Changes ahead for the Bee's biz section?

The Sacramento Bee may eliminate its stand-alone business section and combine the business and metro sections, according to reports from the The Sacramento Business Journal.
The change is among the ideas being discussed as part of the paper's redesign. The Bee also appointed a new business editor recently, Wayne Davis.
The St. Petersburg Times is the most recent newspaper to drop its stand-alone business section. Last week, the paper began combining its Sunday business section with the paper's metro section.
For the full report click here.

LA Times announces new business editor

The Los Angeles Times has announced that former deputy business editor, Sallie Hofmeister has been promoted to business editor. Hofmeister, 50, worked her way up the ladder beginning as a reporter nearly 13 years ago then moving her way into business editor positions at the Times. She also worked as an assistant business editor for The New York Times. Throughout her career Hofmeister has reported on major country media stories and hopes to continue the paper's "hard-hitting journalism" the business section is known for. She is the first female to hold the position at the newspaper.
For the full story click here.

Duckers steps down from biz editor post

Business Editor John Duckers is leaving The Birmingham Post after spending 18 years at the newspaper partly, he says, because of the pace of new technology in the media world.
He wrote: “I’m 57 next month, journalism is a high-pressure job, exacting and long hours…Also, the sector is going through a lot of change. Journalism has always developed and I vowed when I first started in the profession in 1973 that I would always keep up...At the point you feel it is getting away from you it is time to go.”
For the full story click here.

WSJ on the sports beat

Derrick Eckardt of RotoNation recently talked to Adam Thompson, the editor of the Wall Street Journal's online sports page, about what will happen when the paper beefs up its sports coverage.
Here's an excerpt:

Thompson said his goal is to turn the WSJ’s sports section into “a thinking man’s sports site.” He is of fan of the sports journalism that he sees in the NY Sun and Slate, which gives you a feel for the artistic flare you should expect. While the majority of articles will focus on the business-side of sports, Thompson is recruiting writers from around the Journal and its worldwide bureaus to contribute pieces on the sports topics of their choice. In edition, the WSJ is running regular interviews with prominent figures in the sports industry (Danica Patrick is the most recent subject), and is developing out a regular collectables column (think a sports-themed Antiques Road Show).

For more click here.

Lesonsky tackles a new challenge

Folio reports that longtime Entrepreneur editorial director Rieva Lesonsky, has been named editor-at-large for AllBusiness.com, an online business information resource.
At AllBusiness.com, Lesonsky will contribute a weekly column as well as a weekly podcast, “Ask Rieva.”
Lesonsky began her career with Entrepreneur 26 years ago as a research assistant. Most recently she served as senior vice president and editorial director.
For the full story click here.

Sac Bee promotes Davis to biz editor

Wayne Davis has been named business editor of The Sacramento Bee, replacing Cathie Anderson, who was recently appointed features editor, according to reports from the Sacramento Business Journal.
Davis has been at The Bee for about 23 years, serving as deputy business editor for the past two years. Previously, he held other editor and copy editor positions at the paper, including a stint in the features department and as bureau chief in Elk Grove.
"I just hope that we're headed to be a very competitive, very energized section, with ... reporters and editors focused entirely on the Sacramento region," Davis said.
For the full story click here.

St. Pete Times reduces staff

The St. Petersburg Times will offer buyouts and impose a one-year salary freeze for remaining employees in an attempt to reduce the newspaper's payroll, according to reports on the site.
If enough employees do not accept the buyout offer, the paper's executives say some staff may be laid off later this year.
In a letter to staff, Times editor and chairman Paul Tash said the measures were a response to a “difficult economic climate” that has been especially hard on advertising, the largest source of newspaper revenue. Over the last two years, the Times’ full-time staff has dropped from more than 1,500 to fewer than 1,300, mostly by attrition.
“We are navigating a period of historic change and challenge,” Tash said. “Getting through this stretch will not be easy, and it will take everyone’s best efforts, but I remain fully confident about our prospects."
For more click here.

Yahoo! Finance Ranks #1

The Center for Media Research took a look at the stats behind online financial journalism. For the week ending April 27, Yahoo!Finance was the top destination for financial news with MSN Money and AOL Finance rounding out the Top 3.
Yahoo!Finance had 10.8 million visitors compared to MSN Money's 7.2 million.

See the complete report here.

Wired Celebrates 15

Irin Carmon writes at WWD.com today about Wired magazine and the publication's celebration of 15 years of success. She writes, "Fifteen years in, Wired seems relatively untroubled by its paradoxes. The magazine purports to cover the future with a several-months lead time; it's a print magazine that has outlasted boom and bust, as well as many of its competitors and an inherently fickle tech culture, but that until two years ago was orphaned from its online component, originally sold to Lycos. A mostly New York-based media corps repeatedly anoints it for print-oriented attributes like design, crafted apart in San Francisco. Its editor says he is not "a media person" but he's out there front and center offering answers to, among others, media people. "

Carmon goes on to discuss the "alleged victory of the nerds" (i.e. the survival of Wired). Read the complete article here.

