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Two Journalists Are Released in Iraq (NYT)
Two journalists, one the victim of a kidnapping, the other held in jail by American forces, won their liberty on Monday. Richard Butler, a British photographer working for CBS who was kidnapped two months ago, was freed when Iraqi soldiers burst into a house in central Basra and found him, and on Monday American military officials announced that they would release AP photographer Bilal Hussein.

Magazine Ad Revenue, Pages Decline (Folio:)
The Publishers Information Bureau released its quarterly report this morning, and, unsurprisingly, consumer magazine publishers are having a tougher time selling ads in 2008 than they did in 2007. Total rate-card-reported advertising revenue fell 1.2 percent during the first three months of the year. But ad pages — considered the more telling statistic — fell 6.4 percent. NYP: Ad pages for BusinessWeek, which just went through its third round of cuts in three years, tumbled 19.4 percent in the quarter to 429.5 ad pages while rival Forbes dipped 13.2 percent to 504.8 ad pages.

Gawker Spins Off Wonkette, Gridskipper, and Idolator (FishbowlNY)
In an email, Gawker's founder and publisher Nick Denton explained why he was selling the sites: "To be blunt: they each had their editorial successes; but someone else will have better luck selling the advertising than we did." The email states that "most" of the writers will remain with their current blogs but doesn't provide any more details. FishhbowlNY: Changes may soon be afoot at Gridskipper, the travel blog Gawker Media offloaded to the Curbed network in its three-blog fire sale. "We're going to rethink it a little bit," Curbed president Lockhart Steele said of his hyper-local network's new blog-baby. "We're thinking about the fact that Gridskipper never had a local mooring." FishbowlNY: Gawker Media managing editor Noah Robischon confirmed "the site leads of each are staying," but couldn't speak to the ultimate fate of freelancers employed by newly-sold GM blogs Gridskipper, Idolator, and Wonkette.

Rowling Testifies in Lawsuit Over Harry Potter Encyclopedia (AP via WaPo)
J.K. Rowling testified Monday before a packed courtroom in a lawsuit to block publication of a Harry Potter lexicon, telling a judge that the book amounts to a "wholesale theft" of nearly 20 years of her hard work. "We all know I've made enough money. That's absolutely not why I'm here," Rowling told the judge in U.S. District Court.

Murdoch and Zell Appointed to AP Board (AP)
Rupert Murdoch and Sam Zell, two media figures who led major newspaper acquisitions in recent months, are among four new members joining the board of directors of the Associated Press, it was announced Monday at the news cooperative's annual meeting.

LA Times Still Not Sure What to Do About 'Tupac' Reporter (E&P)
Nearly a month after publishing its now infamous story about a rap industry shooting that relied on fake FBI records, the Los Angeles Times has still not determined the future of staffer Chuck Philips, who wrote the piece. Editor Russ Stanton said that Philips "remains active and on the payroll," but added "what he is going to be doing in the future is still in the process of being defined."

ASME Plans to Address Photoshopping (Folio:)
As magazines in the U.K. face a potential ban on digitally altering celebrity photos, the American Society of Magazine Editors is considering a panel discussion about best-practice guidelines. "ASME is not considering a ban of any kind," Glamour editor and ASME president Cindi Leive said. But she said readers "should never be misled about what they're looking at."

My Wall Street Journal Editor: WSJ Officials 'Pretty Thin-Skinned' (FishbowlNY)
Tony Hendra, the editor behind My Wall Street Journal — and, 26 years ago, the parody Off the Wall Street Journal — was amused by yesterday's New York Times story that a WSJ official was buying the papers. He is prepared, however, for any negative reaction from the company. "[Dow Jones was] pretty thin-skinned the first time around," Hendra tells us.

Video a Coming Attraction for Cellphone-Toting Masses (LAT)
With 89 percent of U.S. adults signed up for cellphone service, carriers are trying to boost revenue by getting customers to receive more data on their phones — and nothing contains as much data as video. The big carriers have done little to promote video, in part because most handsets can't show moving pictures. But that may change soon, industry executives said.

What Every Freelancer Should know About Taxes (Salon)
Catherine Price: On this tax day I offer you a list of tips to make the practical, financial, and emotional sides of freelancing more manageable. Some of it may seem obvious. Some of it may seem too wonky and technical. But if one poor freelancer opens an IRA as the result of this story, then I'll have done my job.

Peter Gabriel Launches Site to Help People Sift Through Recommendations Online (LAT)
"We've all sat there at the computer with muscle fatigue in our thumbs and faced with so much information without focus," said Gabriel, a partner in the new Web site. "Getting the good stuff without the grief, that is the dream. And I'm not talking just about music, I mean everything. Not just a disc jockey, but a life jockey." TheFilter.com has a beta launch today and goes public in May.

Lifetime Unveils Fall Plans (Variety)
With momentum at its back and Project Runway in hand, Lifetime is spreading its wings with a diverse development slate that includes pilot orders for two scripted dramas and two scripted comedies. Lifetime chief Andrea Wong and entertainment prexy Susanne Daniels talked up the cabler's ambitious development plans at an upfront briefing session with reporters Monday.

Free Daily BostonNOW Folds After Just One Year (Boston Business Journal)
The paper ceased operations Monday, according to Russel Pergament, BostonNOW's CEO. While the paper was growing, the closure is due to the financial difficulties its primary investor is facing. The paper's main financial backer is Iceland-based telecom and media holding company Baugur Group. Baugur Group said last week it planned to sell its media, technology, and financial investments to focus on its core retail market.

It's Web 3.0, and Someone Else's Content Is King (AdAge)
Matthew Creamer: Whatever you think of Tina Brown and her so far skimpily detailed plans to launch an IAC-backed news-aggregation site, you have to admit her shift in purpose from producing original content to curating it is a sign of the times — end times maybe — for media as we've known it.

The Irrational Marginalization Of Magazines (MIN)
Rebecca McPheters: The fact that magazines are becoming stronger vis-a-vis other media in their ability to reach and engage consumers has done little to protect them from the financial damage ensuing from their increasing marginalization by advertisers — and from consumers' rising expectations that content is not something for which they should have to pay.