Gannett's initiative to improve content delivery

Editor & Publisher is reporting that Gannett has launched ContentOne, an initiative designed to help improve news gathering and delivery at the company's papers. 

"ContentOne will guide major event coverage across the company, allow our community journalists to focus on local news and information and help end duplication," Craig Dubow, chairman, president and CEO of Gannett, said in a statement. "At the same time, ContentOne will seek new ways to use our content across multiple platforms and in multiple venues as our customers' media consumption habits change."

For more click here.

'USA Today' president to retire

USA Today owner Gannett announced today that the paper's president and publisher, Craig Moon, will retire on April 17 after 23 years at the company.

He joined Gannett in 1985 as vice president/advertising of The Cincinnati Enquirer and The Cincinnati Post. He also has been president and publisher of The News-Press in Fort Myers, FL, and of the Arkansas Gazette in Little Rock.
He has been the Newspaper Division’s advertising executive of the year, publisher of the year and Gannett’s manager of the year. He has been given a President’s Ring as a top Gannett publisher five times since 1992.

According to the article, Moon will move back to Nashville, Tennessee, where he and unnamed partners will explore several new business opportunities within the broader media industry.

Click here to read more.

Another Chicago paper files for bankruptcy

The New York Times is reporting that a second Chicago publishing company, The Sun-Times Media Group, has filed for bankruptcy protection. The company publishes Chicago Sun-Times.

From the story:

The company said it would continue to operate its newspaper and online sites white it focuses on further improving its cost structure and stabilizing operations. The company has retained Rothschild to commence a process for the sale of assets, the company said. The bankruptcy petition was filed in Delaware. 

The company reported $479 million in assets and debts of $801 million. 

For more click here.

Online ad revenue grows again, but more slowly

Revenue from online advertising rose again in the fourth quarter of 2008, despite the the stuttering economy. However, it rose much more slowly than it had previously, according to Editor & Publisher.

The report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP said that revenue from online ads -- which companies like Google and Yahoo heavily rely on -- totaled $6.1 billion in the last three months of 2008.
That marked an increase of $154 million, or almost 3 percent, from the same period in 2007. Back then, Internet advertising was up 24 percent over the previous year.

According to the article, online ad revenue was up almost 11 percent for the whole year.
Online advertising rose to account for 10 percent of all advertising last year, up from 8.5 percent in 2007.

To read more, click here.

Washington Post updates online biz section

According to a Business Wire press release, The Washington Post is launching a new business and economy section front on its Web site today that will integrate reporting, analysis and multimedia coverage of the financial mess and Washington's plan to deal with it. 

The section highlights news analysis from well-known columnists, including Pulitzer Prize winner Steve Pearlstein, top video coverage and live blogging from the day's financial hearings and briefings, continuously updated stock market information, special investigative reports, and resources for business leaders and investors.

The revamped site will also feature a new blog, called "Small Change" that will shed light on survival tactics for the downturn. The bloggers, Ylan Mui and Nancy Trejos, plan to highlight the "resourceful ways people are making do, reinventing themselves and sometimes even prospering." 

For more click here.

Dylan Ratigan addresses rumors, talks about professional future

MarketWatch columnist Jon Friedman sat down with Dylan Ratigan over the weekend to discuss the ex-CNBC anchor's future. There has been a lot of speculation about Ratigan's next move in the television world, but, according to Ratigan himself, nothing has been finalized. The blogosphere is buzzing about the possibility of Ratigan joining ABC, but Ratigan quickly squashed the rumor. "If I don't know yet what I'm going to do, how can anyone else be so sure," he said. 

Ratigan also told Friedman he has "great affection" for CNBC and, contrary to reports, he did not part with the financial network on bad terms. He said in his next professional endeavor he wants to continue to "communicate his concern for America's financial mess." Ratigan added, "I'm leaving CNBC in order to pursue this story with the broadest possible footprint." 

For more click here.

Former Seattle P-I journalists trying to form own news organizations

Several journalists who are not part of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's transition to an online-only news outlet are trying to form two separate news outlets, according to an article posted on the new Seattle P-I website.

People involved in both initiatives say their plans are far from firm, and that finding a new business model to support serious journalism could take time.
Even so, one group of former P-I journalists says it could start publishing stories online this spring, hoping the money will come later.

One effort would try to find a viable way to produce news as a non-profit organization. The other, currently called the Seattle Post Globe, will try to put together a model based on community ownership.

To read more, click here.

Legendary business correspondent Irving R. Levine dies at 86

The Associated Press is reporting that longtime NBC correspondent Irving R. Levine, "who explained the fine points of economics to millions of viewers for nearly a quarter century," has died at 86. 

From the story:

Known for his dry, measured delivery and trademark bow ties, Levine was a presence at NBC since 1950 when he began covering the Korean War until his retirement in 1995. He had become the network's full-time economics correspondent in 1971 and in the last five years of his tenure also did weekly commentaries on CNBC. He also appeared on "Meet the Press" more than 100 times over the years.

Levine died Friday in Washington, D.C. from prostate cancer complications. 

For the full story click here.

Newspaper ad revenue plummets in 2008

Print advertising revenue for newspapers fell a record 17.7 percent in 2008, according to the Newspaper Association of America via Editor & Publisher.

"The industry has shed nearly $11.6 billion in sales since achieving its all-time peak of $49.4 billion in 2005," media consultant Alan Mutter noted in his blog "Reflections of a Newsosaur," which was the first to publicize the figures. "Thus, 23.2% of its revenue base was vaporized in just three years."
The destruction of classified advertising was well documented with every quarterly report of newspaper publishers in 2008 -- but the NAA figures nonetheless make startling reading.
Real estate classified ad revenue, NAA said, plunged 37.8% in the year to $2.48 billion.