Reflecting on Buyouts

Columnist Howard Kurtz reflects on recent buyouts at The Washington Post and the state of the newspaper industry overall in "Post Buyouts Come With an Emotional Cost." In the piece, Kurtz calls the activity "painful to watch from the inside." And while he concedes that the future is digital, he argues: "But -- and stop me if you've heard this one -- newspapers matter. There isn't a Web site around that can produce the probing work, such as the exposé of shoddy conditions at the Army's Walter Reed Medical Center, that won The Post six Pulitzer Prizes this year."

Read Kurtz's complete column here.

The Weather Channel's possible buyers

The Wall Street Journal reports that Time Warner Inc. and a partnership between General Electric Co.'s NBC Universal and Blackstone Group LP have emerged as leading contenders to win an auction for the Weather Channel.
Bids are due Friday and the price is expected to between $3 billion and $4 billion.
Several companies that had expressed interest in the Weather Channel and its related businesses in March are seen as unlikely contenders now, including CBS Corp., Liberty Media Holding Corp. and Comcast Corp., according to people familiar with the situation.
To read the full story click here.

Burr to lead Jacksonville Business Journal

John Burr has been named the new editor of The Jacksonville Business Journal, according to reports from the paper.
Burr has covered Northeast Florida as a reporter and editor for 20 years, most recently as assistant managing editor of The Florida Times-Union, the region's largest daily newspaper. He will join The Business Journal on June 9.
"I am confident John's news judgment, market knowledge, project planning skills and leadership experience will prove invaluable as we continue to grow our paid circulation, online reach and market share through our top quality news products and publications," Jacksonville Business Journal Publisher David Sillick said.
For more click here.

Tribune to launch "Chicago Homes"

Editor & Publisher reports that the Chicago Tribune is planning a new weekly real estate section called "Chicago Homes."
The section will replace "Your Place" and "New Homes" sections and will have “a cleaner design to better showcase complete coverage of the local real estate market and features on maintaining and upgraded homes.”
The paper has re-launched its companion real estate Web site to include more information about neighborhoods, communities, and recent sales activity.
For more click here.

Biz beat change at the AJC

Cision reports that Peralte Paul, who previously wrote about banking and insurance for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, has changed his coverage.
He now focuses on Fortune 1000 companies such as Acuity Brands, Mohawk Industries and Superior Essex.

Covering Apple's every move

Jim Kerstetter of CNET.com writes about the rumor mill circulating around Apple products and why reporters chose to write about the whispers.
The most recent example is the speculation that Apple will finally showcase the new 3G iPhone launch during the June 9 keynote address at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco.

"Yes, Apple gets lots of free publicity. In fact, Harvard Business School professor David Yoffie estimated last year that the iPhone generated $400 million in free publicity for Apple. A little embarrassing for those of us in the news business? Sure. But as reporters covering the technology industry, we're as curious as you about what Jobs has up his sleeve. So we'll stop writing about it when you stop reading about it and Apple stops producing interesting stuff--none of which anyone expects to happen anytime soon."

For the full story click here.

Smith in new role at Kansas City Star

According to the newspaper, Randy Smith, deputy managing editor of The Kansas City Star, has been named director of strategic development.
Star President and Publisher Mark Zieman said Smith would work on the newspaper’s reorganization, staff development, retention and recruitment, and diversity programs.
He also will act as liaison with the newsroom on personnel issues and work on the newspaper’s outreach efforts to the community.
Smith has been with The Star for more than 25 years and previously was a metro editor and business editor. He is a former president of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers and was recently honored with the University of Missouri’s Alumni Association Faculty-Alumni Award.
“Two of my great loves are The Kansas City Star and the Kansas City community,” Smith said. “This new opportunity allows me to serve both.”
For more click here.

Forbes new venture: an online executive women's network

Mediaweek reports that Forbes.com plans to launch the Executive Women's Network.
The new social network, which will go live sometime in the next few months, will be geared for high-ranking female business executives, providing a forum for sharing information and knowledge with colleagues, industry members and those looking to enter particular industries.
Just a few weeks ago Forbes.com introduced the AnswerNetwork platform, designed for C-level executives.
Besides enabling corporate ladder climbing women to establish profiles and meet other professionals, the network will also feature original Forbes-produced content, including features from the company's ForbesLife Executive Woman magazine.

Thomson takes over at the Journal

News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch named Wall Street Journal Publisher Robert Thomson as the paper's new managing editor, succeeding Marcus Brauchli, who left under pressure last month. Thomson will also serve as editor in chief of Dow Jones, which means he will continue to oversee editorial operations at Dow Jones Newswires, as he had when he was publisher, according to reports from the Journal.
Les Hinton, chief executive of Dow Jones, will add to his duties the position of Wall Street Journal publisher.
The move is expected to speed the pace of change at the nation's second-largest newspaper, creating a more direct pipeline from News Corp. to the paper's editors.
For more click here.

Is Murdoch exactly what the industry needs?

Simon Constable of The Street would appreciate it if everyone would stop complaining about Rupert Murdoch and the News Corp. empire.
In fact, he says, Murdoch is enlivening a business in much need of a shakeup.

