Media News

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Google Officially Introduces Google Buzz (WebNewser)
Whether it's Google's answer to Facebook or just an improvement to its Gmail Webmail service, Google Buzz is alive and well following its introduction by the search-engine giant Tuesday. The service integrates photos, videos, and links from social networking sites used by Gmail users' contacts. WebNewser: Not surprisingly, it didn't take long for reaction to the announcement of Google Buzz to begin pouring in, particularly from Google's closest competitors. NYT: Buzz comes with a built-in circle of friends, a group that is automatically selected by Google based on the people that a user communicates with most frequently in Gmail and on Google's chat service.

The Fake-News Cycle (NYO)
John Koblin: The only real fact that is known, for now, is that The Times is working on a story on David Paterson. It may, in fact, contain scandalous stuff. But until they publish it, there is nothing to report except fake news about the story. As fake news goes viral, it becomes impossible to ignore.

AP Stories Reappear on Google News (WSJ/Digits)
New articles from the Associated Press have quietly started rolling out on Google's news site again, ending a nearly seven-week absence stemming from contentious negotiations between the two parties. It is unclear whether Google's decision to start hosting new AP articles reflects a change in the status of talks.

Michael Kinsley to Enter Magazine Editors Hall of Fame (Folio:)
The American Society of Magazine Editors announced that Michael Kinsley has been elected to the Magazine Editors Hall of Fame. Kinsley has served as editor of The New Republic, The Washington Monthly, Harper's and the Los Angeles Times, and as founding editor of Slate.com.

One Year Later, Reuters Iraq Photog Freed By U.S. (Reuters)
The U.S. military freed Reuters photographer Ibrahim Jassam Mohammed in Iraq on Wednesday, almost a year and a half after snatching him from his home in the middle of the night and holding him without charge. "How can I describe my feelings? This is like being born again," Jassam told Reuters.

Frank Magid, Who Turned TV News Into Entertainment, Dies at 78 (WSJ)
One of television's original "news doctors," Frank Magid helped re-imagine television news as a form of entertainment. Magid "established things like consumer reporting, health and other segments," said Craig Allen, an ASU journalism professor. Magid claimed he was only giving the people what they wanted.

Interview Magazine Shows Off iPad Capabilities (HuffPo)
Interview magazine celebrated its 40th anniversary Tuesday night in New York, and in celebrating its past took a look into the future by unveiling its capabilities on the Apple iPad. Interview, which was launched by Andy Warhol 40 years ago, will introduce several issues on iPad when the device launches next month.

Online Ad Improvement in IAC's 4Q Loss (AP)
Internet company IAC/InterActiveCorp lost $1 billion in the fourth quarter because it wrote down the value of its search business, but the results beat expectations and offered the latest indication that the online advertising market is improving.

Food Network Cooks Up a Hit, Despite Turnover (NYP)
Hearst's Food Network Magazine may be one of the fastest starting magazines in publishing history, but much like arch rival Every Day with Rachael Ray, it seems to be having a hard time holding onto its launch team. Several mid-level editors have reportedly given notice this week.

McClatchy CEO Pruitt: We've Got No Beef With Google (E&P)
The McClatchy Co. is in no rush to block giant aggregators like Google or throw up pay walls, chairman and CEO Gary Pruitt said Tuesday. Strategic arrangements with Yahoo and Google drive 20 percent of traffic to McClatchy Web sites, he said. "To disengage is to risk marginalization," Pruitt said.

FCC Advisor Waldman: No Bailouts in Store for Media (B&C)
Steven Waldman, senior advisor to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, believes that, theoretically speaking, there is no harm in the decline and fall of broadcast outlets and newspapers, so long as there is something immediately set to replace their useful function of delivering news and civic information.

Former Harper's Editor Hodge Shopping Book (NYO)
Just a week after being unceremoniously ousted as the editor of Harper's Magazine, Roger Hodge has a book proposal out. The book is tentatively titled The Mendacity of Hope, according to publishing industry sources. It will attack President Obama from the left.

How Twitter and The New Yorker Can Be Friends (Forbes)
Trevor Butterworth: If blogging, at least in the U.S., was more of a conceptual rebellion -- a virtual uprising against a calcified media establishment that was often hostile to intellectual engagement and deaf to criticism -- Twitter is more usefully imagined not as a medium for writing, but as a cybernetic activity.

MySpace Music Plugs in Audio Ads (Mediaweek)
To offset sluggish revenue, MySpace Music is turning to in-stream audio ads, a first for the playlist-based Internet radio service. To handle ad sales, MySpace has signed with TargetSpot, which represents a network of both pure play Internet radio providers and some of the largest radio groups.

Why SI's Swimsuit Issue Matters (The Wrap)
Make no mistake: Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue is big business. The issue generates 7 percent of SI's annual ad revenue. This year, SI sold 67 ad pages in its swimsuit issue, which was flat over last year. (In 2009, though, pages were down 33 percent -- so maybe that's a sign the ad market is stabilizing.)