Mediagazer: Hasbro board votes to exit DreamWorks merger talks

8:40 PM ET, November 17, 2014

Top News:

Marco Arment / Marco.org:

Podcasts are neither exploding nor dying - they've been steadily growing for a decade — Why podcasts are suddenly “back” — Did you hear? Podcasts were dead, and now they're back! — This story is suddenly everywhere. It's not extremely accurate, but I'll take it.

Discussion: @jayrosen_nyu, @clarkhat, @pmarca, @beachwoodreport, @stan_alcorn, @jsb and ParisLemon

Elizabeth Jensen / New York Times:

Podcast network Radiotopia raises over $620K on Kickstarter — Kickstarter Campaign Focuses on Public Radio — A Kickstarter campaign offering backers the opportunity to participate in “remaking public radio” through podcasts raised $620,412 by the time it ended Friday …

Discussion: @prx, @kickstarter and @radiotopiafm

Emily Steel / New York Times:

Vice Hires Alyssa Mastromonaco, Former Official in Obama White House, as Top Executive — Vice Media, the news and entertainment group, is expected to announce Monday that it has hired Alyssa Mastromonaco, a former Obama administration official, as its chief operating officer.

Discussion: @ericsundy, @nitashatiku, @no_redheads_pls, Variety, The Huffington Post, The New York Observer, FishbowlNY, @diplomansky, @maxseddon, @viceukmedia, Media Wire Daily and Mashable

Peter Sterne / Capital New York:
Vice is expanding into science fiction with a new section called “Terraform” for Motherboard

Discussion: Publishers Weekly

Chris Amico / Homicide Watch DC:

After announcing it is shutting down, Homicide Watch DC is now seeking a local owner — Request for Proposals to Continue Homicide Watch D.C. — A week ago, we announced that we would close this site at the end of December, after covering the District of Columbia for more than four years.

Discussion: Poynter, @aschweig, @amlwhere, @mikedebonis and @homicidewatch

Mark Sweney / Guardian:

Economist EIC: We're no different from Sky or HBO - we all make most money from subscriptions — Micklethwait: 'Merkel listens to the Economist's audio app in the car' — The Economist's editor-in-chief on his big-name readers and rumours that the FT will sell its 50% stake

Discussion: @mediaguardian

Capital New York:

As NYT buyout deadline nears, speculation mounts about who is leaving the newsroom — New York Times buyout watch, 2014 — With a looming deadline for New York Times buyout applications, details about employees who have taken the package—or are believed to be strongly considering it—are starting to trickle out.

Discussion: Poynter and @joepompeo

Jane L. Levere / New York Times:

Airbnb launches Pineapple, a quarterly print magazine focused on travel; $12 at select stores — Airbnb Introducing Print Magazine, Pineapple — Following in the footsteps of other digital brands like CNET and WebMD, Airbnb is getting into the print magazine business.

Discussion: The Awl, @susie_c, @katiefehren, Gawker, FishbowlNY, Business Insider, @caseynewton, Street Fight, @jonmarino, BetaBoston and @besvinick

Simon Owens / Nieman Lab:

New York magazine's designers increase emphasis on online design with gifs, footnotes, video — It's small touches that can make a difference in New York's layouts — In a recent long New York magazine interview with Jon Stewart, the Daily Show host made an offhand reference …

Ronald Grover / Reuters:

Hasbro board votes to exit DreamWorks merger talks - source — Merger talks between Hasbro Inc and DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc formally ended on Monday morning, when the toy company's board voted to walk away, according to a person with knowledge of the board's actions.

Paul Linford / HoldTheFrontPage:

Mirror editor to oversee group's regional brands — The editor of the Daily Mirror is to have overall editorial responsibility for Trinity Mirror's regional news brands in a bid to create a “more streamlined structure.” — Lloyd Embley has been promoted to the role of group editor-in-chief …

Discussion: Guardian

Rem Rieder / USA Today:

How the 84-year-old owner of Philly newspapers is trying to save them by slimming down staff — Rieder: Philanthropist determined to save Philly papers — WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. — Gerry Lenfest never anticipated that, at age 84, he'd find himself the sole owner of a beleaguered media company …

Discussion: @ckrewson, @will_bunch, @dhm and @ckrewson

Liz Gannes / Re/code:

The Mobile Future of Wikipedia, According to Lila Tretikov (Full Video) — As Wikipedia's usage becomes more mobile — traffic to the online encyclopedia is now more than half mobile in North America, and even more in emerging markets — the site is adapting to the small screen.