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Magazines & Newspapers Recent Headlines  Murdoch Looks to Newsday to Battle Times Bloomberg Rupert Murdoch says a purchase of Tribune's Newsday would make his New York Post "more secure" and help compete with the New York Times for advertising. The Post is "very intelligent," but "all the revenue goes to the Times," he said in a speech at Georgetown University. Craigslist Revenue In 2008 May Top $80M ClickZ News Craigslist could "easily" rake in $100 million with a few minor changes to improve service, according to a report by research firm Classified Intelligence. The firm estimates Craigslist's 2008 revenue will be about $81 million this year, a figure described as "amazing." Newspapers Get Thinner; Readers Approve Forbes Economic pressures and competition are forcing many U.S. newspapers to slim down, with fewer and narrower pages. But readers "prefer smaller," says Alan Jacobson, of newspaper design firm Brass Tacks Design. "It goes back to relevance. They don't want more. They want less." Felix Dennis 'Murder Confession' Eyed by Police Times of London British police are considering whether they should interview magazine publisher Felix Dennis after he apparently told a journalist that he had killed a man. "We are looking at the article and the information in it," says a police spokesman. A Dennis spokeswoman dismisses the story as "ridiculous." Tribune Gag Stands Out on a Day of Pranks Washington Post April Fool's Day inspired several jokes from media biggies. Google's YouTube pranked its home page with a "Rick roll" Rick Astley music video clip. But the wackiest of the gags may have come from Tribune, which announced that it was changing its name to ZellCoMediaEnterprises. Publisher Felix Dennis Says: 'I've Killed a Man' Daily Mail Felix Dennis, publisher of Maxim and The Week magazines, says he once killed a man by pushing him off a cliff during an argument over a woman. The confession was later retracted by Dennis who said he had been under the influence of a cocktail of alcohol and prescription medication. Media General Surges on Plan to Reduce Debt Bloomberg Media General, the newspaper and television company battling dissident shareholders, rose the most in almost nine years on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday after unveiling plans to pay down debt and cut spending. Investors are "reacting to some very aggressive actions." NY Observer Owner Said to Mull Newsday Bid Wall Street Journal Jared Kushner, owner of the New York Observer, is the latest wealthy media figure to contemplate buying Long Island newspaper Newsday from ailing Tribune. Kushner joins a playing field crowded with big egos and deep pockets, including Rupert Murdoch, Mort Zuckerman and James Dolan. Wall St Journal to Sell U.S. Edition in London mad.co.uk The Wall Street Journal, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. since December, is set to sell its U.S. print edition in London, the first time the newspaper has been printed in Europe. It will sit alongside the Wall Street Journal Europe to compete against Pearson's Financial Times. Craigslist Records Subpoenaed in Online Hoax TheSmokingGun A week after dozens of people ransacked an Oregon home in response to a Craigslist ad offering its contents for free, police have arrested a couple for orchestrating the hoax. After subpoenaing Craigslist records, investigators traced the online posting to the alleged perpetrators. 'Stop the Presses' Documentary to Premiere Dallas Morning News The documentary "Stop the Presses: The American Newspaper in Peril" will have its world premiere Wednesday at the AFI Dallas International Film Festival. "For this transition newspapers find themselves in," says co-director Mark Birnbaum, "no one of anyone we talked to had the answers." Conde Nast Launches Wireless Video Channel Mediaweek Conde Nast's CondeNet is launching a new channel on Verizon Wireless's V Cast platform, which culls together video clips produced by several of its core content sites, including Style.com, Epicurious.com and Wired.com. The new channel initially features 40 different video clips. Magazine Editors: We're Not Worried About Internet New York Observer Magazines are not, for the most part, worried about the Internet, based on interviews with the editors of magazines like Esquire, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and Us Weekly. "In 10 years, I think my magazine will look like it looks today," says Wired's Chris Anderson. U.K. Magazines Mull Ban of Airbrushing Photos Telegraph British magazines could be banned from using airbrushed photos of celebrities that make them look slimmer over fears that they are promoting unrealistic body images. Editors from titles including Vogue and Elle plan to meet to discuss best practices on using digitally enhanced pictures. NY Times's Kristof Opens Facebook Page WebProNews New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof is opening a page on Facebook to share photos and ideas from his travels. The dual Pulitzer Prize winner is the first Times personality to launch a group page on the social networking site. "I can't claim that any of this is intuitive to me," he admits. Facebook, CareerBuilder in Job Ads Deal San Jose Business Facebook and job-hunting site CareerBuilder are teaming up to help clients run job recruiting campaigns. Specialized recruiting ads will appear within Facebook pages. CareerBuilder, which is owned by McClatchy, Gannett and Tribune, plans to use the site to help clients recruit. McClatchy to Boost Content In Spanish Associated Press Hoping to offset its losses in the U.S. newspaper market, McClatchy is entering a deal with ImpreMedia, a major publisher of Spanish-language publications, to share articles and other content. ImpreMedia touts its Spanish-language newspapers as an "advertising gold mine." Hearst Invests $60M in Albany HQ, Press Business Review Hearst will expand its Albany, N.Y., Times Union's Colonie headquarters with a 70,000-square-foot addition that will include a state-of-the-art press and packaging facility. The move "reaffirms Hearst's commitment to a printed newspaper," says publisher Mark Aldam. Conde Nast, Hearst Join Digital-Ad Wave Wall Street Journal Magazine publishers are snapping up small tech firms in hopes of offering compelling digital services to attract marketers. Conde Nast next week is launching a social-networking promotion for the retailer Dillard's using the news-aggregation site Reddit, which it bought in 2006. Magazines Plan to Look Beyond YouTube BtoB The Magazine Publishers of America will present "Magazines 24/7: Video," the trade organization's first-ever conference focusing on videos on magazine Web sites. The half-day event, open to both MPA members and nonmembers, will include sessions like "Beyond YouTube." Sexy Celebs Jolie, Beckham Sell Magazines MinOnline Perhaps to no surprise, sexy celebs sell magazines: Angelina Jolie was the "woman Esquire loved" and Esquire readers love, as proven by her being the Hearst monthly's best-seller of 2007, with her July cover. At GQ, readers "took a close look" at best-seller Jessica Biel, also in July. NY Times Sees Stake Boost by Harbinger Reuters Harbinger Capital Partners, the largest public shareholder of the New York Times Co., is raising its stake to 19.8%, the fourth time it is buying shares since getting the publisher to support two of its nominees to its board of directors. Harbinger is yet to reveal why it continues to buy shares. Wall St Journal Makes Politics Its Business Washington Post Since Rupert Murdoch took over the Wall Street Journal, the front page has boosted its political coverage, establishing the paper as a high-profile player in the U.S. presidential campaign. Murdoch wants the Journal to take on "added urgency," according to top editor Marcus Brauchli. Financial Times Sells More in U.S. Than in U.K. Observer The London-based Financial Times is building alternative revenue streams to minimize its dependence on print advertising, buying up or launching Internet services, as it continues to expand overseas. "We now sell more papers in the U.S than we do in the U.K.," boasts editor Lionel Barber. Zuckerman, Murdoch Still Eyeing Newsday Newsday Rupert Murdoch isn't the only media mogul pursuing a purchase of Newsday. New York Daily News owner Mort Zuckerman is still in the game, sources say. As of Thursday, he was aggressively preparing a bid. Zuckerman has been "looking very hard" at Newsday "for a very long time." Tribune $12 Billion Debt Payment Looms Crain's / WP Tribune is in debt for about $12 billion, most of it from the buyout by Sam Zell. A first payment of $650 million comes due Dec. 4 -- and a deal to raise the cash is taking much longer than expected. Also: Tribune staffers are being told: "You better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone." Lee Enterprises to Take Impairment Charge Reuters St. Louis Post-Dispatch publisher Lee Enterprises says it expects to write down up to $700 million after taxes for the quarter ending March 30. The so-called impairment charge is similar to one that other publishers have taken as the value of their newspaper properties plummets. Newspapers Report Record Drop in Ads Bloomberg U.S. newspapers are suffering their worst drop in print advertising sales since industry record-keeping began 57 years ago, hammered by competition from the Internet. Revenue plunged 9.4% to $42.2 billion, from $46.6 billion in 2006, says the Newspaper Association of America. Hearst: No Business Model for Journalism Reuters No one knows a successful business model for journalism, says former San Francisco Chronicle editor Phil Bronstein, who has taken on a new role at owner Hearst that will involve finding ways to keep the news business thriving. Newspapers are "not viable in their current mode." HuffPo: 'Internet Newspaper' to Go Local New York Times The Huffington Post, which co-founder Arianna Huffington calls an "Internet newspaper," plans to introduce new content areas devoted to international news, sports and books. Next up: local versions for major cities. The blog is now hiring editors, reporters and advertising reps. Blogger: Journalism, Blogging Are Colliding TechCrunch Media is changing -- how it is produced and how it is consumed, writes Erick