"Whatever you say about him -- and there's plenty to say -- the truth is that he's exactly what the American newspaper needs right now. The newspaper business is suffering now from a lack of internal competition. It shouldn't be a surprise that the quality of product has declined, and that as a consequence, readers have fled.
No industry has ever benefited for long where competition has been lacking. Just look at what happened to RCA, which at one time had great color-television technology but let it all slip after achieving monopoly status, says Michael Carew, professor of economics at Baruch College in New York. It's a similar story where newspapers are concerned."

For the full story click here.

SEC files lawsuit against former AOL execs

The Washinton Post reports that the Securities and Exchange Commission filed civil lawsuits against eight former America Online executives, accusing them of participating in illegal accounting practices that inflated the online giant's reported revenue by more than $1 billion.
Former chief financial officers John Michael Kelly and Joseph A. Ripp, as well as several leaders of the company's dealmaking business affairs unit, were among those charged. Four of the executives agreed to settle with the agency for about $8 million, including David M. Colburn, former head of business affairs, who agreed to pay $4 million.
All four who settled agreed to do so without admitting or denying the allegations against them.
The lawsuits were the result of a drawn-out investigation by the SEC that began in 2002 after a Washington Post report by Alec Klein on a series of unconventional deals involving the online giant. In 2005, AOL's parent company, Time Warner, reached its own settlement with the SEC, agreeing to pay $300 million.
For the full story click here.
To read an businessjournalism.org interview with Klein click here.

Globe 100 hits newsstands

In what has become a Massachusetts tradition, The Boston Globe released is annual Globe 100, a ranking of the best-performing publicly traded companies in the state.
Perini Corporation, one of the nation's largest general contractors, earned "Company of the Year" honors for the second straight year. The special magazine publication takes a comprehensive look back at how business has changed over the two decades since its first publication in 1989.
The diversity of companies that make up this year's Globe 100 reflects the state's broad economic base. Complete rankings and analysis are included in a special "Globe 100" magazine appearing in The Boston Globe on May 20 and online at Boston.com/Globe100.
For more click here.

Roland moves to FinancialWeek

Cision reports that Neil Roland, most recently a business reporter for Bloomberg News, will join FinancialWeek as a senior reporter in the Washington bureau. Roland has also written for the Miami Herald, United Press International and the Army Times.

Spokesman-Review clinches innovation award

The The Spokesman-Review won the International Newspaper Marketing Association's contest for innovative business models, according to Poynter reports.
The paper won the award for its BizFinderNW.com, a business directory that offers a listing with address, store hours, a map and a photo for free. Businesses can amplify on the listing or buy a display position if they wish.
For more click here.

St. Pete focuses on local companies

Although the St. Petersburg Times is making major changes (which begin today) in its business coverage, including elimination of stock and mutual fund listings.
But the paper's Web site is adding a new online section focused on companies headquartered in the Tampa Bay area. The coverage will start with the 10 largest companies by revenue and then will expand to include others.
Want to check it out? Click here.

Thomson Reuters to cut 140 jobs

Thomson Reuters will eliminate 140 jobs by the end of the year.
David Schlesinger, editor-in-chief of Reuters News, said the company focused on areas that overlapped and duplicated coverage. More than half of the cuts will occur in Europe.
"After looking at both the unique content that each news operation produces as well as news that is duplicated, I believe that the combined size of the new Reuters News at the end of the year should be around 2,500 - significantly more than the 2,380 the old Reuters editorial ended 2007 with," he told staff in the memo, seen by MediaGuardian.co.uk.
"Unfortunately, the overlap we've found and our need to run the operation efficiently means that we will have to eliminate around 140 jobs worldwide by the end of the year," he added.
For more click here.

Observer clinches award for mortgage crisis coverage

The National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE) have announced the winners of its 58th Annual Journalism Awards, which recognized excellence in reporting, writing and editing stories about both residential and commercial real estate and building.
The judges awarded a “Special Judges' Citation for Excellence in Journalism” to Allen Norwood and his team at the Charlotte Observer for their coverage of the far-reaching effect of the mortgage crisis in Charlotte, N.C.
The Robert F. Brennan Award for Best Overall Entry by an Individual went to Jeanne Jones of the Puget Sound Business Journal.
Freelancer Ted Cushman, who writes for Builder magazine, took first place in the Freelance Collection Award.
For the full list of winners click here.

The Washington Post buyout watch

A huge shakeup is underway at The Washington Post as more than 100 newsroom employees have agreed to take buyouts.
Editor & Publisher reports that one point of interest has been the number of top editors and big names, including columnists David Broder and Tony Kornheiser, who reportedly signed up to take the early retirement.
The deadline to sign up was 5 p.m. on Thursday. Employees have seven days from then to change their minds.
And now it is rumored that The Post's Executive Editor Leonard Downie Jr. may also have plans to leave the paper.
For more on the Downie departure watch click here.
For more on the buyouts click here.

