being shopped to potential buyers, asking between $300M and $350M, anticipates $35M-$40M in revenue for 2015 — Next up for sale: Mashable — Mashable, the 10-year-old digital tech news phenomenon, looks like the next big digital news organization to test the waters for a sale.
Discussion:
The Wrap and Media Wire Daily
Rex Sorgatz / Nieman Lab:
Podcasting will continue to push into the mainstream with better experience, content, and revenue — The podcasting scene will explode — Some media analysts see a bubble poised to burst; others, incremental growth. I see something more radical: a complete regime change in the audio landscape.
Discussion:
@jeremysliew, @gnarmac and @drew
Laura Hazard Owen / Nieman Lab:
BBC launches automated voiceover technology to publish video news in multiple languages — The BBC on Wednesday announced a “virtual voiceover” technology pilot, “Today in Video,” to transmit short video news packages in multiple languages, “using automatic translation and synthetic voice technology.”
Discussion:
Ars Technica UK
Matthew Flamm / Crain's New York Business:
MediaFinder report: in US and Canada, only 96 magazines launched in 2015, down 35% from 148 in 2014 — Magazine launches plunge in 2015 — A cautious industry unveiled few new magazines in 2015. The good news: Not many folded — The year in print is ending on a down note …
Discussion:
@crainsnewyork