Schonfeld, who moved from Time Inc. to the blog TechCrunch six months ago. "Just as blogs are building up professional writing staffs, newspapers and magazines are requiring that their writers start blogging." Publish2 News Resource Earns Backing Publish2 Publish2.com, a news aggregation platform, designed to benefit journalists' own reporting, is raising $2.75 million in Series A funding from Velocity Interactive Group. Publish2 plans to "help journalism succeed on the Web" by creating a "symbiotic editorial relationship with media companies." Craigslist Blog Offers Opinions, Links Rocky Mountain News While Craigslist draws millions of Web users, there has not been a comprehensive blog about the online classifieds site until now. Sacramento, Calif., native Tim White is launching Craigslistblog.org, with commentaries and links to news stories about Craigslist. Study: Print More Trusted Than Internet AdAge Reinforcing print publishers' assertions of relationships with readers, new research by MediaVest suggests that readers trust print more than the Web in almost every area. People are seven times more likely to turn to print publications like Vogue for fashion and beauty content. People.com: Magazine Web Site of the Year Mediaweek The Economist comes in at the No. 1 spot on AdweekMedia's annual "Hot List," honoring magazines and creative talents. Time Inc.'s People.com is the winner of the first-ever Magazine Web Site of the Year award, for boosting traffic despite intense rivalry from celebrity blogs. Time Inc May Be Ready to Cut Magazines AdAge Ann S. Moore, Time Inc. chairman-CEO, is eyeing her company's portfolio of magazines so the publisher can focus on the titles best positioned for growth in print and online. During a management meeting last week, Moore's presentation included a slide reading: "Trim Portfolio." Newsweek to Lose 111 Employees in Buyout Radar The staff of Newsweek will shrink dramatically, after 111 staffers on its news and business sides accepted a buyout last week. Some 146 staffers were offered the chance to leave the Washington Post Co. newsweekly, with as much as two years of their current salary as a departing bonus. Yahoo Launches Shine with Women's Mags Associated Press Yahoo is launching a new site for women between ages 25 and 54. Called Shine, the site is partnering with magazine publishers like Hearst and Rodale for exclusive content. Shine.yahoo.com will be presented in a blog form, with newest items on top and commentary from an editor. Survey: Journalists Working, Blogging More WebProNews Journalists say they feel they are being asked to work more today than in the past few years, including contributing to other mediums outside their official duty, according to the 2008 PRWeek/PR Newswire Media Survey of journalists. Some 22% say they are blogging for their publications. USA Today, Major Web Sites Hit in Attack InfoWorld Gannett's USAToday.com is among several leading Web sites being affected by hackers using Web programming errors to inject malicious code into site search results pages. Hackers are said to be increasingly looking for ways to install their code on trusted Web sites. Conde Nast Sees New Office Tower by 2016 New York Observer Conde Nast's plan for a new headquarters skyscraper on the far West Side of Manhattan with Douglas Durst is "dead in the water." But the company says it will "continue to explore options for a new office tower in the 2013 - 2016 timeframe," citing "other promising real estate opportunities." Hearst in Deal for SF Chronicle Headquarters San Francisco Chronicle Hearst is signing a deal with Forest City Enterprises to explore development possibilities for the headquarters and adjacent real estate of its San Francisco Chronicle. The newspaper will "remain in San Francisco and likely go into some new space," says publisher Frank Vega. Sun-Times Media Shares May Be Delisted Chicago Tribune Chicago Sun-Times parent Sun-Times Media Group says that it has received notification from New York Stock Exchange authorities that the company is not in compliance with the Big Board's listing requirements because the price of the company's shares has dropped so low. Lee Creates New Position: VP of Audience Editor & Publisher Lee Enterprises is promoting Suzanna Frank to the newly created position of vice president, audience. She was previously the company's director of research and marketing. The new position reflects the "increasing importance of developing both print and online audiences." Craigslist Seeks Growth with New Languages TechCrunch Craigslist dominates the U.S. market for classified advertisements, with nearly 27 million unique monthly visitors. But the fact that the service was available only in English hurt it internationally. Craigslist is now available in Italian, French, Portuguese and German. BusinessWeek in Partnership With LinkedIn NewsFactor McGraw Hill's BusinessWeek.com is teaming up with social-networking site LinkedIn. Articles on the BusinessWeek's Web site will feature a widget allowing readers who find out who they know at companies mentioned in the story, based on their LinkedIn connections. Nielsen Introduces Web Site for Media Jobs BtoB Nielsen Business Media is launching MediaJobMarket.com, which combines the career/job search Web sites of its media brands, including Adweek, Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter. The site includes blogs offering career advice for Generation Y-ers and older professionals. Newsweek to Offer Live Webcast of Pope Visit Folio Newsweek is planning a live Webcast of Pope Benedict XVI's first visit to the United States as pontiff in April. The magazine will offer live streaming coverage of the Washington, D.C., portion of Benedict's trip. The Webcast will be anchored by Newsweek editor Jon Meacham. Adweek to Unveil Magazine 'Hot List' Honors New York Post David Zinczenko, editorial director of Rodale's Men's Health, will be crowned Editor of the Year by Adweek on Monday. "Men's Health is on fire," says Tony Case, Adweek's special reports editor. Time Inc.'s People.com will be honored as Magazine Web Site of the Year. Glam Media Acquires Fashion Site StyleMob CNET News.com Women's-focused media and advertising company Glam Media is acquiring StyleMob.com, a small social-media site consisting of a blog and some community features pertaining to fashion. StyleMob is centered on "street fashion" rather than the runways of Paris and Milan. Gossip Site JuicyCampus Denies Wrongdoing Associated Press JuicyCampus.com is criticizing a consumer fraud probe by the New Jersey attorney general: "JuicyCampus has not violated any laws." The site is charged with violating the state's Consumer Fraud Act by suggesting that it doesn't allow offensive material but is not enforcing that policy. Dow Jones Sees Growth in Asia, Online Australian Les Hinton, the new CEO of Dow Jones & Co., which owns the Wall Street Journal, expects strong growth for the business in the Asia-Pacific region while saying he is unlikely to make the group's entire WSJ.com Web site free: "It doesn't seem like a logical thing to do." Financial Times 'Least Enjoyed' by Teens Scotsman Teenagers are more likely to spend their time reading blogs or celebrity magazines than to sit down with a classic novel, says a survey of young people by the U.K. National Year of Reading. Perhaps unsurprisingly, teens rank the Financial Times among the least enjoyed reads. NY Sun Unveils Redesign of Web Site New York Observer The New York Sun is taking the wraps off a dramatic redesign of the newspaper's Web site at nysun.com: "It's actually really quite user-friendly now. There's a nice slider for photos up top, prominent placement for their columnists. It's an upgrade all around." Thomson-Reuters to Be Official in April Forbes Shareholders of Thomson are approving the electronic publisher's takeover of news agency Reuters. The two companies will officially join forces on April 17. Thomson-Reuters will be the largest entity in financial data with 34.0% of market share. Bloomberg holds 33.0% of the market. Tribune CEO Opens Online 'IdeaBank' Reuters Tribune is creating an online "IdeaBank" to seek employee ideas that will help the publisher and broadcaster thrive. The IdeaBank "has a crowd-sourcing element," says CEO Sam Zell, in a memo to staffers. "Be prolific. The future of our company is literally in your hands." LA Times Apologizes After Web Report Los Angeles Times A story last week in the Los Angeles Times about a brutal 1994 attack on rap superstar Tupac Shakur was revealed by TheSmokingGun.com to be partially based on documents that appear to have been fabricated, prompting the Tribune newspaper to issue an apology. Youth Bypassing News for Social Media New York Times Interviews and surveys suggest that younger voters tend to be not just news consumers but conduits as well, e-mailing links and videos to friends and social networks. In essence, they are replacing professional filters -- the Washington Post, CNN.com -- with a social one. Conde Nast Headquarters Move in Doubt WWD Tishman Speyer Properties' $1 billion bid for Manhattan's West Side rail yards won out Wednesday, which appears to mean an end to Conde Nast's desire to eventually move its offices there. Conde Nast was attached to the Durst Organization and Vornado Realty Trust's failed bid. Wired Publisher Sets Sail to The Atlantic New York Times Jay Lauf, publisher of Conde Nast's Wired magazine, is leaving to become VP and publisher of The Atlantic, a title said to be losing $3 million to $5 million a year. "I like a challenge," he says. The Atlantic is currently boosting its online readership with a mix of high culture and low. Playboy to Launch Edition Without Nudity AFP The Philippines will get its own edition of Playboy magazine on April 2. The title, however, won't include the nudity that made the U.S. version famous. Movies and publications showing nudity have run into strong opposition in the conservative, largely Roman Catholic Philippines. CNET Hammered by Blogs, Cuts 120 Jobs WebProNews CNET, the online tech news publisher, is trimming its workforce by 10% amid board takeover threats from the Jana Partners hedge fund. The cuts will "help drive efficiencies," says CEO Neil Ashe. Competition from tech blogs is seen as a reason for CNET's fall from tech news grace. Blogs Are