Perhaps most worrying for an industry trying to work toward the future, online ad revenue failed to make gains for the first time, falling 1.8 percent over the previous year.

To read more, click here.

Update: Dylan Ratigan to leave CNBC today

MediaBistro is reporting that, according to CNBC spokesperson Brian Steel, "Dylan has told us he is leaving effective today." Steel calls Dylan Ratigan's sudden departure from CNBC "a mutual decision." Steel also said, "Due to the serious economic times in which we live, we made a decision that it would be a distraction for Dylan to host 'Fast Money' today." CNBC's Melissa Lee is scheduled to fill in for Dylan on "Fast Money" "for the time being." 

For more click here. 

The Globe's biz desk shrinks

Buyouts at The Boston Globe hit the business desk hard, according to reports from the Boston Herald.
The story says, business reporters Jeffrey Krasner, who covers health care, and Ross Kerber, who covers financial services, are among those taking a buyout. The business section's office manager, Susan Howley, is leaving and Danielle Kost, a multimedia producer for the business section, took the buyout a month ago.
The Globe needed 50 staffers to volunteer for buyouts, but only got 24. Layoffs could begin as soon as Monday.
From the story: “I have 2-year-old twins and I need to build a more secure financial future for them,” said Krasner, who plans to set up a health-care consulting firm. Krasner was on the Globe Spotlight Team that just won two awards from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.

Wash. Post to offer buyouts

The Washington Post will offer another round of buyouts - the fourth since 2003 - due to decreasing revenues, according to reports from the Associated Press.
It's unclear how many buyouts will be offered, but the story says about 230 employees took the buyout offered last year.
From the story:

In a letter to shareholders dated Feb. 24, company Chairman and former Post Publisher Don Graham said the paper "will lose substantial money in 2009" and that he is willing to let it do so as long as it shows a plan to return to profitability. He noted that the paper carried the Kaplan unit throughout much of the 1990s when it was losing money. "Today it isn't obvious that even the best-run, most successful newspaper can be consistently profitable. But the Post will get every chance," Graham wrote.

Is Ratigan done with Fast Money?

The New York Post is reporting that CNBC's "Fast Money" anchor Dylan Ratigan quit and his final day on air will be today.
But the details of what happened or if Ratigan is really gone are still shaky.
From the story:

CNBC rep Brian Steel refused to say if Ratigan had quit or address possible negotiations. He issued a statement: "The premise of your story is incorrect. Susan Krakower, who oversaw the development of 'Fast Money,' is one of the most talented people at CNBC." Alan Berger, Ratigan's agent, did not return repeated calls.

N.Y. Times to cut pay, may resort to layoffs

The New York Times Co. will institute a pay cut of roughly five percent in a move that will affect all non-union employees, according to Editor & Publisher.
The move was detailed in a memo from Chairman Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. and CEO Janet Robinson, as well as an article on The New York Times' web site.

Also, the board of directors of the New York Times approved salary
reductions of 5% for executive officers according to a regulatory filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The salary reduction is effective April 1 through Dec. 31, 2009 representing 4% on an annualized basis. Executive officers will also be entitled to an additional 10 days off to use before the end of the year.

The company also hinted that it may cut around 100 positions from the business side of The New York Times, or roughly five percent of the paper's workforce.

To read more, including the memo to employees, click here.

Memo to WSJ staffers has some worried

Portfolio's Jeff Bercovici reports on a memo delivered to staffers at The Wall Street Journal from managing editor Robert Thomson that outlines a "fundamental shift in orientation" inside the newsroom.
The memo asked staffers to contribute more breaking news, but Bercovici reports that there's concern in the newsroom about the future implications of the memo.
From the story:

Thomson's memo outlined a newsroom whose occupants are constantly on the lookout not for leder-worthy ideas but for tiny news bites that can be pushed out over the wire immediately, there to bestow a momentary competitive advantage on subscribers.

"Even a headstart of a few seconds is priceless for a commodities trader or a bond dealer -- that same story can be repurposed for a range of different audiences, but its value diminishes with the passing of time," wrote Thomson. "Given that revenue reality, henceforth all Journal reporters will be judged, in significant part, by whether they break news for the Newswires."

Chicago Tribune and L.A. Times to merge foreign bureaus

The Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune will merge their foreign reporting operations, according to a memo published on the L.A. Times' website.

The foreign report will continue to be distributed on the L.A. Times-Washington Post News Service and to the Tribune family of papers and websites in a daily, ready-to-publish World and Nation report produced in Chicago. Our stories and reports will reach millions more digitally, be it online, via mobile devices or eEdition delivery.

The operation will be based in Los Angeles, but some editors will remain in Chicago. Reporters from both papers will remain on staff as well.

To read more, click here.

FBN vs. CNBC?

BNET Media has an article that examines the possibility of a feud heating up between Rupert Murdoch's relatively young FOX Business Network and CNBC.  The recent attacks on CNBC, initiated mainly by Jon Stewart a few weeks ago, have opened up the financial network to major scrutiny. Several media commentators have said that this is the perfect opportunity for CNBC rivals to capitalize on the anti-CNBC sentiment. And it looks like some of CNBC's top competitors may do just that.

In his "Broadcasting & Cable" blog, Ben Grossman quoted an alleged FBN source as saying, "We are smart enough not to let this kind of an opportunity pass - it's not in our DNA." 

Grossman and Catherine P. Taylor, who wrote the BNET Media piece, caution that if media networks plan to launch counter-strategies, they must do so in a timely manner. CNN has already capitalized on CNBC's bad press through a promo for its business coverage "absolutely aimed at CNBC's newfound image of being just as irresponsible as some of the disastrous financial institutions it covers." 