Chicago Tribune’s editor departs

The Chicago Tribune’s managing editor for news, George de Lama, is leaving the newspaper after 30 years, according to reports from The New York Times. de Lama has served as a Tribune metro reporter, national and foreign correspondent, chief of correspondents, national and foreign editor and deputy managing editor. He was also the first Latino employee to be listed on the newspaper’s masthead.

CBS buys CNet Networks

The New York Times reports that CBS announced a $1.8 billion deal to buy the online media brand CNet Networks, home of Web sites like CNet.com (on technology), BNet (on business), GameSpot (on video games), TV.com (on television), and CHOW (on cooking).
CBS has been snapping up small Web sites in the last year or so, including Last.fm, a music Web site it bought for $280 million, Wallstrip, which makes irreverent financial-themed Web videos, and DotSpotter, a celebrity gossip site. But at $1.8 billion, the deal for CNet is the biggest by far in its recent Internet expansion, making the network — and therefore Mr.(Quincy)Smith (the president of CBS Interactive) — bigger players in online media.
For the full story click here.

Thomson Reuters prepares for job cuts

Thomson Reuters has confirmed it is about to outline significant job losses in an internal email to staff, according to reports from Guardian.
The email, seen by MediaGuardian.co.uk and sent to senior managers by Devin Wenig, the chief executive of Thomson Reuters' markets division, which includes its 2,600-strong global news operation, said that the precise scale of the cuts will be outlined "over the next several days".
In the email, Wenig, who was a Reuters board member and its chief operating officer prior to the merger, wrote: "It's no secret that a significant amount of thought and planning has been dedicated to eliminating duplication and generating savings within our business. Over the next several days, we will communicate department by department the impact of our integration ... these actions will mean an immediate reduction in our headcount."would be completed by the end of the year, but went on to say that further cuts could be made if management decided to close certain products down completely.
For more click here.

Bee's biz editor moves to features

The Sacramento Bee business editor Cathie Anderson has been named the paper's features editor, according to reports from the Sacramento Business Journal.
Prior to joining The Bee in 2003, Anderson was an assistant business editor at the Dallas Morning News and had various titles at the Detroit News, in both features and business.
"Under Cathie's leadership, the Business section was recognized for its overall excellence by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers," the memo states. "Cathie made residential real estate a centerpiece of our Business coverage and worked closely with Amy Chance to improve our coverage of the business side of state government -- looking at how state government impacts businesses and the economy."

Gates invites reporters to annual gathering, does this mean coverage?

In his blog, Brier Dudley of The Seattle Times wonders why so many A-list journalists were invited to the usual Bill Gates annual closed-door gathering where business leaders talk about the future of technology.
And he wants to know, "if Microsoft's inviting select journalists behind the curtain, does that mean we'll finally get news coverage from inside the event?"
From Dudley:

The usual routine is that plebian journalists can watch a telecast of the opening speech that Gates presents at the event. Sometimes they'll bring a handful of executives out for a token panel discussion with reporters.
This year's news dollop suggests that the executives will be pitched on Microsoft's new advertising technology, more than mobile or PC computing. Instead of getting Tablet PCs, they'll get to play with various Surface computers, including the vertical ones that Microsoft's been showing since the start of the year.
Among the stories I'm waiting for: What do CEOs think about Microsoft's new technologies, the outlook on tech spending in the downturn, outsourcing as labor costs rise, executives' take on Vista vs. OS X and whether any of the other tycoons will follow Bill's path to philanthropy.

Biz editor in St. Pete talks about changes

Robert Trigaux, business editor at the St. Petersburg Times, says Monday his business section will be folded into metro news coverage.
The change is part of an effort to streamline the Monday-through-Saturday editions. He says the newspaper will continue to publish a separate business section on Sundays, with extensive coverage of personal finance.

"We all know time is money — and time is only getting tighter in a tougher economy. At the St. Petersburg Times, we are taking that message to heart. Starting Monday, the Business section will appear inside newly named "Tampa Bay" — what is now the "metro" or "B" section of the newspaper. A leaner but more meaningful stock market report will accompany the Business report Tuesday through Saturday. The changes are part of a larger streamlining of the Monday-through-Saturday editions. We will deliver quicker-to-read business news and analysis, along with a stock and mutual fund report that carries fewer listings but better captures the key trends of the daily markets."

For more click here.

Bloomberg ready for something big?

Marketwatch columnist Jon Friedman wonders if Bloomberg could be setting itself up to buy The New York Times.
That's apparently the buzz circulating with the insiders.
From the story:

"It was big news when Bloomberg announced Monday that Norman Pearlstine, a senior adviser at the Carlyle Group, had joined the company as chief content officer. After all, Pearlstine had been the top news executive at Time Inc. and The Wall Street Journal.
But Pearlstine's newly created position may be a precursor to an even bigger story involving the powerful information and news company, which was founded by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. By hiring someone with such impeccable credentials and connections, the Bloomberg company is making a statement: It's poised to do something BIG. "

Pittsburgh biz reporters honored

Pittsburgh Business Times reporters won four Golden Quill awards for journalistic excellence, according to reports from the paper.
In the nondaily newspaper health and medical reporting category, Business Times reporter Kris B. Mamula won for his "Defining Death Sparks Debate" piece on organ transplantation. Mamula's story "Team Races Against the Clock" won in the nondaily newspaper science and technology reporting category.
Mamula's "Defining Death" article also was the recipient of the Ray Sprigle Memorial Award for nondaily newspapers and magazines. The award is named for former Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Ray Sprigle.
Business Times reporter Ben Semmes won for continuing coverage in nondaily newspapers for his "Real Estate Market Reacts to Capital Crunch" stories.