Parasites, Page Six Editor Says IWM Are Perez Hilton, TMZ and other celebrity blogs rivals to print gossip publications? "They're more like parasites," says Richard Johnson, editor of New York Post's Page Six column. He adds: PageSix.com was folded recently because "we were about two years too late" on the Internet. Yahoo Job Algorithm to Help Newspapers San Jose Business Yahoo's HotJobs is launching a search ranking algorithm that will rank job listings based on user engagement. The algorithm will benefits Yahoo's newspaper consortium partners, the search company says, because it allows search to hone in by zip code, city, or entire states. Sun-Times Media, Hollinger Reach Deal Associated Press Hollinger will relinquish its voting control over the Sun-Times Media Group under a proposed settlement that will end pending litigation between the companies. The settlement will reverse a stock ownership structure dating back to the Conrad Black era. NY Times CEO Robinson Sees Pay Cut Associated Press New York Times Co. chief Janet Robinson received total compensation valued at $2.1 million in 2007 but got no stock options, reducing her pay 38% from a year ago. In 2006, Robinson received $3.5 million in pay, including $1.6 million in stock options. Newsday Value Drops as Sale Commences New York Observer Newsday, the Long Island newspaper Tribune is putting up for sale, still has an impact, even with the advent of the Internet, observers say. But, "if you asked me five years ago, I would have said it would fetch $1 billion," says analyst John Morton. "Now it'll get closer to $600 million." Magazines Facing Uphill Battle for Ads WWD As the end of the first half draws near for magazines, business looks soft. "Across the board, I don't think it's going to be an easy year for magazines, and publishers are bracing for it," says Shape publisher Sabine Feldmann. Many titles are facing an uphill battle to boost ad pages. Time Inc Continues to Cut Magazine Jobs Mediaweek Magazine publisher Time Inc., hit by sweeping layoffs in recent years, is continuing to pare its head count in its quest for cost-savings. This Old House is shedding four people; Sports Illustrated is letting go a handful of staffers. Time Inc. says it is looking at ways to be more efficient. Tribune to Launch Kindle-Based Magazine min Tribune Media Services is rolling out a political magazine called Opinionated, essentially an aggregation of its columnists. The weekly will be distributed exclusively on the Amazon Kindle eBook device at $.49 an issue or $1.49 for a monthly subscription. A TMS pop-culture magazine is coming next. Hearst Magazines to Buy Answerology.com SearchEngineWatch Hearst Magazines plans to acquire Answerology.com, a site and technology that enables users to pose questions to a targeted community around relationship-related topics such as dating, family, career and marriage. Answerology's Q&A technology will be integrated into Hearst Web sites. Metro International in Global Blog Rollout Brand Republic Free newspaper group Metro International plans to expand the interactive capabilities of all of its papers worldwide in an effort to reach young professionals. Each city-based Web site will be staffed with bloggers posting on relevant local themes and perspectives. 'Category Crushing' Web Portals Planned Folio Greenspun Media, publisher of the Las Vegas Sun and other titles, plans to launch local Web portals in several U.S. markets, including New York. A user, for example, will be able to search for a local music event, hear a soundbite, get a 360-degree view of the venue, and make a reservation. Gear Blog Rivals Represent 'The Future' Wired Engadget and Gizmodo are ranked as two of the most popular blogs in the world, pulling in an average 4.1 million and 3.4 million unique visitors a month, respectively. Both sites routinely break news. As a Samsung spokesperson puts it: "Blogs are the future of the world for us." Tribune Names New Top Financial Officer Crain's Chicago Tribune is appointing Chandler Bigelow as chief financial officer, effectively immediately, to succeed Don Grenesko, who is retiring. Bigelow is seen as a key member of the team that helped financially engineer Sam Zell's $8.2-billion plan to become private. Reed Business Auction May Lose Suitor Independent Private equity group Apax Partners is cooling its interest in the auction for Reed Business Information, the publisher of Variety, Publishers Weekly and other trade titles. Rivals United Business Media and Informa have already indicated that they are not interested in the auction. New York Post Spawns Coffee-Table Book AdAge "Headless Body in Topless Bar," a new coffee-table book from News Corp.'s HarperEntertainment, takes its title from the most famous headline ever in company sibling New York Post. The book, by the staff of the daily tabloid, pays tribute to the "spastic pop poetry" of Post headlines. Hachette to Publish Ty Pennington Mag min Ty Pennington, the host of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," will become a magazine brand with Ty Pennington At Home, a quarterly title from Hachette. The magazine's content also will be featured on Hachette's home-oriented site PointClickHome.com. BusinessWeek Unveils Online Game Arcade Hollywood Reporter As game proponents claim their industry is now "bigger than Hollywood," McGraw Hill's BusinessWeek.com is unveiling the first iteration of the BusinessWeek Arcade, a compilation of 20 free, independently developed Web-based games reflecting the best in indie game design. Media Trend for 2008: Re-Invent the Network JupiterResearch News publishers must treat content creation and distribution as separate businesses, according to a new report from JupiterResearch. "Their destination sites should strive to be category portals by aggregating and integrating content. ... Widgets should be a key distribution strategy." Tribune Sees Culture Change as Top Priority Variety Tribune's immediate focus appears to be on staunching the bleeding at its newspapers and improving the company's online offerings. "The big message right now is changing the culture," says new exec Randy Michaels. We have "journalists who write mostly for each other, not readers." Editor: Paper Stock 'Important in Digital Age' MrMag Tyler Brule's global style title Monocle is being named International Notable Launch of the Year by Samir "Mr. Magazine" Husni. Monocle strives to be "a complete media brand," says Brule. He adds, "Format (trim size, paper stock) is more important than ever in the digital age." People.com Breaks Traffic Record With Photo WWD Jennifer Lopez's twin babes helped the Web site of Time Inc.'s People magazine break records in terms of traffic on Thursday, the day the issue hit newsstands. People.com hit an all-time high of 4 million daily unique visitors who viewed the first picture of babies Max and Emme online. Media Companies Battle Web Portals on Ads AP Traditional media companies like Viacom, CBS and Conde Nast are trying to stem the flow of advertising dollars to Google and other Internet outfits by building their own ad networks. The latest, Forbes, is expected to announce that it will start selling ads for about 400 financial blogs. Tribune to Sell Assets; Moguls Eye Newsday DJ / NYT Tribune acknowledges it may have to sell assets as it struggles past the December deal by Sam Zell to take the company private. Also: Media moguls Rupert Murdoch, Mort Zuckerman and James Dolan are said to be in talks to acquire Tribune's Long Island newspaper Newsday. Murdoch Shutters Gossip Site PageSix.com Gawker News Corp. is shutting down PageSix.com, its entertainment gossip site, after a mere three months online. PageSix exec Jennifer Jehn cites "difficulty in the economy." Some 18 staffers will be let go. PageSix was not believed to be making rapid inroads against sites like Time Warner's TMZ. AP Plans to Launch Entertainment Vertical DHD The Associated Press is said to be pouring major dollars into beefing up its entertainment coverage by hiring 21 new employees spread across Los Angeles, New York and London. The AP vows that the new group won't be "about gossip." The entertainment area "makes good business sense." People Mag Unveils $6M Lopez Photo Online UPI Time Inc.'s People magazine is posting the first published photo of entertainer Jennifer Lopez with her newborn twins on its Web site, a day before the picture appears on the cover of the new issue. Time Warner sibling TMZ reports that Lopez sold the pictures to People for $6 million. Penthouse Mag, Web Sites Set to Go Public Forbes Penthouse, for decades one of the most explicit men's magazines, is getting a "softer focus" as parent Penthouse Media hopes to raise $250 million in an initial public offering, perhaps this summer. Penthouse owns 27 Web sites, led by AdultFriendFinder, which brought in $285 million last year. Tribune to Combine Newspaper, TV Station DJ Tribune plans to join the broadcast and interactive operations of its Miami television station, WSFL-TV, with its Ft. Lauderdale-based newspaper, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Combining the two outlets at the Sun-Sentinel's offices will allow for more "cross-promotional content." Newspaper Publishers Join quadrantONE Reuters Belo, McClatchy, Media General, E.W. Scripps, and Cox Communications are signing up to join quadrantONE, the newspaper online advertising network formed by Gannett, Hearst, Tribune and New York Times Co. The network will add 138 Web sites and represent some 250 newspapers. Media General Board Noms 'Not Qualified' Reuters Media General is urging shareholders to reject board candidates proposed by dissident investor Harbinger Capital Partners, saying the nominees are "not well qualified." Media General will not offer board seats to Harbinger, as New York Times Co. just did, says CEO Marshall Morton. Financial Times to Relaunch FT Wealth Press Gazette The Financial Times plans to give its FT Wealth supplement an upmarket relaunch to target the interests of the "very wealthy" global citizens. Published quarterly, the tabloid will now appear as a magazine distributed in the U.K., European and Asian editions of the FT. Reed Business Buys French Trade Publisher WWD Reed Elsevier may be shopping around Reed Business Information, publisher of titles like Variety, but the B2B division is doing some shopping of its own and is snapping up Cosmedias, a French trade press publisher. RBI says it plans to develop Cosmedias's Internet activities. Magazine Awards Honor Web-Only Titles Crain's The New Yorker and its parent, Conde Nast, are again raking in the nominations in this year's list of National Magazine Award finalists. This is the first year nominations include newspaper magazines and online-only titles, including Babble.com, Chow.com and Slate.com. Husni Names '30 Most Notable' Magazines MrMag Conde Nast Portfolio and Rodale's Men's Health Living are among the 30 Most Notable Launches of 2007, according to Samir "Mr. Magazine" Husni. "Notable does not refer to 'probability of success,' " Husni points out. Some of the titles "may not even see the newsstand at all next year." Knight Gives $25 Million to D.C. Newseum Reuters The Knight Foundation is giving $25 million to the Newseum, the mammoth facility devoted to the history of media, opening in Washington, D.C. The gift is the largest single donation from a news institution to the museum. Journalists, unfortunately, won't get discount admissions. 