Despite the criticism, CNBC has not implemented significant changes yet. In fact, the network is still running its "In Cramer We Trust" campaign. But Taylor isn't surprised:

Actually, that shouldn't be surprising to anyone; would CNBC capitulate to the demands of the host of a comedy show on another network? Of course not. When the "In Cramer We Trust" campaign changes, and it will, CNBC will try to slip it under the radar screen, while our attention is directed elsewhere. 

For the full story click here.

Atlanta-Journal Constitution to lay off 30% of news staff

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution will cut about 90 people from its full-time news staff, according to an article posted on the paper's website on Wednesday.

The AJC’s news staff will drop to about 230 full-time positions, down from about 323 currently. Staff members with five or more years with the company will be offered voluntary buyouts, with layoffs to follow if they don’t achieve the targeted cuts, the company said.
Most of the news staff cuts “will be in production and management, allowing us to keep as many news reporters as possible,” AJC and ajc.com editor Julia Wallace said.

The paper will also stop distributing to seven counties. The announcement comes just a day after the AJC laid off 48 part-time staff.
Publisher Franklin said the paper hopes to return to profitability in 2010.

Click here to read more.

SCCE seeks nominations

The Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics is seeking nominations for its 2009 Journalism Award.
The society is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of corporate governance, compliance and ethics.
The deadline for submissions is June 26.
“This award has been established to honor and recognize a journalist who shows insight into the compliance and ethics profession, and who promotes public and governmental recognition of the field and/or the value of compliance and ethics programs,” said Roy Snell, Chief Executive Officer, Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics.
For full details click here.

Former WSJ staffer heads to Heritage

Politico reports that former Wall Street Journal foreign correspondent and editor is now the vice president of communications at the Heritage Foundation.
The Heritage Foundation is the nation’s most broadly supported public policy research institute, with more than 400,000 individual, foundation and corporate donors.
Gonzales, who once covered the stock market and edited the opinion pages in Europe, will help lead the foundation's refocused communications and marketing operations.
For more click here.

SABEW best in biz winners announced

The Society of American Business Writers and Editors have annouced the winners of this year's Best in Business contest.
The contest highlights top-notch business reporting in publications across the country in categories like breaking news, enterprise and blogs.
For the complete list click here.
In the overall excellence category, the awards went to the following:

Giant newspapers
(Average daily circulation above 325,000)
The New York Times
Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
The Washington Post

Large newspapers
(circulation from 225,000 to 325,000)
Detroit Free Press
Rocky Mountain News
Kansas City Star

Mid-sized newspapers
(circulation from 125,000 to 225,000)
Miami Herald
The Grand Rapids Press
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Small newspapers
(circulation under 125,000)
Arizona Daily Star (Tucson.)
Salt Lake Tribune
The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, MA.)

Houston Chron to cut 200 employees

The Houston Chronicle, the ninth-largest newspaper in the country, will cut 12 percent of its staff to reduce costs, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal.
The cost-saving could affect about 200 staffers.
This is Hearst's latest move to cut costs. The company recently closed the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and said it could also close the the San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst also cut 15% of the staff at the San Antonio Express-News.
At his Talking Biz News blog, Chris Roush lists some of the business journalists directly affected by the layoffs at the Houston Chronicle.
To read the full article from the Journal click here.

CNBC original: Cruise Inc.

As news outlets sort through the latest economic news and daily developments on the government bailout front, CNBC takes a bit of a diversion with an original special that profiles the rapidly-growing $30-billion cruise industry. The financial network takes a look at how consumers are encouraged to spend their money on the newest 15-story boats that are a "destination of [their] own." Housed within these floating cities are hotels, shopping malls, casinos and full-service spas where travelers can spend money on everything from "oil paintings to Botox." 

But the cruise business is extremely volatile as bad weather, a late departure, or even a shortage of beer "can mean the difference between profits and loss." The industry also faces major challenges in the weak global economy. 

The special premieres Tuesday at 9 pm, 10 pm and 1 am ET. 

For more click here.

Two high-profile investigative reporters leaving WSJ

Politico is reporting two reporters from The Wall Street Journal are leaving the paper to start their own company that will conduct investigations for private clients. The departure of Sue Schmidt and Glenn Simpson is being regarded as a possible foreshadowing of the industry's future as investigative reporters are looking at "less space in major newspapers." Newspapers have been forced to scale back their investigative reporting operations as it happens to be one of the most time-consuming and expensive areas of journalism. 

When asked to comment about their latest move, Schmidt, who is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, told Politico they were "sort of shifting gears." Simpson added they were "going to do some public interest work and some consulting." 

Their new company is SNS Global LLC. They will also be a part of the International Assessment and Strategy Center.

For more click here.

More news outlets instituting furloughs

Following what seems to be a growing trend, two more media companies announced today that they will be instituting furloughs in efforts to cut back on spending.
Advance Publications will require many employees to take ten-day furloughs, according to Editor & Publisher.

Word of the furloughs began to spread last week, but formal announcements were going out today at most of the company's Newhouse Newspapers, including The Star-Ledger in Newark, N.J.; The Plain Dealer in Cleveland; The Oregonian in Portland; The Times-Picayune in New Orleans; and The Staten Island (N.Y.) Advance[...]

Gannett, which instituted furloughs over the first quarter this year, will do so again for the second quarter, according to Yahoo! Finance.

The first-quarter furloughs saved Gannett about $20 million. The company declined to estimate how much Gannett it will save from the second-quarter furloughs.
This time around, the owner of USA Today and more than 80 other daily U.S. newspapers is requiring its highest-paid workers to relinquish up to two weeks pay. The extra week applies to a group that includes Dubow, other top executives and newspaper workers making more than $90,000 annually, Gannett spokeswoman Tara Connell said.

