Media News

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YouTube Debuts Channel for Citizen Journalists (THR)
The world's top purveyor of Internet video has launched YouTube Direct, whereby TV and online news editors can obtain video from so-called "citizen journalists" -- and even request such video be shot by amateurs seeking attention. Beet.tv: The Huffington Post, NPR, Politico and the San Francisco Chronicle are the first media companies to use the system.

Washington Blade Newspaper Closes (NYT)
The Washington Blade and several other gay newspapers and magazines around the country learned on Monday that they had been shut down after a federal agency that oversaw them was unable to find buyers for them. Washington City Paper/The Sexist: The final hours of the Washington Blade. Creative Loafing: The Southern Voice and David, Atlanta's leading gay publications, have been shut down.

Adviser to Murdoch Is Leaving News Corp (NYT)
Gary Ginsberg, a close adviser to Rupert Murdoch for 11 years who often served as a liaison between the conservative Murdoch and the Democratic Party, will leave News Corporation at the end of the year. Murdoch called Ginsberg "one of my most trusted and effective executives over the past decade."

Bill O'Reilly Offers Lou Dobbs a 'Semi-Regular' Contributor Role (TVNewser)
Lou Dobbs continued his media rounds last night with his first TV interview since leaving CNN, on The O'Reilly Factor. (He'll be talking with TVNewser today). Dobbs talked about what led to his departure, his coverage of the birther movement, and a possible future in politics. NYP: Dobbs said CNN showed him the door because its top execs didn't want to offend President Obama. HuffPo: SNL skewers Dobbs.

With New Presses, NY Daily News Is Betting on World of Print (NYT)
Mortimer B. Zuckerman, owner of The Daily News, has sunk more than $150 million into expanding the newspaper's printing plant, installing advanced high-speed presses -- a statement of faith that print will still be big business for another decade or two, if not longer.

CNN Reporter Detained in China for Holding Anti-Obama T-Shirt (TVNewser)
CNN Beijing correspondent Emily Chang said in a blog post that she was detained for two hours yesterday by authorities in Shanghai for holding up a T-shirt that depicts President Obama wearing a Red Army uniform. Chang bought the T-shirt at a basement souvenir shop in Beijing.

Time.com Spins Off Technology Blog Into Standalone Web Site (AdAge)
Time magazine's Web site is bidding for a bigger piece of geeky audiences and technology advertisers by moving its 3-year-old Nerd World blog out of Time.com, adding additional technology coverage and renaming it Techland.

Crash of the Paparazzi Economy (Daily Beast)
The celebrity media bubble has burst, leaving paparazzi, the agencies that employ them, and the publications that showcase their wares, facing a new, very bleak reality. A typical celebrity shot sells for 31 percent less than it did in 2007, and six-figure photographs are down more than 50 percent.

Playboy CFO Steps Down (Folio:)
Amid rumors of a sell-off, Playboy Enterprises announced Monday that Linda G. Harvard has stepped down as executive vice president and chief financial officer. Harvard, who joined Playboy in 1997, said in the announcement that she is looking forward to "new challenges in the next stage of my career."

CBS Launching Turn-of-Decade Project (AP)
CBS News is planning an ambitious turn-of-decade look at America's position in the world that's also designed as an opening competitive shot at Diane Sawyer. Called CBS Reports: Where America Stands, the series will look at issues such as health care, the military, the economy and crime.

Budget Travel Not Closing (FishbowlNY)
Newsweek says that rumors of a Budget Travel shutdown are just rumors. "It's business as usual at Budget Travel, and we are currently working to produce the February issue and beyond." spokesman Frank J. De Maria wrote.

YouTube Gets Hispanic Shows in Univision Deal (Reuters)
Spanish-language media company Univision Communications Inc. said it has reached an agreement to feature short and full-length programs on Google Inc.'s online video site YouTube. The revenue-sharing agreement covers new and archive Hispanic programing.

New Google Book Pact Unlikely to End Flap (WSJ)
Google Inc. and two author and publisher groups submitted a modified version of a controversial settlement over digital books, but the issue of whether it is fair to let Google distribute books whose legal rights owners haven't been identified is still drawing criticism. Wired/Epicenter: The Open Book Alliance, a motley collection of objectors that range from Yahoo to the nonprofit Internet Archive, says the changes don't go far enough to keep Google from getting a monopoly on the world's books.

The Digital Future -- Goin' Mobile (E&P)
Digital formats, including mobile applications, are poised for growth in 2010. And as newspaper publishers begin to explore their digital-delivery options, the Audit Bureau of Circulations is looking to stay ahead of the curve in measuring that data. But will those numbers translate into ad dollars? Mediaweek: According to the third annual Mobile Market View Study, mobile Internet access is up to 21 percent of users, from 14.8 percent a year ago and 10.2 percent in 2007.