'Sleepy' Tribune Execs Vetoed Investing in Google Tribune Tribune's previous management nixed an opportunity to invest in Google, says new CEO Sam Zell, while on a tour of the company's properties. "Tribune was a very old company, he adds, deriding predecessors as "sleepy." Zell is vowing to flex Tribune's "muscle" in new deals. New York Times Financial Exec Jumps to WWE Post George Barrios, VP and treasurer of the New York Times Co., is leaving to become CFO of World Wrestling Entertainment, the sports-entertainment company. Barrios is exiting as the Times feels the heat from investors over the publisher's digital strategy and non-core holdings. Dow Jones to Stop Carrying AP After 40 Years Reuters Dow Jones & Co., recently bought by Rupert Murdoch, is ending an agreement of more than 40 years to carry news from the Associated Press after the AP said it wanted more money. Instead, Dow Jones Newswires will run news from Agence France-Presse, the French news service. U.S. Newspapers Win Rule Changes from ABC BtoB The Audit Bureau of Circulations is giving its initial approval to a broad set of strategic rule modifications for U.S. newspapers. The changes include implementing a flexible pricing model in which newspapers will be considered "paid" regardless of the price at which a copy is sold. Craigslist Founder on Recession, Community Yahoo Craigslist founder Craig Newmark is "not too worried" about a recession. The online classifieds site is run "pretty lean," he says. "Maybe we're the most effective tool for filling lots of different kinds of jobs. So far, I haven't detected anything significant." Monocle's First Year: Innovation With Paper MrMag In the first anniversary issue of Monocle magazine, founder Tyler Brule says: "We've developed a brand that employs both [print and digital]. Paper and ink for pictures and words, the Web for audio and video." Many media owners, he adds, have forgotten "how to innovate with paper." Ziff Davis Raises $20 Million for Acquisitions PEHUB Ziff Davis Enterprise, publisher of eWEEK magazine and other titles, is raising $20 million from Bessemer Venture Partners. The funding will be used for both acquisitions and working capital. Insight Venture Partners acquired Ziff Davis Enterprise last July from Ziff Davis Media. Spitzer's 'Kristen' Loses $1 Million Magazine Offer Reuters DVD distributor "Girls Gone Wild" plans to sell videos on its Web site of Ashley Alexandra Dupre that it discovered in its archives. "Girls Gone Wild" had offered to pay Elliot Spitzer's "call girl" $1 million to pose in its forthcoming magazine but is now withdrawing the offer. NY Times, Hedge Funds Reach Truce Times / MW New York Times Co. is agreeing to a truce with Harbinger Capital Partners and Firebrand Partners, the two hedge funds pressuring the company to sell assets and expand online, giving them two board seats. Also: The Times Co.'s advertising revenue for February fell 6.6% to $148 million. Tribune to Sell Stadium Naming Rights Forbes Tribune, on the hunt for new revenue, is close to selling partial naming rights for Wrigley Field in Chicago. Although the baseball venue is expected to retain the name Wrigley Field in some form, a corporate sponsor's name could be added to it. The move is upsetting Chicago Cubs fans. Seattle Times Sells Maine Newspapers Seattle Times Seattle Times Co. is putting its Maine newspapers on the market, saying a sale "may be the best opportunity for [their] long-term survival." The privately held Times acquired three Maine dailies, including the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, in 1998. Washington Post to 'Shake Up' Production Slate The Washington Post plans to abandon its "assembly-line model for news production," according to a memo from executive editor Leonard Downie. The rise of the Web is vanquishing the traditional once-a-day production cycle as reporters and editors file original stories online. Conde Nast Exec Joins Digital Media Firm AdAge Mitchell Fox, who was let go two months ago as Conde Nast's group president and publishing director, is moving to San Francisco as president-CEO of 8020 Publishing, whose user-generated titles consist entirely of content submitted online and voted into their pages by readers. BusinessWeek Editors Jump to McKinsey Portfolio Frank Comes and Mary Kuntz, assistant managing editors at McGraw Hill's BusinessWeek, are leaving to join McKinsey & Co. The two editors, who have a combined 41 years of tenure at the title, will work for former Fortune managing editor Rik Kirkland, McKinsey's publishing director. Magazines, Flynt Offer Millions to 'Kristen' Bloomberg Hustler publisher Larry Flynt says he is willing to pay Ashley Alexandra Dupre, the woman at the center of the Eliot Spitzer scandal, some $1 million to pose for his magazine. Dupre could rake in $2 million more by selling her story to a magazine, claims former book agent Lucianne Goldberg. Reuters Posts Online Tribute to Journos Press Gazette Reuters is launching an online documentary called "Bearing Witness," paying tribute to its 100 correspondents who have reported from Iraq over the last five years of war. The package includes video, photos and text. Seven Reuters journalists have died reporting from Iraq. Dow Jones-IAC Finance Site 'In Trouble' Gawker Fi Life, a new personal finance news site aimed at young investors, is already said to be in trouble. Several journalists who joined the outfit, a joint venture between Barry Diller's IAC and Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones, are "scrambling for new jobs." NY Post Topless Pics May Violate Copyrights Bloomberg Newspapers may have violated copyright law by publishing photos of Ashley Alexandra Dupre, better known as "Kristen," the prostitute linked to New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Her lawyer made the claim in a statement without naming the New York Post, which published pictures of Dupre topless. NY Times's Big Threat Is Murdoch, Editor Says Portfolio While hedge funds are circling the New York Times, it is Rupert Murdoch who may actually force a sale of the Gray Lady, writes former Times top editor Howell Raines. Murdoch "will spend whatever it takes to undermine the Times's standing as America's leading general-interest newspaper." Boston Globe Journo Exits for News Site Globe Charles Sennott, a veteran journalist with the Boston Globe, is accepting an employee buyout at the newspaper to join Global News, a new Web site devoted to international news. New England Cable News founder Phil Balboni is launching the site, having raised $7 million from investors. Black's Lawyers File Appeal of Conviction CBC Lawyers for Conrad Black are appealing his conviction for obstruction and fraud, arguing that U.S. prosecutors failed to prove their case against the former press baron. Black entered prison in central Florida on March 3 to begin serving his 6½-year sentence. Job Cuts a Death Knell for U.S. Newspapers? MarketWatch Newspapers from the San Jose Mercury News to the New York Times have axed reporters and editors -- more than 750 -- in little more than a month, as competition from the online world joins forces with financial pressures to put on the squeeze. Death of Print? Not at News Corp in Britain Press Gazette News Corp.'s British newspaper publishing arm is opening a £187 million printing plant in London. News exec James Murdoch says the investment "should be ample answer to those who believe journalism, in print, is a business for yesterday's readers, not tomorrow's." Study: Media Need Online Consumers to Pay Chronicle Mainstream media aren't losing their audience to the Internet, says the Project for Excellence Journalism's annual State of the News Media report. They just doesn't know how to get their new online customers -- or anyone else reading what they're producing through online aggregators -- to pay. Craigslist Not Liable for Housing Ad Bias Chronicle Craigslist is not legally responsible for discriminatory housing ads posted on the site, says a federal appeals court. A lawsuit in 2006 accused Craigslist of violating federal housing laws by publishing ads that read "No Minorities" and "Requirements: Clean Christian Male." Sports Illustrated to Open 'Vault' Online Times Sports Illustrated is introducing the Vault, a free site within SI.com that contains all the articles the magazine has ever published, along with many of the images, in a searchable database. "The real hidden value of this is what it does for search," says Time Inc. exec John Squires. American Media Extends CEO Contract WWD American Media, publisher of Star and National Enquirer, is extending the contract of CEO David Pecker for one more year. Pecker's compensation will remain the same, with an annual base salary of $1.5 million, a possible annual cash bonus of up to $250,000, plus other perks. B&C Editor Robins to Join Paley Center B&C J. Max Robins, the former editor in chief of Reed Business's Broadcasting & Cable, is joining the Paley Center for Media as head of the center's Media Council and International Council. The media council is a forum where execs and influencers discuss and define the future of media. Iran Shuts Down 'Corrupt' Celebrity Mags