Both companies cited the economy as the main reason such measures will be taken.

Click to read more about the furloughs by Advance Publications and Gannett.

FBN sues SEC

The FOX Business Network is reporting that it has filed a lawsuit against the Securities and Exchange Commission. The lawsuit alleges the SEC failed to respond to FBN's request for information regarding "the potential violations of the securities laws or any other potential wrongdoing by R. Allen Stanford, or Stanford Financial Group and/or its affiliates" under the Freedom of Information Act. The initial FOIA request was filed on Feb. 26. FBN's initial request "included, but was not limited to, the SEC's response to complaints, tips or information and any resulting audits, inquiries and investigations."

Executive Vice President of FOX News Kevin Magee said the latest lawsuit is part of the network's ongoing effort to "demand government accountability" and protect the "public's right to know how these economic atrocities were committed." Magee noted, "It is unacceptable that titans like R. Allen Stanford or Bernard Madoff were able to operate such massive financial frauds under the nose of institutions like the SEC." 

For more click here.

Howard Dean joins CNBC as contributor

"Business & Media Institute" is reporting CNBC has named former chair of the Democratic National Committee Howard Dean a contributor. Dean is also a former Vermont governor and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate. Dean's newest position was announced on Monday's "Squawk Box" by co-host Joe Kernen. Kernen said Dean's new role at CNBC shows the network's effort to stay "balanced." Dean has been an occasional guest host on "Squawk Box" since he stepped down as DNC chairman in January.

Former Bush administration Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto was also named a contributor. 

For more click here.

WSJ steps up breaking news coverage

The New York Times reports that The Wall Street Journal is taking active measures to become better at delivering breaking news. Reporters at WSJ will be required to supply material to Dow Jones Newswires more often and provide "clearer versions of their articles." People in the newsroom say the changes mean that the first version that goes out to the wires will consist of a headline and a few sentences and will be "written in the simplest terms." The first version will be sent out as soon as possible. The full articles that will be printed in WSJ will utilize more "complex language." 

The staff was informed of the changes in a memo from top editor Robert Thomson who was apparently "frankly critical of the way breaking news articles have been written." While Thomson declined to discuss the overhaul with NYT, he said, "We break stories everyday and the question is how do you make the most of that?" 

The memo, which caused a "stir" in WSJ's newsroom, also mentioned that all WSJ reporters "will be judged, in significant part, by whether they break news for the Newswires." 

For more click here. 

Friedman: Attacks on CNBC good for FBN, Bloomberg

MarketWatch media columnist Jon Friedman takes a look at the new opportunities that may have opened up for the FOX Business Network and Bloomberg Television after Jon Stewart's attack on CNBC and the network's reputation. According to Friedman, FBN and Bloomberg now have the chance to show viewers they are a viable, "winning alternative" to CNBC.

From the story:

CNBC's size alone makes it look like an appealing target at a time when investors are depressed and furious. With about 355,000 total viewers, CNBC overshadows its rivals. Fair or not, CNBC suddenly represents everything that is evil about capitalism. The priority for Fox Business and Bloomberg is simple: become the anti-CNBC.

Friedman thinks it is FBN's and Bloomberg's time to make "progress" and "strengthen their identities." He suggests that FBN should target the "the outside of the stock market," or the "little guy," while Bloomberg needs to find ways to retain top talent. Friedman also urges Bloomberg to drop its "vanilla style" that has "become predictable" and "jazz up its broadcasts while maintaining journalistic integrity." 

But Friedman acknowledges that nobody is really expecting either FBN or Bloomberg to overtake CNBC "any time soon." 

For the full story click here.

Freedom Communications announces furloughs

Freedom Communications, owner of 100 daily and weekly papers including The Orange County Register, revealed in a staff memo earlier this week that it will force most of its employees to take one-week furloughs to help cut costs, according to Editor & Publisher.

The memo, dated March 17, states: "the first quarter of 2009 has brought us an economy that is the most challenged since the great depression. Like other businesses, including those in our industry, we need to take additional steps sooner rather than later to try to combat this tough economic environment."
[...]It adds that those hired within the last six months will be exempt "because, as new associates to the organization, this is the ramp-up period where they are still learning the role and our preference was to not interrupt the process."

To read more, click here.

Washington Post to eliminate stand-alone business section

Starting March 30, The Washington Post will no longer publish a stand-alone business section, according to Editor & Publisher. Instead, business news will run in the A section of the paper.

The Post is also eliminating daily stock listings. It will instead offer a half-page of statistics and graphics that will focus on prices of major and local stocks and other economic data.
Many newspapers have been eliminating standalone business sections to cut production costs amid plunging advertising revenue. Last month, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution announced similar plans, and earlier this month the Los Angeles Times shrunk from five to four daily sections.

The cost-saving move will not affect Sunday editions, which will continue to publish a stand-alone business section.

For more, click here.

Tucson Citizen's future hangs in the balance

Gannett, owner of the Tucson Citizen of Tucson, Arizona, announced in January that it would be selling the paper or folding it if acceptable offers were not received.
However, the paper is still operating because an unknown number of parties are in the midst of serious negotiations, according to an article on the paper's website.

Citizen staffers entered employment limbo Tuesday afternoon when Gannett announced the paper would move to day-to-day publication status because two "very serious" prospects had come forward.
Robert J. Dickey, president of Gannett's U.S. Community Publishing, informed Citizen interim Editor Jennifer Boice in a phone call that negotiations with the potential buyers would not completed by Saturday, the date Gannett had set to shutter the Citizen if it hadn't been sold.

Gannett said in a news release that it hopes to have the situation resolved in "the very short term," and hopes to notify employees about the results of the negotiations as soon as possible.