Zweig joins the WSJ

Jason Zweig is leaving Money Magazine to become a personal finance columnist for The Wall Street Journal beginning July 1, according to PrimeNewswire.
"Jason is one of the best-known personal finance journalists," said Nikhil Deogun, editor of the Journal's Money & Investing section. "He is a great addition to the team as we continue to expand our coverage in this important area."
At Money Magazine, Zweig was a senior writer and columnist, covering a wide range of topics, from the psychology of investing to false profits to the fool's gold of investing in gold. Prior to that, he was the mutual funds editor at Forbes.
Earlier in his career, Zweig had been a reporter-researcher for the Economy & Business section of Time and an editorial assistant at Africa Report, a bi-monthly journal.

Warren to run Philly.com

Wendy Warren, 37, has been named vice president and editor of Philly.com, according to reports on the site.
Warren was most recently the assistant managing editor for the Daily News and was previously the business editor and a business writer at the Allentown Morning Call, where she was a Times-Mirror Journalist of the Year in 1998.
"She's a terrific journalist and a great leader, too," said Brian Tierney, chief executive of Philadelphia Media Holdings, which owns both papers and Philly.com.
Tierney noted that Philly.com had 42 million hits from Web surfers in April, a one-third increase from April 2007.
For the full story click here.

Fortune Brings on New Executive Editor

Craig Matters will join Fortune magazine as executive editor, a newly created slot. Matters, formerly the executive editor of Money magazine and the founding editor of CNNMoney.com, will oversee Fortune.com and work with print and online reporters on technology and investing coverage.
Matters will report to Fortune editor Andy Serwer. From 2001 to 2004 he was the founding editor of CNNMoney.com. In 2004, he became executive editor of Money, a place he had previously worked.
In the 1990s, Matters edited one of the earliest online communities, American Lawyer Media's Counsel Connect. Before that he ran newsrooms for American Lawyer’s daily business and legal newspapers in San Francisco and Miami.
Meanwhile, Money has promoted Diane Harris and Ellen Stark, to executive editors. Both were previously assistant managing editors. Senior editor Pat Regnier becomes assistant managing editor and Beth Fenner also becomes an assistant managing editor.
Click here for more.

Everett, WA Paper Trims Stock Listings

The Daily Herald in Everett, Wash., is cutting back on full stock listings in its weekday business section, writes Business Editor Mike Benbow. The paper will keep some stock listings on those days (local/regional company stocks, the biggest mutual funds and other market information) but will not carry the New York and Nasdaq stock exchanges on those days.
The Saturday paper will carry complete stock listing.
Benbow says the reasons are twofold: people getting their stock quotes elsewhere and much closer to real time and the need to cut costs in the face of declining revenues and rising newsprint costs.
To see full column, click here.

Cablevision outbids Murdoch for Newsday

Cablevision Systems Corp. has beat out media mogul Rupert Murdoch, CEO of News Corp., to buy Newsday from the Tribune Co. in a deal valued at $650 million, the companies announced Monday.
Murdoch withdrew his own $580 million bid on Saturday to buy the Long Island-based paper. New York Daily News owner Mortimer Zuckerman had also bid $580 million.
Tribune had been seeking to sell Newsday to help lower its $8.2 billion debt load it took on last year when it went private last year as part Sam Zell’s acquisition of Tribune.
In a move with tax implications, Chicago-based Tribune will retain a 3 percent stake in a joint venture to be formed containing Newsday as well as several related assets, including Newsday.com, some regional magazines and the free daily newspaper in New York City. Cablevision will hold the remaining 97 percent.
Acquiring Newsday will allow Cablevision to boost marketing to the many households on Long Island that don’t yet subscribe to it, while using Newsday’s expertise in ad sales.
Cablevision, which is controlled by the Dolan family, runs one of the most advanced cable TV operations in the industry and has about 3.1 million subscribers in the New York metro area. The company also owns Madison Square Garden, the NBA’s New York Knicks, the NHL’s New York Rangers.
“We admire Newsday’s strong editorial voice and reputation for quality as well as its leadership in print and online journalism,” Cablevision Chairman Charles Dolan said in a statement.