AP Iran's Culture Ministry is shutting down nine movie and lifestyle magazines for publishing stories about "corrupt" foreign film stars "as instruments to arouse desire." One of the closed magazines, Sobh-e-Zendegi, published photos of actresses such as Angelina Jolie and Mandy Moore. Yahoo Women's Site Mulls Magazine Deals BusinessWeek Yahoo is readying a new women's content service called Shine, launching later in March, targeting women from age 25 to 54. Shine is discussing major partnerships with big publishers, including Time Inc. The site, run by former Jane editor Brandon Holley, will also offer user blogs. Martha CEO: Magazine 'Shake Up' Coming Folio The magazine industry is heading toward a "shake up," during which a number of titles will fold, predicts Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia CEO Susan Lyne. "This will be a period of consolidation" in which "less than established brands with poor circulation numbers" won't survive. Gannett CEO Gets Pay Boost as Stock Drops Associated Press Gannett CEO Craig Dubow received pay and compensation valued at $7.9 million in 2007, 36% higher than the previous year. The increase came as Gannett stock tumbled over the last year. In the last 12 months, Gannett stock has lost roughly half its value. Murdoch: Get 'Kristen' or 'Heads Will Roll' Village Voice Shortly after the New York Times broke the story of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's link to a prostitution ring, Rupert Murdoch reportedly put out the word that "heads will roll" unless his New York Post won the first interview with the prostitute "Kristen." However, the Times again got the scoop. Bad News Travels Fast In Internet Age Washington Post Thanks to the Internet and 24-hour cable news channels, news of unsavory doings travels widely and fast nowadays -- as New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer discovered this week. As a result, politicians are seen as less likely than ever to survive a scandal with their careers intact. 'State of News Media' 2008 Coming Monday Journalism.org On Monday, the Project for Excellence in Journalism will release its fifth annual "State of the News Media" report examining the health and status of journalism in America. The year, the report also includes a survey of journalists and a content analysis study of 64 citizen media sites. Craigslist Boss Slams U.S. Newspapers Guardian Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster says U.S. newspaper publishers are encouraging journalists to write negative stories about the largely free online classified advertising firm. "There were positive stories in the early days," he says. "That has now reversed." Lee Enterprises Newspaper Cuts 31 Jobs St. Louis Business The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is eliminating 31 jobs, mostly in circulation, production and related departments. No newsroom departments are being affected by the job cuts. Publisher Kevin Mowbray, a VP of owner Lee Enterprises, says: "St. Louis is not immune to economic challenges." Wall Street Journal to See Changes Ahead Guardian The Wall Street Journal plans to expand coverage of politics and sports, says digital chief Gordon McLeod. He adds that the publisher hard at work on a multimedia strategy. "There is a bigger resurgence now [by traditional media companies] catching up to technology companies." Financial Times Gets a Boost from Google Press Gazette Since opening up its site to Google News and making content partially free last October, the Financial Times's FT.com saw a 75% increase in traffic and gained an extra 230,000 registered users, reports Rob Jonas, Google's head of media partnerships for Europe. "We help people find" content. NY Times CEO Says Asset Sales Possible TheDeal / AP New York Times Co. says it is unlikely to sell the Boston Globe or its stake in the Boston Red Sox. Still, says CFO James Folio: "We are not married to any one asset, except the New York Times newspaper." Also: The Times is focusing on online growth, launching 50 blogs last year. Tribune Names Chief Innovation Officer Chicago Tribune Tribune Co. is naming Lee Abrams, a senior VP at XM Satellite Radio, as chief innovation officer, a newly created position. Abrams will oversee innovation at Tribune's newspaper and television assets. Abrams is sure to "get people thinking," says Tribune exec Randy Michaels. Conde Nast Said in Talks to Buy Dwell WWD Conde Nast is rumored to be in acquisition talks with Dwell, the independent, San Francisco-based shelter magazine. Conde Nast chairman S.I. Newhouse Jr. has praised the magazine to employees. Founded in 2000, Dwell has grown steadily to a rate base of 325,000. Portfolio, Wired May Launch in Britain Brand Republic Conde Nast is readying a flurry of new magazine launches in Britain, including the likely debut of two of its U.S. titles, Portfolio and Wired, plus the launch of a title for Italian car behemoth Ferrari. The Ferrari magazine will be published by Conde Nast's U,K. contract publishing unit. TV Guide Expected to Go On the Block New York Post The pending $2.8 billion sale of Gemstar TV Guide to Macrovision is expected to be done in April, but asset TV Guide magazine "may not fit into the long-term strategy," the new owner says. Macrovision has decided to "explore strategic options" for TV Guide. Mag Publishers Push Engagement Metrics Crain's New York The Magazine Publishers of America is announcing a new initiative to introduce readership metrics that are closer to television, radio and Web than current circulation-based measurements. In the new system, readers would be measured on demos such as age, gender and ethnicity. AP Launches 'Deep' Channel on YouTube Beet.TV The Associated Press is launching its own channel on YouTube. Editors are uploading about 250 videos a week. "We're monitoring our foray into social media closely," says AP exec Kevin Roach. Reuters also has a YouTube channel, and is uploading three-to-five clips per day. Newspapers Will Not Go Away, Murdoch Says MarketWatch Newspapers will not disappear, predicts Rupert Murdoch. However, most local U.S. papers will see their help-wanted ads migrate to the Web "almost completely," leading to cutbacks in journalist staffing. Top demos "will look at the resulting product, and say this isn't good enough for them." Murdoch on Economy, Yahoo, Wall St Journal Bloomberg News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch, who turns 77 on Tuesday, says he has become "pessimistic" about the U.S. economy, adding that he won't fight Microsoft in a bid to buy Yahoo. Microsoft "has a lot more money." Also, the Wall Street Journal may add MySpace-like social networking, he says. New York Times Web Site Slowed by Spitzer Associated Press The Web site of the New York Times suffered delays Monday as traffic spiked following its reports linking New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer to a prostitution ring. Minutes after the first article on Spitzer was posted at 1:57 p.m., average load times increased to more than 20 seconds. Tribune CEO Invokes F-Word to Urge Creativity Bloomberg Tribune boss Sam Zell is using pep talks laced with profanity to exhort the employees at his newspapers and television stations to be more creative or risk seeing their jobs disappear. Such a "shake-things-up way of behaving" could be effective, says one management consultant. Dow Jones Acquires Betten Financial News Reuters News Corp. is purchasing Betten Financial News as part of a global expansion of its Dow Jones newswire. Betten covers financial and economic news in the Dutch language. "We're dedicated to increasing our coverage of local markets in local languages," says Dow Jones exec Clare Hart. BusinessWeek Reporter 'Done In' by Twitter ZDNet / AF BusinessWeek journalist Sarah Lacy's on-stage interview with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the SXSWi festival in Austin "bombed" when techie members of the crowd began "Twittering" their displeasure to each other, creating a back channel of negativity that "spread like wildfire." Conde Nast Portfolio Preps Cover on Disney WWD The May issue of Conde Nast business magazine Portfolio may feature the title's first celebrity cover. Miley Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana) is being floated as an option to tie into a feature on Disney. A spokeswoman for Portfolio says: "We never discuss future stories or covers." Digital Magazine Ads Grab More Attention ClickZ News People who subscribe to magazines online are more engaged with the advertising than those who read them in print, suggests a study from Zinio, the publisher of digital versions of titles such as Men's Health. "Readers feel that the ads are more interesting, says Zinio exec Jeanniey Mullen. Most Americans Never Read Political Blogs InformationWeek Despite the attention given to political blogs, only one in five Americans read them regularly, according to research firm Harris Interactive. In fact, 56% of Americans say they never read blogs that discuss politics, and just under a quarter say they read them several times a year. Nielsen Publishes Report on Blogs, Box Office Hollywood Reporter Nielsen is introducing Nielsen PreView, a series of quarterly reports aimed at fostering community interaction online, beginning with a study examining the correlation between bloggers and the box office. The research will be made available at NielsenPreview.com. Gannett Barred from Helping Former Reporter USA Today A federal judge is ordering former USA Today reporter Toni Locy to pay fines of up to $5,000 per day after finding her in contempt for failing to identify sources used in reporting on the U.S. anthrax attacks in 2001. USA Today owner Gannett is barred from helping to pay the fines. Financial Times Sees Rise in Global Readership Independent Pearson's Financial Times the only quality newspaper in the world to be increasing readership, reports CEO John Ridding. U.S. sales alone are up 6% to 146,000. Ridding says he isn't worried about Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal: "We are a very different global brand." Washington Post to Sponsor Digital Startups Press Release The Washington Post Co. is sponsoring a global competition for digital startups from LaunchBox Digital, a Washington, D.C.