Click here to read more.

TheStreet to cut 18 staffers

TheStreet Inc., an online financial news company, is cutting six percent of its workforce, according to a story posted on Yahoo's Tech site.
The report says that for a savings of about 2.4 million per year, 18 positions will be cut. Last year the company slashed 11 percent of it's workforce, froze salaries and eliminated 2008 bonuses.
From the story:

"This action, while difficult, allows us to continue to invest in new initiatives while remaining well positioned for future growth opportunities," chief financial officer Eric Ashman said.

FT launches Newssift.com

The Financial Times Group has launched Newssift.com, a next generation search tool for business professionals.
The site allows visitors to search global business news sources and compile specific information geared toward users' needs.
From the release:

As the media landscape continues to evolve, more people are using the Internet as their primary news source. Newssift allows you to look for up-to-date news and analysis online to know before you go, streamlining the process of search and search refinement for business decision makers. Newssift delivers precise and more relevant qualitative business news, moving beyond traditional key word search.

New Corp. names new key officer

Jan Koeppen has been named chief operating officer of News Corp.'s Europe and Asia operations, which include the company's stake in the BSkyB satellite-TV service, U.K. newspapers and Star television in Asia, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal.From the story:

Mr. Koeppen's appointment comes at a time of management shuffling at News Corp. after President and Chief Operating Officer Peter Chernin announced he would leave the company when his contract expires in June. News Corp. recently elevated several key executives at its U.S. television and film businesses.

Time experiments with custom-tailored magazine

Time, Inc. is taking subscription requests for an experimental, customizable magazine called "mine," according to Yahoo! Finance.
The magazine will be a bi-weekly publication pulling content from several Time properties, including Time, Sports Illustrated and Money.
Readers will choose which publications they want to receive content from. Editors will preselect content to include in the final product.
In addition, the reader-driven customization will allow for the implementation of highly targeted advertising:

Those who fill out an online survey will also find that advertisements fit their personal circumstances in a form of hyper-targeting.
A sample ad tag line for a respondent named Dave, who lives in Los Angeles and eats sushi, might read: "Hey Dave, your friends will be really impressed when you drive down Van Ness Avenue on your way to get sushi."

Lexus will be the sole advertiser for the 10-week project and will tailor its advertising around the concept.
Time hopes the magazine will allow print readers to experience the same type of customization available on the internet.

Click here to read more.

Increase in time spent on newspaper sites slows

The average time spent on major newspaper sites has been increasing for the past several months in general. This past month, however, the numbers were not so encouraging.
While several sites saw large increases, some of the top performers actually lost time, according to Editor & Publisher.

The average time spent on newspaper Web sits stalled if not dropped in February. Many sites still maintain single-digit averages for an entire month[...]
There were a handful of notable exceptions with some Web sites doubling the amount of time people linger. Boston.com, the site of The Boston Globe, grew its average time by almost 11 minutes to 19 minutes and 29 seconds compared to the same period last year.

NYTimes.com retained its number one position, but its time spent fell from 35:42 to 33:29. Second place belonged to the Minneapolis Star Tribune once again, but that paper also fell, from 30:36 to 25:08.

To read the article and see the list, click here.

Anchorage Daily News cuts staff

Employees of the McClatchy-owned Anchorage Daily News received word Thursday that will institute staff cuts and wage reductions in order to cut costs, according to Editor & Publisher.

Forty-five staff positions will be cut, or about 17 percent of the newspaper's workforce. It will be accomplished by mid-April through a combination of buyouts, layoffs and the elimination of vacant position.

According to the article, the pay cuts will be anywhere from 2.5 percent to 10 percent, depending on the level of pay already received.

To read more, click here.

FBN's Casone profiled in "D Magazine"

D Magazine, which caters to the Dallas/Fort Worth area, has an article profiling FOX Business Network anchor Cheryl Casone who is also a Texas native. Casone's story is unusual because she started her career as a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines. During down time on flights, she studied the financial markets in order to learn how to make her investments grow. Casone, who also holds a communications degree from Northern Arizona University, decided to leave the airline industry and accept a job as a business reporter in San Francisco. She then held several positions in cable news at MSNBC, CBS and CNN. In 2007, she was offered a position at FBN. 

Casone says FBN is different from other business networks that "tend to talk in elitist terms and kind of talk down to their audience." 

For the full story click here. 

WSJ editor fined

The Associated Press reports that a senior editor for the Wall Street Journal, Melanie Kirkpatrick, was fined 10,000 Singapore dollars (6,660 US) for contempt of court and ordered to pay $10,000 dollars in legal costs over three articles that allegedly insulted the city-state's judiciary.
From the story:

"Kirkpatrick, based in New York, was found liable for allowing the publication of three articles that, according to Singapore prosecutors, impugned the integrity and independence of local courts. The articles in question were two editorials and a letter by a Singapore opposition leader, Chee Soon Juan of the Singapore Democratic Party, published in the Wall Street Journal Asia in June and July 2008."

San Diego Union-Tribune to be sold

The San Diego Union-Tribune will be sold to a private equity firm, according to a story on the paper's website.
The Copley Press, current owner of The Union Tribune, announced the sale on Wednesday. Platinume Equity, a private equity firm that specializes in reviving troubled companies, will make the purchase.

“There's no question that the newspaper industry is undergoing a period of tremendous upheaval, and we're not blind to that,” Platinum principal Mark Barnhill said. “But that said, we would not be making this acquisition if we were not confident about our ability to succeed in this business and in that market in particular."

According to the article, terms of the sale have not been released, and the companies have not discussed personnel changes.
While the paper still has a Thursday-Saturday circulation over 300,000 and a Sunday circulation of nearly 350,000, its advertising revenue has fallen 40 percent since 2006.