Pearlstine Joins Bloomberg

Norman Pearlstine has been named Chief Content Officer at Bloomberg News, a newly created position that will seek growth opportunities for Bloomberg’s television, radio, magazine and online products, according to a press release.
Pearlstine, who has been working as a senior advisor at The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm, since 2006, will be rejoining former Wall Street Journal colleague Matt Winkler, who is founder and Editor- in-Chief of Bloomberg News.
Prior to the Carlyle Group, Pearlstine was Editor-in-Chief of Time Inc. for 11 years. He is also a founder of Smart Money magazine and worked as Executive Editor of Forbes.
Pearlstine and Winkler were colleagues at The Wall Street Journal in the 1980s. In December, Pearlstine presented Winkler with an Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement Award in Business and Financial Reporting.
“Norm will be a tremendous asset to Bloomberg as we continue to shape new media for this century,” said Dan Doctoroff, Bloomberg president, in a press announcement.

N.C. Daily Cuts Biz Page to One Day

The Lexington Dispatch in North Carolina will cease publishing its daily business section and will instead offer readers a business page every Wednesday, announced the paper’s executive editor, Chad Killebrew.
In a column published Saturday, Killebrew said the move doesn’t mean business news will be cut back. Those stories will now be dispersed throughout the paper, notably on page one or 3A.
On Wednesdays, the business page will feature stories on people in business, a roundup of individual achievements, grand openings, photos and short business stories.
The move harkens back to the days when Killebrew started at the paper in 1989 when the paper only published a business page on Mondays, he wrote.
The decision is based on several factors, including how the paper wants to use that space.

“Rather than use a wire story about business, we’d prefer to use that space to publish local information in a more timely manner,” he wrote. “Given a choice between printing Davidson County news, whether generated by our staff or submitted by readers, or a wire story, we’ll pick local news every time.”

View full column here.

Editor changes at Southeast Missourian

According to Cision, business editor Tim Krakowiak has left the Southeast Missourian. Reporter Rudi Keller is filling in as acting business editor until May 19, when Brian Blackwell will join the paper and take over the position. Blackwell was most recently with The Washington Times.

Changes at the St. Pete Times

On May 19th, The St. Petersburg Times will embark on big changes, which executives say will emphasize material readers value and also cut costs.
Floridian, the daily features section, will publish only on Sundays and the business section will merge with metro news in a new section. Traditional stock listings and the Working section will disappear.
TV listings, comics, Dear Abby, crossword puzzles and the more popular syndicated elements of the features section will move to a new section called BayLink.
For more on the changes click here.

An alien to guide readers' spending?

Editor & Publisher reports that The Register-Herald in Beckley, W.Va is launching a marketing campaign featuring an alien who will help readers decide how to spend their economic stimulus checks.
His name is “Al the Legal Alien” and each day on Page 2 the paper will offer one-fourth page, full-color ads daily on that page to show where the legal alien has been spotted spending his stimulus check.
“We want to help maximize businesses opportunity to gain additional sales created by these rebate checks,” Advertising Director Chuck Jessup told the newspaper. “As these checks hit households, it’s likely more companies will announce ad campaigns and special deals as the weeks go by to try to convince shoppers to spend.”
For the full story click here.

The new era at the WSJ

The New Republic takes a closer look at the changes and new direction at The Wall Street Journal since Ruphert Murdoch took over.
Recently the paper's managing editor Marcus Brauchli resigned under pressure and through his executives Murdoch has continued to push for The Journal to increase its international and polticial coverage to compete with The New York Times.

"But many Journal staffers remain confused over where Murdoch is taking the paper and whether, as a business proposition, a Journal that tries to be all things to all people will risk ceding finance-focused readers to the resurgent Financial Times or even the invigorated business section in The New York Times."

To read the full story click here.

TechCrunch partners with WashingtonPost.com

TechCrunch and WashingtonPost.com have a new partnership that will boost the newspaper's technology coverage.
Stories from TechCrunch will be syndicated to their site and added to the technology section. According to the company's Web site, TechCrunch, which was founded in 2005, is a weblog dedicated to obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies. In addition to covering new companies, they also profile existing companies that are making an impact (commercial and/or cultural) on the new Web space.

"TechCrunch will provide washingtonpost.com readers concentrated and continuously updated insights into cutting-edge start-ups, products and other online ventures. This addition rounds out the Technology section, which already provides in-depth reporting on the latest news and trends affecting every aspect of the technology industry, from medical innovations to the evolutions in global media policy, personal technology to issues of security."

For more click here.

Murdoch's got his eye on Newsday

A Chicago Tribune report says that although his company is reported to be holding tight to its $580 million offer for Newsday despite apparently being outbid, News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch believes he ultimately will wind up with Tribune Co.'s Long Island, N.Y., newspaper.
Cablevision Systems Corp. submitted a $650 million proposal for Newsday last week, a few days after sources said Murdoch reached an agreement in principle with Tribune Co. Chairman and Chief Executive Sam Zell for control of the New York tabloid.
Murdoch said he hopes the Newsday deal will be completed "within the next week, and I don't mean the end of next week, I mean in the next seven days. It takes two to agree, but we're at a pretty advanced stage."
To read the full story click here.