-based investment firm. The "LaunchBox08" competition will encourage applicants to submit ideas in order to receive seed funding of $15,000 to $30,000. Knight Foundation to Fund Digital News Ideas New York Times The Knight Foundation is donating $25 million "for innovative ideas using digital experiments to transform community news." One such effort is the Media Mobilizing Project in Philadelphia. "We are uncomfortable with the term 'citizen journalism,' " says organizer Todd Wolfson. Craigslist Patrons Warned by Seattle Police KIRO-TV Buyers on Craigslist are being warned by police in the Seattle area to beware if the payment is to be exchanged in person. Seattle police are looking for three men who are robbing buyers they find on the mostly free Internet classifieds site once they meet up in public. Is User-Generated Content On Its Way Out? Newsweek Some of the same entrepreneurs behind the Internet user-generated revolution are now paying professionals for content. Google is testing Knol, a Wikipedia-like site by "authoritative" sources. "Nobody wants to advertise next to crap," asserts Andrew Keen, author of "The Cult of the Amateur." Gawker: Good Blogs Are Like British Tabloids Observer Gawker Media founder Nick Denton: "When it comes to what succeeds on the Web it's exactly what British newspapers have been doing well for years." U.K. print media is "bitchy and sharp." U.S. media is "restrained." Also, Gawker Media's $12 million annual revenue estimation "is not absurd." Magazines Stay 'Relevant' in Internet Age Fast Company Mansueto Ventures' FastCompany.com is asking its readers: "What do magazines need to do to stay relevant in the Internet age?" One reader responds: "Continue to be first class. Magazines offer a unique tactile and visual experience that a Web page just aspires to emulate." Magazine Industry Finds That Death Sells NYP / MIN Death appears to be a big seller in the magazine world. Media Industry Newsletter's special report on the best- and worst-selling covers reveals that Time Inc.'s People magazine had big hits with covers on the apparent suicide attempt of Owen Wilson, the death of Princess Di, and 9/11. Calif Newspaper Group to Eliminate 107 Jobs San Jose Mercury News A group of newspapers in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area will cut its staff by 10% but will avoid layoffs because enough workers took buyout offers. The cuts affect the San Jose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune and a string of other daily and weekly papers. Print Media Are Not Dying, Time Inc Exec Says Minonline Magazines are not going the way of the horse and buggy, insists John Squires, a Time Inc. executive VP. "We're trying to innovate on a digital landscape." People magazine is churning out almost a "billion pages a month," he notes, then asks rhetorically: "Is this brand dying?" Wall St Journal Preps Ads for Glossy Magazine WWD The Wall Street Journal is starting to pitch its upcoming quarterly glossy magazine WSJ. to coveted luxury advertisers. Its press materials promise that the new title will give affluent readers "the convenience of not having to go beyond one of their core media sources." Rolling Stone Rolls Out 15th Foreign Edition BBC News Rolling Stone magazine is hitting newsstands in India, riding on an increasingly liberal media policy allowing foreign titles to publish. Rolling Stone India is the 15th international rollout of the music title. At 100 rupees ($2.46) a month, it costs a fifth of the U.S. edition. Bloomberg Empire Braces for Recession New York Post Bloomberg LP is preparing for the worst in terms of a fiscal downturn. The media-information company recently imposed a salary freeze for anyone making a base salary of over $200,000 a year, according to an insider. "Freezes on headcount are soon to come." Ziff Davis Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy TheDeal.com Ziff Davis, the publisher of PC Magazine, is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a move to help pay down $390 million in debt. The company has struggled since the dot-com bust. Also: Ziff Davis owns several potentially valuable Internet domain names -- digitalife.com, fastestgeek.com and more. Penthouse Media Plans $250 Million IPO Bloomberg Penthouse Media, owner of the namesake men's magazine, plans to sell about $250 million in stock in an IPO as it seeks to compete with Playboy Enterprises. The company has been acquiring adult Web sites to expand beyond the magazine, where circulation has been declining. Financial Times Eyes Readers via Facebook Press Gazette The Financial Times is launching a Facebook application that will give students free access to FT.com. "This application is part of our ongoing efforts to reach a new generation of readers who we hope will become life-long fans of the FT," says FT.com head Ien Cheng. Time Out Editor in 'Hyperlocal' News Project WWD Brian Farnham, who left his post as editor in chief of Time Out New York magazine in January, is said to be developing a Web startup called "Polar News," with a focus on "hyperlocal" news. The site appears to be backed by private equity firm Polar Capital. Denver Airport Blocks Magazine Web Sites Denver Post Denver International Airport, aiming to provide a family-friendly atmosphere, is blocking access on its free Wi-Fi system to "provocative" Web sites -- including the online editions of magazines such as Conde Nast's Vanity Fair and Time Inc.'s Sports Illustrated. Also blocked: PerezHilton.com. Hearst to Launch Widgets for Magazines Promo Hearst is launching social widgets that will push content from some of its magazine titles, like Seventeen, out to users' profile pages on the major social networks MySpace and Facebook, among other online platforms. The widgets will include space for advertising. SF Weekly to Pay $15 Million to Competitor San Francisco Chronicle A San Francisco jury is awarding up to $15 million in damages to the Bay Guardian alternative weekly newspaper, to be paid by its rival, SF Weekly. SFW was accused of undercutting the Guardian with below-cost ad rates, then used infusions from owner Village Voice Media to stay afloat. Craigslist Traffic Nearly Doubles Year on Year Hitwise Craigslist traffic just keeps climbing. Year on year last week, share of U.S. visits to Craigslist.org were up 93%. The growth of traffic to the mostly free classifieds site is said to be "steady and fairly constant," fueled by an "increasing popularity" in newer markets. 'Doonesbury' to Go on Hiatus for 12 Weeks Editor & Publisher "Doonesbury" cartoonist Garry Trudeau will be taking a 12-week vacation from his newspaper comic strip. Trudeau requested the break in order to "regenerate a few creative cells," says Universal Press Syndicate. Trudeau plans to return "before the major political conventions." Tribune, Clear Channel in Digital News Deal Hollywood Reporter In 10-week campaign, Clear Channel Outdoor's digital billboards in Los Angeles will feature breaking headlines from Tribune's Los Angeles Times. Billboard images can be changed on the fly, perfect for selecting interesting stories that the newspaper will want to tout throughout the day. NY Times Credit Rating Faces Downgrade AP / Ledger Moody's Investors Service is considering downgrading New York Times Co.'s credit rating, saying it expects newspaper advertising to remain weak. Also: The Ledger, a New York Times Co. newspaper in Lakeland, Fla., is acquiring the News Chief, a small daily paper in nearby Winter Haven. Newhouse's Star-Ledger to Cut Union Jobs New York Post Newhouse's Newark, N.J. Star-Ledger is sending out 365 notices to the craft workers at the newspaper, telling them that some will lose their jobs within the next 60 days as its two printing plants are consolidated into one. "We are losing money," says a memo to employees. Permira May Bid for Reed Elsevier Mags Times of London Permira Advisers, a U.K. private equity firm, may bid for Reed Business Information, the trade magazines arm of Reed Elsevier. Cinven, Candover Partners, CVC Capital Partners, and Providence Equity Partners are also interested in making an offer for the magazine unit. Time Inc Shelter Mags Launch Web Portal DMNews Southern Progress Corporation, a subsidiary of Time Inc., is launching an online portal, MyHomeIdeas.com, highlighting content from its shelter magazines and book line. MyHomeIdeas.com includes titles such as Cottage Living, Coastal Living, Southern Living, and Southern Accents. Conde Nast's Carey Seen as Rising Star New York Observer David Carey, group president of Conde Nast since early January -- whom many speculate might succeed CEO Chuck Townsend -- is becoming the public face of the magazine giant. "David inspires people to do the very best," gushes new Portfolio magazine publisher William Li. WSJ 'Synergies' Rejected by News Corp Washington Post News Corp. is said to have turned down some of the ideas presented by representatives from the Wall Street Journal for partnering the newspaper with some of the media giant's other properties. The message from News Corp. to the Journal: "We don't want to cheapen your brand." Readers Have 'Emotional Bond' with Paper Ars Technica Books have the highest "attachment" rating of any leisure media activity, according to a survey from U.K. media legal group Wiggin. People are more attached to books than they are to newspapers, magazines, blogs and many other media. Some 61% say e-books are not appealing. USA Today to Launch OpenAir Magazine MinOnline The first major magazine launch of 2008 is coming from USA Today. This Friday, the Gannett newspaper is rolling out OpenAir, a glossy magazine insert focusing on the outdoors with a celebrity approach. OpenAir, to be published four times in 2008, may increase to 10 times yearly in 2009. WSJ Hits Up Reporters for Book Proceeds Crain's New York Two months after Rupert Murdoch acquired Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones, the newspaper will begin asking reporters for proceeds from books based on Journal stories. In exchange, says a spokesman, the Journal will provide marketing and advertising support for the titles. Apax In Possible Bid for Reed Business WWD Private equity group Apax Partners is said to be eyeing Reed Business Information, the Reed Elsevier division on the block that publishes Variety, Publishers Weekly and Broadcasting & Cable. Apax reportedly