Click here to read more.

P-I editor says goodbye

The Seattle Post Intelligencer's Managing Editor David McCumber wrote a goodbye letter to readers where he says, "we never wanted to see it end."
The last edition of the P-I was published on Tuesday.
From McCumber's open letter:

We're overwhelmingly grateful to you for supporting us for 146 years -- for buying us on the street, for inviting us into your homes, for placing ads with us, for telling us what you think and helping us be better. And, over the last two months, for telling us how much you'll miss us.

"Forced Out" wins Goldsmith

Washington Post reporters Debbie Cenziper and Sarah Cohen won the $25,000 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting for their report "Forced Out."
According to the release, "Forced Out" revealed how Washington, D.C. landlords drove hundreds of tenants from rent-controlled apartments by refusing to make repairs and other harassment methods, and then profited from redevelopment.
After the stories ran the attorney general in Washinton D.C. sued 23 landlords, fired many in the city's housing-inspection forces and "The Tenant Protection Act of 2008" was introduced.

"These journalists championed the interests of utterly powerless people, which shows yet again how essential investigative journalism is in our society," said Alex S. Jones, director of the Shorenstein Center.

To read more click here.

Cuts at Crains

The Chicago Tribune reports that Crain's Chicago Business eliminated several positions and informed remaining staffers that they could face a 10-percent pay-cut.
In addition, the story points out that this month Crain's also announced it would close Automotive News Europe, Business Insurance Europe, RCR Wireless News and the financialweek.com Web site.
From the story:

A spokeswoman for parent Crain Communications would not corroborate the specific cost-cutting moves. The private business publishing company, however, did confirm cutbacks -- including an unspecified number of job eliminations -- had been made at many of its titles to offset effects of the global economic downturn.

The Tucson Citizen could be bought

After reporting that Gannett's Tucson Citizen would most likely close on March 21, the Associated Press has a story that says the paper will not close as scheduled due to continuing negotiations with two interested buyers.
A final commemorative issue that the Citizen planned to publish on Saturday is delayed and staff was informed that publishing would for now continue after the 21st.
From the story:

Robert J. Dickey, president of Gannett U.S. Community Publishing, said in a teleconference that the negotiations would not be completed by Saturday, according to Editor Jennifer Boice. Two months ago, Dickey had said March 21 would be the deadline for sale or closure of the Citizen, which began publishing in 1870 and is Arizona's oldest newspaper.

The next news source for Rocky Mountain readers?

Former staffers from the recently shut down Rocky Mountain News are planning to start an online news publication, InDenverTimes.com, according to reports from the Associate Press.
The site could go live in May if the backers of the project get 50,000 paying subscribers by April 23 - the date that would have been the paper's 150th anniversary.
From the story:

The site would offer some news free, with advertising revenue footing part of the bill. Readers who buy subscriptions starting at $4.99 a month for a year's commitment would get extra features, including columns, interactive features, feeds to mobile devices and customizable content. "Great journalism can still be good business," said Kevin Preblud, one of the three entrepreneurs behind the venture.

Tribune promotes Lev to associate biz manager

The Chicago Tribune reports that 17-year paper veteran Michael Lev is the new associate managing editor for business.
The story says that Lev will replace Jim Kirk, who left the Tribune at the end of 2008 to join Bloomberg News' Washington bureau.
Lev was named business editor in 2005 after working for years as a foreign correspondent in Asia.
For more click here.

Gannett to close Tucson Citizen

After nearly 140 years, Gannett Co. announced it will close Southern Arizona's Tucson Citizen, according to reports from the Associated Press.
In January, Gannett announced it would close the Citizen if it did not find a buyer. No buyer was found and now the paper will shut down production on March 21.
From the story:

The Citizen, an afternoon newspaper, has struggled for years against the Arizona Daily Star, a 117,000-circulation morning newspaper owned by Lee Enterprises. During the Citizen's heyday in the 1960s, circulation was about 60,000; today, it's 17,000.
Editor Jennifer Boice said the Citizen's closure is a loss for the Star, the community and journalism.
"It's a loss because what we do makes the Star better, the Star makes us better, and because of that, the community gets better information," said Boice, who started at the paper 25 years ago as a business writer. "It's more than the sum of the parts."

The Telegraph launches "Hard Times"

The Telegraph in Nashua, New Hamshire recently published a yearlong series called "Hard Times: Reasons and Remedies" a group of stories that will help readers navigate through the current economy.
An editorial in the paper says the point of the project is this simple, "The economy stinks, and we want to help you get through it."
"Hard Times" is one of the most ambitious series the paper has tackled.
The first day of the series kicked off with a piece from education reporter Michael Brindley who gave perspective on the current job market through the Nashua School District's teacher job fair.
Here's what Brindley found:

By the end of the 3-1/2-hour event at Nashua High School North, the district had interviewed 508 applicants, or about 145 an hour. That was more than double the number of applicants who turned out last year, though picketing teachers protesting the absence of a new contract may have had something to do with last year's participation levels.

For more on the series click here.

Seattle P-I to go online-only

After looking for a buyer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer for two months, owner Hearst Corp. announced today that the paper would transition to a web-only publication in an effort to save money and avoid shutting down.
After it publishes its last edition Tuesday, the paper will become the largest daily to make such a transition, according to MarketWatch.

While the Post-Intelligencer will remain on the Web, it will likely only be able to support a small portion of its existing newsroom, according to media analyst John Morton. "The online-newspaper model doesn't support a good deal of journalism," he said.

The article also cites P-I executive producer Michelle Nicolosi as saying that the paper will rely on several partnerships to pull in content, easing the strain on what will surely be a smaller staff.

