Top News:


Microsoft launches Bing-powered iOS news app, News Pro, and personalizes interests by using Facebook and LinkedIn sign-ins — Microsoft Launches A Bing-Powered News App For iOS Devices, News Pro — Microsoft today unveiled yet another application aimed at iOS users …
Discussion:
App Store, Microsoft News, The Verge, ZDNet, GeekWire, Thurrott.com, The Next Web, Talking New Media and Fortune


Google brings real-time responses from presidential candidates to search results in an experimental feature rolled out in partnership with the Fox News Channel — Google Takes On Twitter By Integrating Real-Time Responses From Presidential Candidates Into Search Results
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Wrap, TVNewser, Official Google Blog, Tech Times, VentureBeat, Search Engine Land, @mathewi and USA Today


Confirmed: Twitter Appoints Longtime American Express Executive Leslie Berland as CMO — Here's some positive executive news coming out of Twitter: It has found its new chief marketing officer. — Twitter has appointed longtime American Express executive Leslie Berland to CMO …
Discussion:
TechCrunch, @jack, Fast Company, Ad Age, The Wrap, mUmBRELLA, The Drum, VentureBeat, VatorNews, Adweek, Forbes, @gvitt, Variety, @willstick and Business Insider


Knight News Challenge to give a total of $3.2M to 17 projects that use data to track police misconduct, improve the FOIA process, and more — Knight News Challenge winners focus on data and transparency — The Knight Foundation just announced the latest round of winners in the Knight News Challenge …
Discussion:
Knight Foundation and Columbia Law School


Sources: Apple building paywall system to let publishers offer subscription content through the News app — Apple plans to offer subscription content through News app — Apple Inc (AAPL.O) is working to make subscription content available through its News app, giving publishers with paywalls …
Discussion:
SlashGear, The Wrap, AppleInsider, The Next Web, MacRumors, 9to5Mac, The Verge, 9to5Mac and App Advice

Sources: Meredith close to walking away from Media General, clearing the way for Nexstar-Media General deal — Meredith Said Close to Allowing Nexstar's Media General Deal — Parties said to be near agreement on termination package — Meredith may make announcement Wednesday with earnings
Discussion:
Radio & Television …, New York Times, TVSpy and Reuters


BuzzFeed sued by British news agency CEN and Michael Leidig for defamation because of story questioning CEN's veracity — BuzzFeed Hit With $11 Million Defamation Lawsuit by Viral News Agency — Michael Leidig and Central European News sue over a piece titled “The King of Bullsh*t News.”
Discussion:
MediaPost, The Wrap, Fast Company, New York Magazine, @adamsteinbaugh and The Drum


YouTube now lets video creators use Donation Cards, which overlay the page, to help raise money for charities directly — YouTube's New Donation Cards Help Video Creators Raise Money For Charities — YouTube just made it a lot easier for its users in the U.S. to use their videos to drive donations to nonprofit organizations.
Discussion:
YouTube Creator Blog, The Next Web and BuzzFeed


Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Joanna Coles joins board of Snapchat — Joanna Coles Joins Board of Snapchat — Joanna Coles is upping her tech cred. — The editor in chief of Cosmopolitan, who also serves as editorial director of Seventeen, joined the board of directors of Snapchat in early December.
Discussion:
FishbowlNY, TechCrunch, @mikeisaac, Fortune and @pkafka


While ‘open’ Guardian faces financial meltdown, paywalled Times is breaking even — Dominic Ponsford's blog - — In 2014, then Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger described The Times paywall as a “19th century business model”, saying The Guardian's “open” online system was “light years” better.
Discussion:
@willhumphries_ and @tomwhitwell


Amanda Cox Named Editor of NY Times' Upshot — The New York Times has named Amanda Cox editor of its data-centric site The Upshot. — Cox was most recently the Times' graphics editor. She joined the company in 2004. — “Amanda Cox has a singular reputation among her colleagues …
Discussion:
FishbowlNY, @dleonhardt, @jeremybowers, @derekwillis, @nate_cohn, @derekwillis, @gabrieldance and @dleonhardt


Interview with Nonny de la Peña, one of the pioneers of virtual reality journalism — Virtual reality pioneer Nonny de la Peña charts the future of VR journalism — Nonny de la Peña was the first person to bring modern virtual reality to Sundance, when she debuted Hunger in Los Angeles in 2012.


Behind the launch of the new journalism school at Morgan State University — This is what it's like to launch a journalism school from scratch — If you had the chance to launch your own journalism school, how would you do it? If your mind starts to run wild, tack on some limitations …
Discussion:
@niemanlab and @niemanlab