has retained Deutsche Bank to advise it on a potential deal. Sporting News Moving to North Carolina Charlotte Business American City Business Journals plans to relocate The Sporting News magazine to Charlotte, N.C., this summer from St. Louis. The Sporting News, founded in 1886, is the oldest U.S. sports magazine. The move will bring the title's 30 employees and operations to Charlotte. SI.com Readers 'Mash Up' Swimsuit Models MinOnline The Web site of Time Inc.'s Sports Illustrated added a Video Mash-Up feature for this year's Swimsuit issue, allowing users to edit together their own videos of the models, including graphics and audio. So far, visitors have produced more than 2,300 videos. Fast Company Starts FastCompany.TV Fast Company Mansueto Ventures' Fast Company magazine is launching FastCompany.TV, an online video network covering tech trends. "We'll soon bring you the stories behind Fast Company's articles," says host Robert Scoble. The magazine's articles, he notes, "are limited to about 5,000 words." NY Times Under Fire for Slow Online Moves Times of London Dissident shareholders charge New York Times boss Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. with moving too slowly into the digital age. One former Times exec says: "The prevailing philosophy of the place is that we are the Times and as long as we carry on doing what we do, the money will come." Murdoch's WSJ Won't Impact FT, CEO Says Press Gazette Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal will not have an impact on the Financial Times because there is a "fundamental difference" between the two titles, says FT Group chief Rona Fairhead. The FT targets global decision-makers, while the Journal is a "U.S. newspaper." Chicago Tribune Holds Online Video Chats Newspapers & Technology Tribune's Chicago Tribune wants readers to use its Web site to strike up two-way video conversations with its reporters and newsmakers. The paper's Video Chat lets readers questions about specific stories or subjects. Readers can see the questions displayed on their Web browsers. Oprah Blog Launched by Chicago Sun-Times Chicago Sun-Times The Chicago Sun Times's newest blog focuses on all things Oprah Winfrey, the hometown girl and queen of all media. The blog is edited by Mark Bieganski, the online content guru for the newspaper and RogerEbert.com. Bieganski will follow the Oprah phenom "like it's a religion." Conrad Black to Write Memoir from Prison Guardian Conrad Black plans to spend his hours in prison by working on a memoir that will concede that his unwise decisions contributed to his fate. Black, convicted last July of embezzling more than $6 million from his Hollinger media empire, is to begin his six-year prison term today. Reuters May Eliminate Jobs for Journalists Press Gazette David Schlesinger, the editor-in-chief of Reuters, admits that job cuts for journalists can't be ruled out following the company's merger with Thomson Corp. "We have to look at areas where we overlap," he says. "Change is completely constant in our industry -- particularly now." Hearst: Web to Cannibalize Print Magazines AdAge / NYT Yahoo, MySpace and Huffington Post are overshadowing magazine brands online. "Do I think the Web will cannibalize from print magazines?" asks Hearst digital exec Christopher Johnson. "Yes, I'm afraid I think so." Also: Sears is making a "significant" advertising buy on Hearst Web sites. Conde Nast Execs Eye Non-Media Project WWD Former Conde Nast execs James Truman and Mitch Fox are teaming up -- but not for a media project. Truman and Fox are said to be collaborating on a roving event that will combine a green market and eco-technology with a Cirque du Soleil-like performance series. Senator: Blogs Are Replacing Time, Newsweek Business and Media Chuck Schumer, New York's senior Democratic senator, attributes his party's success with younger voters to adapting to "bloggers and the Internet -- the medium of choice." Most voters used to read Time magazine or Newsweek, he says. "Hardly anyone does anymore." Drudge: No Regret for Prince Harry Report Telegraph Matt Drudge is showing no signs of regret for spreading the story that Britain's Prince Harry was serving in Afghanistan, despite a news embargo. The story -- which was first reported by an Australian Web site -- prompted one critic to edit Drudge's entry in Wikipedia, calling him "irresponsible." Yahoo Newspaper Consortium in Ad Test ClickZ News Yahoo is testing behavioral and geo-targeting across its growing network of newspaper publisher sites. The paper partners are able to sell ads targeted behaviorally on their own sites alone or throughout Yahoo-owned properties. About 20 paper sites are currently testing the offerings. Hearst Tries to Catch Buzz from Yahoo DM News Hearst is signing on 10 of its magazines to participate in Yahoo Buzz, a service that allows readers to vote on the popularity of online stories. When a reader clicks through the Yahoo home page to a Hearst article, the magazine's site serves promotions for other Hearst offerings. Hearst Shuts Down Magazine Web Sites NMA.co.uk Hearst's U.K. magazine subsidiary plans to shut down four of its Web sites, in a move intended to strengthen the company's digital focus on key online brands. The magazine sites being closed include Good Housekeeping and Country Living, which will be wrapped into a single portal. Craigslist Won't Become a Social Network Washington Post Craig Newmark says he is content with Craigslist and doesn't have any big plans to change its format. Asked whether he plans to incorporate social networking, the classifieds site founder says he doesn't see a need: "We do one thing pretty well, so we don't want to screw it up." Conrad Black Heads to Prison on Monday Chicago Tribune Former media baron Conrad Black cannot remain free on bond pending the outcome of his appeal and must report to prison Monday, a U.S. Court of Appeals is ruling. Black, the former CEO of Hollinger International, was convicted of fraud and obstruction of justice charges last year. McClatchy's Market Value Plummets 51% Bloomberg McClatchy is writing down the value of its publications for the second time in four months. Impairment charges total $1.47 billion in the fourth quarter. The writedown follows $1.37 billion in costs in November to reflect a decline in the value of newspapers such as the Miami Herald. NY Times Board Needs 'Fresh' Leadership MarketWatch Harbinger Capital Partners and its affiliate Harbert Management are filing a proxy with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to elect four directors to the New York Times Co.'s board at the annual meeting April 22. The Times needs "fresh, independent leadership," Harbinger says. Tribune's Newsday to Cut 120 Positions Newsday Newsday, Tribune's New York flagship newspaper, is cutting 120 jobs. "These difficult actions are based on our urgent need to focus on the things that drive audience and revenue growth while we manage through a soft advertising revenue environment," says a company memo. Boston Globe Cuts Jobs; Web Site Spared Associated Press The New York Times Co.'s Boston Globe plans to cut 60 jobs by offering voluntary employee buyouts, aiming to lower costs. The company's Web site, Boston.com, will be excluded from the buyouts. Also, the Times's Worcester Telegram & Gazette will cut 20 jobs. Newspaper Job Cuts Shrink News Coverage Los Angeles Times The San Jose Mercury News, long the oracle of Silicon Valley, is paring back news coverage on several fronts as its reporting staff shrinks to about 200 from twice that number in 1999. What's happening in San Jose is being repeated to a greater or lesser degree at other newspapers. TechCrunch: Post First, Fact-Check Later Portfolio The TechCrunch blog is a hit in Silicon Valley. "What I like to do is post information far earlier than most journalists," says founder Mike Arrington. "And then let other blogs use their own contacts and see how things play out. Sometimes the truth can be found much quicker that way." Drudge: World's Most Powerful Journalist Telegraph Matt Drudge shattered a media embargo between Fleet Street and Buckingham Palace, breaking the news about Prince Harry serving in Afghanistan. Earlier this week, Drudge posted a photo of Barack Obama dressed in tribal Muslim garb that became the talk of Washington. More Americans Turning to Web for News Reuters Nearly 70% of Americans believe traditional journalism is out of touch, and nearly half are turning to the Internet to get their news, according to a We Media/Zogby Interactive online poll. More than half of those age 18 to 29 get most of their news and information online. Murdoch Critique Gives Editor 'Cold Feet' IHT The Far Eastern Economic Review, a small publication bought by Rupert Murdoch in his acquisition of Dow Jones, is declining to publish a review of a new book about Murdoch's dealings in China. Editor Hugo Restall admits to getting "cold feet" about publishing the review. NY Times's About.com CEO 'Ousted in Revolt' Valleywag Scott Meyer, CEO of About.com, is exiting the New York Times online reference guide after his senior staff threatened to quit unless he left, a tipster says. His staff "ridiculed him as a biz-dev type who was clueless about the Web." Meyer is leaving About.com without a replacement. Gannett Picks Head for Newspaper Group Bloomberg USA Today publisher Gannett is naming Robert J. Dickey president of its newspaper division. He will succeed Susan Clark-Johnson, who is retiring in May. Dickey was a senior group president of Gannett's Pacific Group. Gannett's newspaper advertising sales shrank 12% last quarter. Tribune Senior Executive Exits in Remake Crain's Chicago Tribune Co.'s senior VP of human resources, Luis E. Lewin, is resigning, following a handful of other high-profile departures since real estate tycoon Sam Zell took the media company private in December. Zell says he wants to remake Tribune and plans to cut as many as 500 jobs. Sun-Times Investor Seeks Bank for Buyer Chicago Tribune Sun-Times Media Group investor K Capital Partners plans to hire a bank to attract buyers for the company because it doesn't have confidence in the board to negotiate a sale that will be beneficial to shareholders. Sun-Times hired Lazard this month to help explore options. Anschutz Names Online Chief, Editors Denver Business