Click here to read more.

Media watchdog wants CNBC to be tougher on Wall Street

The Associated Press is reporting that Media Matters for America, a "liberal media watchdog," has started an online petition drive asking CNBC "to be tougher on Wall Street leaders." The petition is also being supported by several economists and urges CNBC to "hire economic voices with a track record of being right about the current crisis and do more to hold business leaders accountable." 

CNBC did not comment on this development. 

For more click here. 

The collapse of Bear Stearns: One year later

March 17, 2009 marks the one-year anniversary of the demise of Bear Stearns. Portfolio has a story that not only briefly describes the events that have occurred in the last 12 months since Bear's fall, but also tracks some of the fallen-company's top executives and where they are today. 

The story shows how quickly things can turn around. Just before Bear's fall, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 12,145, John Thain was slated to be the hero who would rescue Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers was not on the radar as the possible next big investment bank failure of 2008. 

According to the story, many members of the Bear Stearns "family," including some of Bear's top execs like Ace Greenberg, were swallowed up by J.P. Morgan when it purchased Bear Stearns for about $2 per share. But approximately three-quarters of Bear's top bankers left the bank since the acquisition. The story catches up with former top executives including Jimmy Cayne, Alan Schwartz, Warren Spector and others. 

For the full story click here. 

CNN to focus on biz coverage all week

The New York Times is reporting that CNN intents to "devote the bulk of its news effort this week" to the coverage of the economy and the global financial woes. 

From the story:

Jonathan Klein, president of CNN's domestic networks, said the network would fill all the "optional time," that is, between breaking news, this week with financial reporting and analysis that reflects a "cool, collected approach." That message is consistent with the channel's intention to brand itself as the news channel that delivers information without what it would describe as the partisan flavorings of Fox News Channel (right) and MSNBC (left).

CNN's coverage will include a multitude of topics including housing, employment and investments. CNN will even expect its reporters from the medical and entertainment departments to contribute material. Several reports from London and Hong Kong are scheduled to air in order to increase coverage of the "global impact" of the financial crisis. 

For more click here

Thomson Reuters, Berkman to launch Media Cloud

Mass High Tech reports that Thomson Reuters is partnering with Harvard's The Berkman Center for Internet and Society to determine the flow of online media.
The project is called "Media Cloud" and the story says the website "is intended to determine what types of stories are covered by certain media sources, where news stories originate, what parts of the world attract attention and which do not, what role reader comments play in setting the news agenda and how the blogosphere’s coverage compares to traditional media coverage."
To read more click here.

Miami Herald to cut 175 positions

The Associated Press reports that The Miami Herald will cut about 175 staffers jobs, a number that includes 33 full-time and eight part-time newsroom positions.
Many of the employees that remain after the layoff will face salary reductions, between 5-10 percent. Also, one-week unpaid furloughs will be implemented in April and 30 vacant positions will not be filled.
From the story:

"All of these are difficult decisions, especially when it means saying goodbye to so many of our friends and colleagues," Publisher David Landsberg said. "But we must make these additional cuts to ensure the viability of our newspapers and to adjust to new competitive and economic realities."

Economists give Obama 59 of 100

A survey of economists by The Wall Street Journal gave President Obama a rating of 59 out of 100, signalling broad dissatisfaction with his handling of the economic crisis.
But the story points out that the survey, "should itself be viewed with suspicion given that they've consistently been behind the curve on the crisis."
For more click here.

Jim Cramer on The Daily Show

A USA Today story previews Jim Cramer's appearance on tonight's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Fans are wondering how the host of CNBC's Mad Money will hold up as he answers for misguided stock predictions and other financial advice.
In the article, Andrew Leckey, president of the National Center for Business Journalism at Arizona State University, says that while CNBC wants to be seen as serious, "The best ratings go to a wacky guy." Cramer often bellows and uses sound effects to highlight his stock picks.
To read the full story click here.

Murdoch purchases The Brooklyn Paper

The New York Observer reports that Rupert Murdoch has purchased The Brooklyn Paper, a newspaper chain that covers Brooklyn from Bay Ridge to Greenpoint.
Owner Ed Weintrob told The Observer that Murdoch was "the right man for the job."
From the story:

“I’ve told my staff in the past that people say all kinds of things about Rupert and his journalism, but you’re dealing with the last man standing who believes in newspapers,” he said in a telephone interview from his Brooklyn Heights apartment. “We know everything has evolved, and the Web site is a major component of what we do, but again, here’s a man who believes in newspapers. And I’ve always loved that, and the energy he’s poured into the business.”

To read the full report click here.

Madoff's victims share stories on FBN

Fox Business Network has an hour-long special airing tonight at 7 p.m. EST that will feature victims of Bernie Madoff’s alleged Ponzi scheme.
In addition to the hour-long television special, there will be an hour exclusively on the web at 8 p.m. ET on foxbusiness.com.
To watch the promo for the special click here.

The fate of the Seattle P-I

Reuters reports that employees at Hearst's Seattle Post-Intelligencer could lose their jobs as early as next week, but there is still no decision on the fate of the 146-year-old Pulitzer Prize-winning paper.
From the story:

"These options exist: 1) Seek buyer. If no buyer, then 2) Go digital, or 3) Close. No decision has been made," Hearst spokesman Paul Luthringer told the paper. The paper has notified its roughly 170 employees that their jobs will end between March 18 and April 1, but said that it could shut down at any time. Hearst must pay employees through March 18.

Star-Ledger adds Your Business

The Star-Ledger has made changes to its business coverage by adding a new section called "Your Business."
The section is geared to help readers "navigate these difficult economic times," writes Business Editor Steven Crabill.
From the story:

You'll find more stories aimed at helping you save, invest and spend your money wisely. There will be new columns going to bat for consumers and offering tips on frugal living. We'll even try to connect local job seekers with potential employers through a daily feature called Hire Me.