NBC to launch 24-hour local channel

The New York Times resports that NBC Universal plans to start a 24-hour New York local cable news channel, which will de-emphasize the identity of NBC’s flagship station, WNBC, Channel 4.
NBC’s plan calls for rebuilding Channel 4’s newsroom and melding its content closely with the new channel, as well as an existing locally oriented Web site and video displayed in places like gas pumps and taxi back seats.
NBC will even take WNBC’s name off the Web site, wnbc.com, simply calling it NBC New York. Local news will still be shown on Channel 4.
To read the full report click here.

Forbes launches AnswerNetwork

Forbes.com is launching a new social networking venture, AnswerNetwork, which allows top executives to communicate and share information.
Through partnering with Cisco, the new platform will allow executives share their knowledge and expertise.
Forbes.com says members can "pose a query on any topic, from stocks to fine wine to the economy, and receive a response from a knowledgeable fellow member."
For more click here.

Still feeling the fallout at the WSJ

The New York Observer reports that for the past two weeks, Robert Thomson, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, has been busy not being the paper’s editor.
It hasn’t been easy. Since April 22, when Marcus Brauchli resigned as the newspaper’s managing editor, Thomson, who was forced to describe himself in an interview with The New York Times as the interim “head of content” for the paper, has had nine meetings (in person and on conference calls) to soothe the fraying nerves of his orphaned editorial staff.
“There was a real panic here for a few days when Marcus left,” said one reporter.
Thomson’s paternity tour has had mixed results, which Thomson is among the first to admit.
For the full story click here.

Top journalism schools partner with ABC

Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication is one of five schools that will host an ABC News multimedia bureau next September.
The company is launching ABC News on Campus, a partnership with top journalism schools across the country to educate and mentor talented college students.
From the bureaus, students will report on local stories and produce content for
ABC News’ various digital and broadcast platforms, including “Good Morning America,” “World News with Charles Gibson,” “Nightline,” “ABC News NOW,” ABCNEWS.com, mtvU, ABC News Radio and NewsOne.
Other school selected are Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, the University of North Carolina’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the College of Communication at the University of Texas.
“These college digital bureaus will extend the newsgathering reach of ABC News throughout the country,” said ABC News President David Westin. “In addition, they will enable us to nurture bright young journalism students, giving them hands-on training from some of the most seasoned news professionals in the business and opportunities to see their work appear on ABC News platforms.”

NYT to layoff some staff today

Editor & Publisher reporter that New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller told his staff today to expect a "small number of layoffs."
Two months ago, the Times said it needed to reduce its newsroom staff by 100 positions and offered voluntary buyouts. Not enough employees took the buyout so the paper will have to resort to layoffs.
Click here for a copy of the memo, which first appeared on Poynter's Romenesko reports.

Charlotte Observer offers buyouts

The Charlotte Observer will offer voluntary buyouts, a move that will allow the newspaper to trim staff and battle against declining advertising revenue.
Officials said between 25 to 35 people could be given buyouts. With the buyouts, the company wants to cut its work force by less than 5 percent.
"We regret that we must say goodbye to some trusted and valued colleagues," Publisher Ann Caulkins said in a note to employees. "But for the long-term future of the company," she added, "it is important that we respond to current market conditions."
For more click here.

Teens rap about the Economist

The Guardian reports that two teenagers created a tribute rap song about the Economist and one of them, 17-year-old Ike Edgerton, says they song was created because he's been reading the magazine for years and really likes it.
From the story:

The chorus of the rap runs: "He reads the Economist so he can get the gist, its solid competence gives him confidence that his intelligence is correct."
Other lines praise editorial standards such as "The style in which they write is simple and concise, how do they get their sentences so precise?"

For more click here.

Pfeiffer leaves the Globe

Pulitzer-Prize winning Boston Globe reporter Sacha Pfeiffer is moving to WBUR-FM, a National Public Radio affiliate in Boston, next month as a health and science reporter, according to reports in the newspaper.
Pfeiffer, 36, has worked for the Globe for 13 years and covered a variety of beats, from the the state court system to philanthropy.
As a member of the Globe's Spotlight investigative team, she helped expose a pattern of sexual abuse among clergy in the Catholic Church.
She is a co-author of the book "Betrayal: The Crisis in the Catholic Church." She was a John S. Knight journalism fellow at Stanford University from 2004-2005, and currently covers legal affairs and nonprofit organizations as a business reporter.
Pfeiffer is a graduate of Boston University and now works there as an adjunct professor of journalism.

New editor of BusinessRockford.com.

Annette LaCross is slated to become the new editor of BusinessRockford.com, according to reports on the site.
LaCross, 41, has worked as the assistant metro editor for the Register Star since March 2007. She started in newspapers as a business reporter and later became an editor, covering the auto industry in Detroit.
“Talk about a learning process,” LaCross said. “I covered everything from business financing to real estate. It was a fantastic experience, and I really can’t wait to get back to it.”
LaCross said she’s eager to get started as business editor and looks forward to “getting to know the people who do business in the Rock River Valley.
“The local business community is facing some unique challenges, and I hope to be able to help as they navigate the trials and triumphs of an increasingly global economy,” LaCross said.
For the full story click here.