Financier Philip Anschutz's Clarity Media Group chain of free daily newspapers and "Examiner.com" local-news Web sites, is naming former AOL exec Michael Sherrod to run its Internet operations. The change comes as Examiner.com seeks to hire editors to oversee original content. Philadelphia Newspapers Cut 68 Jobs Philadelphia Business Philadelphia Media Holdings, the owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, is cutting 68 jobs, according to a Newspaper Guild memo. The layoffs affect staffers in advertising, circulation, marketing and other areas. A spokesman blames dwindling revenue for the cuts. LA Daily News Axes 22 Editorial Jobs LA Observed Los Angeles Daily News editor Ron Kaye says that 22 editorial staffers are being let go. Kaye is said to have "broke down" as he delivered the news to the staff of the Media News newspaper. He also says that owner Dean Singleton saved another 10 reporters "that the suits wanted to axe." WaPo Web Redo Lets Readers Participate Editor & Publisher The Washington Post is working on a major facelift for its Web site, which it hopes to debut before Election Day in November -- a high-traffic period. The redo aims to make washingtonpost.com a site "where you understand immediately it is a place to get the news and participate in the news." Nielsen Shakes Up Its Media Properties New York Post Nielsen Business Media is naming former Variety group publisher Gerry Byrne as head of the company's new entertainment group, which includes The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard. Nielsen is rumored to be mulling a sale of its trade titles, like rival Reed Elsevier. Reed Elsevier's U.S. Mags: Slow Bids Press Gazette Bidding for Reed Elsevier's U.S. magazines, which are currently on the market, is understood to be slow. Titles on the auction block include Variety and Publishers Weekly. There is some speculation that if Reed Elsevier cannot find a suitable buyer, the titles might be sold individually. Craigslist Supremacy Eyed by Kijiji TechCrunch Kijiji, eBay's free local classifieds portal, launched in America last summer and is now the sixth largest U.S. classifieds site. Kijiji "will be No. 1 in the U.S.," predicts eBay exec Jacob Aqraou. Craigslist "is not going to be successful internationally. Craigslist has zero localization." Magazine Execs Pursued by YouTube Folio While many magazines are opening channels on YouTube, the video site is seeking more. "It's still early," says YouTube exec Jordan Hoffner, speaking at a Magazine Publishers of America conference. "To lose a little bit of control gains a lot of market share." National Geographic in Web Revamp JackMyers.com National Geographic magazine, as part of a revamp of its digital initiatives, will launch "My Shot" personalized Web sites on which users can post and exchange photos. Also coming: Geopedia, a Wikipedia-like service, where users can view and add to data on topics the magazine covers. Playboy Seeks Clothed 'Miss Mobile' MediaPost Playboy is inviting women 18 years and older to enter a Playboy Mobile competition. In a slight departure from Playboy's traditional pictorial spreads, the contest will accept and post only photos of clothed contestants, aiming to highlight "lifestyles and aspirations." NY Times to Meet Harbinger Candidates Reuters The New York Times Co. says it will meet with four board candidates backed by dissident investors Harbinger Capital Partners and Firebrand Partners. The investor group nominated its own candidates as part of a plan to urge the company to boost its digital businesses. Washington Post Eyes Kaplan for Profits Bloomberg Washington Post Co., owner of the namesake newspaper, says fourth-quarter profit fell 13%, hurt in part by falling print advertising. While newspaper revenue declined, the company bought education businesses to bolster its Kaplan unit, which now account for about half of total sales. Wall St Journal in Deal with Morningstar BtoB The Wall Street Journal Online is entering an agreement with Morningstar, which provides independent investment research and global data, to offer new investor tools and international investment funds data to WSJ.com. The new resources are available on WSJ.com for free. Tribune's Newsday Anticipates Job Cuts NYO / Tribune Newsday reporters and editors are expecting an announcement in the coming week about job cuts. Sam Zell, the new CEO of Newsday parent Tribune, says there will be job cuts at every company newspaper. Also: Tribune's Washington news bureau is "bloated" in size, Zell says. Hearst, Universal Partner for Online Prom Billboard.biz Hearst and Universal Motown are partnering to present "The Ultimate Prom," a multi-platform, interactive promotion. Universal Motown music artists will perform and appear in webisodes on MyPromStyle.com, part of the Hearst Teen Network, which includes CosmoGirl.com and Seventeen.com. Conde Nast Not Interested in Reed Business WWD Many media analysts saw Conde Nast as a strong contender to buy Reed Business Information. But a spokeswoman for Conde Nast says that the company isn't interested. Analysts now point to private equity players including Apax Partners, Providence Equity and the Carlyle Group. Time Out to Go Web-Only in New Markets Portfolio Tony Elliott, founder of the weekly city magazine chain Time Out, is seeking to raise up to $60 million through the sale of a minority stake in his company. Elliott intends to use the funds to expand Time Out to six new U.S. cities. The new editions will be Web-only, at least at first. NY Times Braces for Big Board Battle TheStreet.com Scott Galloway of investment firm Firebrand Partners, with financial backing from hedge fund Harbinger Capital Partners, is hiring D.F. King, a proxy solicitation firm, to press its case with New York Times shareholders in the lead-up to the company's annual meeting April 22. Media General Buys Coupon Site DealTaker Reuters Media General plans to acquire DealTaker.com, a coupon and shopping Web site, from Plano, Texas-based NARAE Enterprises, to expand its portfolio of interactive advertising and marketing solutions. The deal is expected to help boost the company's 2008 earnings. Dennis Launches Online Custom Publisher Press Gazette Dennis Publishing in the United Kingdom is expanded into customer publishing with the launch of Dennis Communications, a group that will offer both online and magazine publishing services including video. The group will be headed up by former U.K. Maxim editor Derek Harbinson. Zinio Opens 'Web Newsstand' for Magazines Times of London Zinio.com, the online magazine provider, is opening a "global newsstand" Web site where consumers can buy nearly 1,000 magazines from around the world. Customers can buy the latest editions of magazines or subscribe to their favorite titles, often at a reduced price. Blogger Perez Hilton in Warner Music Talks New York Times Mario Lavandeira, better known as the celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton, is negotiating a deal that would provide him with his own imprint at Warner Brothers Records. Lavandeira has also long used PerezHilton.com to rave about his favorite new music. Editor: 'Freeconomics' to Change Media World AdAge "Free," a forthcoming book by Chris Anderson, editor of Conde Nast's Wired magazine, asserts that media companies can make money from free content. Wired's March issue, which offers a preview, is available for free. "Send us your address," says Anderson. "We'll send you an issue free." NY Times to 'ShifD' Content to Mobiles RTTNews The New York Times Co. is launching ShifD, an application that enables users to seamlessly shift content between their computers and mobile devices. Says Times exec Michael Zimbalist: "We see a future for device-independent media, with convergence around the user experience." Investors Again Raise Stake in NY Times Wall Street Journal An investor group, which includes Harbinger Capital Partners and Firebrand Partners, plans to report it has raised its stake in the New York Times Co. The latest purchase will bring the group closer to matching the number of publicly traded shares owned by the Sulzberger family. NY Times Quick Asset Sale 'Not Practical' Bloomberg / Fortune A New York Times Co. asset sale and reinvestment in Internet outfits is "not practical," says Goldman Sachs. Also: The New York Times should kill the print product, deliver news online only and add social-networking features to nytimes.com, recommends tech pioneer Marc Andreessen. Financial Times Opens Online Social Network NMA.co.uk The Financial Times is launching a social network aimed at senior business people from the media and technology sectors. Members of the pay-based forum will be offered standard networking tools. Similar networks for the property and luxury goods sectors are in the pipeline. San Francisco Chronicle Cuts Printing Costs San Francisco Chronicle Hearst's San Francisco Chronicle is making changes intended to reduce printing costs "without compromising newsgathering." On Sundays, the Insight and Books sections will be printed in tabloid size. On Mondays and Tuesdays, the Sports and Business sections will be combined. Dallas Morning News Seeks Readers' Help Dallas Morning News Belo's Dallas Morning News is appealing to its readers to help it study newly released files about the assassination of president John F. Kennedy. PDFs of the files are being posted on the newspaper's Web site: "Take a look, and let us know if you see something interesting." Blogger Rakes Muck and a Leading Prize New York Times TalkingPointsMemo.com blogger/journalist Joshua Micah Marshall last week won a Polk Award for "tenacious" reporting. In addition to pursuing tips from its readers, the site also gives them assignments. Says Marshall: "I make a better income than when I was freelancing." Time Warner to Cut More Magazine Jobs Associated Press Time Warner says in a regulatory filing that it expects to cut more jobs in its magazine publishing division in the first quarter, resulting in $10 million to $20 million in expenses. Time Inc. says that the job cuts affect fewer than 100 people, and that most of them have already occurred. Maxim Magazine Review Attacked by Crowes Associated Press The Black Crowes are lashing out at Maxim magazine for reviewing the band's new album apparently without actually hea |