Sale of Entrepreneur Media narrowing in

Folio reports that sources say the sale of Entrepreneur Media may happen as soon as the middle of May.
Potential buyers include the financial-services firm A.G. Edwards, Dow Jones, R.H. R.H. Donnelley and possibly USA Today with final bids due next week.
Entrepreneur Media is said to want $200 million for the company. In the meantime morale is low at Entrepreneur Media as the staff remains in the dark on the sale process.
For the complete story click here.

More Bloomberg women say they were discriminated against

Reuters reports that the number of pregnant women at news and financial data company Bloomberg LP who claim to have suffered sex discrimination has grown to 58 from three.
EEOC lawyer Raechel Adams told a federal judge at a pre-trial hearing that since her agency filed its suit in September, the number of pregnant women who have said their duties were reduced, or that they had been excluded from employment opportunities had risen to 58.
The EEOC lawsuit claims the company discriminated against pregnant employees by cutting their pay and demoting them. It also claims the women were paid less when they returned from maternity leave and were demoted and replaced by "junior" male employees.
The EEOC is asking the court to award back pay and provide compensation for both past and future monetary losses. A trial is expected in the fall.
For the entire story click here.

Natalie Bancroft is unavailable

Columbia Journalism Review looks at where Natalie Bancroft, a 27-year-old aspiring opera singer and heiress to the Dow Jones fortune, fits into the current debacle at The Wall Street Journal.
Murdoch picked Bancroft to join the News Corp. board in October after his company bought Dow Jones from her family for $5.6 billion.
But now with all the tension and debate at The Wall Street Journal over the departure of Marcus Brauchli, the managing editor who recently resigned, Bancroft can't be reached for comment.
From the story:

David Carr, writing in The New York Times this week, forthrightly pointed to the eerie silence with which Dow Jones and Wall Street Journal leaders have greeted the dismantling of the journalistic legacy to which they devoted their professional lives. Carr rightly focuses on Marcus Brauchli, the managing editor who resigned in return for a rich payday rather than invoke the editorial protections painstakingly written into the deal when Rupert Murdoch’s company bought Dow Jones.

But the collapse of Dow Jones should be remembered for the speed and the unanimity with which leaders of all stripes—editors, executives, directors, and, yes, Class B shareholders—abandoned long-standing principles and treasured journalistic models in the face of a lucrative offer from an unsolicited buyer. I haven’t seen this kind of money grab since I covered the Rhode Island Public Buildings Authority.

The special committee created to protect the managing editor’s prerogatives has said Brauchli’s resignation “failed to meet the letter and the spirit of the agreement” that created it. What does Natalie Bancroft say about all this? A News Corp. spokesman said she was traveling for work and couldn't’t be reached for comment for this piece.

For more click here.

Dykstra and publisher at odds

The New York Post reports that former major league baseball player Lenny Dykstra is now in a bitter legal brawl with the publisher of Players Club, Doubledown Media.
The Players Club, founded by Dykstra, is a fiancial advice and lifestyle magazine for professional athletes.
The finger-pointing by both Dykstra and Doubledown Media, centers on cost overruns at the magazine, as well as charges by Dykstra that the publisher used his name without permission to launch a newsletter and Web site called The Dykstra Report, which isn't connected to Players Club.
"He thinks I'm going to buckle," said Dykstra, referring to Doubledown President Randall Lane. "I don't buckle - I go to war."
Lane and his attorneys see the situation differently.
For the full story click here.

Jumping into the Starbucks beat

Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter Andrea James recently picked up the Starbucks beat for the newspaper.
James recently appeared on Fox News Business Channel to talk lagging profits, mango smoothies and the return of President and CEO Howard Schultz.
What's the former Seattle SuperSonics owner done for the company since his return to the top in January? Watch James' answer here.
The segment is called, "A Latte Nothing?"

The rise of The Economist

The MinnPost writes about the rise of The Economist, calling it "one of the more striking developments in contemporary American journalism."
The report says, the magazine serves up global news at a time when most U.S. news organizations have been retrenching and sticking to their own backyards.

Over the last decade, The Economist's circulation has doubled to 1.3 million. Two-thirds of this increase has come in North America. The publication now claims four times as much circulation on this continent as in its homeland, the United Kingdom. Its ad revenue through September of last year rose 22.5 percent from the comparable period of 2006 – four times the rate of the rest of the industry. All of that was enough to earn for itself the top spot on AdweekMedia's ranking of 2007's most successful magazines.

To read the full story click here.

WSJ's Bandler heads to Fortune

Longtime Wall Street Journal reporter James Bandler is leaving the newspaper to work at Fortune magazine, Portfolio reports.
In his departure letter to his colleges, Bandler recalls the "extrodinary journalism" he witnessed and the important stories he had a chance to work on while at the newspaper.

"My last boss, Mark Maremont, had the foresight to propose the project on stock option manipulations. It took a lot of courage for the paper to run the first story. Our editors made sure that plenty of space was available for ensuing follow-ups. The impact of the stories was considerable: more than 70 corporate officers and directors were fired and 18 were criminally charged."

For more click here.