Questioning Madoff years before

Mother Jones has a story about Michael Ocrant, a former financial journalist who was one of the first to doubt Bernard Madoff's operation.
The story says that in 2001, Ocrant wrote for a trade publication, MAR/Hedge, that financial experts were "baffled by the way the firm has obtained such consistent, nonvolatile returns month after month and year after year."
From the story:

The story raised the possibility that Madoff was padding his clients' returns with profits from another part of his business, which operated not as a hedge fund but as a so-called market maker—a middleman for the purchase and sale of securities. Madoff denied this at the time, though Ocrant remained convinced that fraud lurked behind the surface of Madoff's thriving enterprise. Even so, he never fathomed that Madoff's fund was nothing more than a Ponzi scheme, paying returns to investors from their own money rather than from profits. For a period of at least 13 years Madoff made no investments at all, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). "I just couldn't believe it!" Ocrant says. "I couldn't believe a Ponzi scheme could operate that long."

Chronicle and union reach tentative deal

The Associated Press reports that The San Francisco Chronicle and its largest union reached a tentative agreement that could prevent the paper's sale or closure.
Potential cuts could mean eliminating about 150 jobs. In addition, employees could face less vacation time and longer work weeks for the same pay in an effort to continue to cut costs.
From the story:

Frank J. Vega, chairman and publisher of The Chronicle, said in a statement quoted on the newspaper's Web site the Chronicle will now focus on reaching an agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 853, to "accomplish the additional cost savings required to ensure the newspaper's survival." The Hearst Corp., which owns The Chronicle, warned last month that it would be forced to sell or close the newspaper if it could not reduce expenses quickly.

Click here for the full story.

The next papers to fall?

24/7 Wall St. has created a list of ten major daily newspapers that are the most likely to fold or move to an online only publication.
The story says that the papers were chosen based on the "financial strength of their parent companies, the amount of direct competition that they face in their markets, and industry information on how much money they are losing."
The list includes The Philadelphia Daily News, The Minneapolis Star Tribune, The Miami Herald, The Detroit News and The Boston Globe.
For the complete list and full story click here.

McClatchy makes major cuts

Reuters reports that McClatchy Co., the publisher of 30 daily newspapers, will cut 15 percent of its workforce and cut top executives pay.
The total loss will be about 1,600 jobs and the story says the move is "one of the more dramatic cuts by a U.S. newspaper publisher as it struggles with plunging advertising sales."
From the story:

"We previously discussed a plan to reach a targeted level of cost savings, but given the worsening economy, we must do more," Chief Executive Gary Pruitt said in a statement on Monday. "I'm sorry we have to take these actions, but we believe they are necessary." The company will reduce Pruitt's $1.1 million base salary by 15 percent, and cut other executive salaries by 10 percent.

Veteran anchor to return to CNBC

Media Bistro is reporting former CNBC veteran Ron Insana is returning to the financial network after a short stint in the hedge fund world. Insana left his CNBC anchor post in 2006 to form Insana Capital Partners. His firm closed in August 2008 when he joined another hedge fund based in Connecticut. 

Insana will return to CNBC as a senior analyst. 

For more click here. 

C.S. Monitor prepares for web, print changes

The Christian Science Monitor, which will publish its last print edition on March 27, is currently in the midst of transitioning to a web-first news model, as well as preparing to launch a weekend-only magazine supplement to the website.
Rick Edmonds of Poynter Online posted a conversation today with the Monitor's John Yemma about the transition and the future of the paper. In it, Yemma talks about how the news approach is changing:

"It is both an exciting time, and honestly one of some apprehension in the newsroom. Like everyone, we've had staff reductions (about 20 percent from last year's budgeted level), most of which we captured via attrition and voluntary departures. The unknowns of the Web and questions about whether fast, responsive metrics-oriented journalism fits with our journalistic culture of thoughtful perspective abound. No one has answers to these questions, and I'm not pretending I do.

Among Yemma's talking points was the idea that the Monitor was working on changing its mindset from a daily publication to a more continuously-update online one, as well as a more magazine-oriented approach on the weekends.

To read more, click here.

No comment from CNBC about Stewart segment...yet

The Associated Press is reporting that CNBC isn't responding to Jon Stewart's critical satire of the financial network on Wednesday's "The Daily Show." Stewart ran a series of clips that showcased some of the network's predictions over the last couple years. CNBC reporter Rick Santelli, who criticized the Obama Administration for its plans to bail out homeowners during a live broadcast on Feb. 19, was originally scheduled to appear on Stewart's show but backed out. According to the AP article, CNBC spokesman Brian Steel said, "we all made a decision it was just time to move on to the next story."

During "The Daily Show" segment, Stewart first took shots at Santelli and then turned to CNBC. "If I had only followed CNBC's advice, I'd have a million dollars today...provided that I'd started with $100 million," Stewart said.

For the full story click here.

Click here to view the full segment.

Union says S.F. Chronicle may cut one third of its members

On February 24, San Francisco Chronicle owner Hearst Corp informed the local newspaper guild that if didn't agree to concessions, the paper may have to close under a projected 2009 loss of $50 million.
After weeks of negotiations, the union released a bulletin stating that those efforts may not be enough, according to Editor & Publisher.

"We were thanked for the effort, and told some of our ideas had merit. But the company showed no real interest in working with us on a joint business recovery plan," the bulletin added. "Most disheartening, we were told that even if they agreed to slash pay and vacations as we offered, it would make no difference: the devastating job cuts, affecting more than one-third of our members, most likely would happen anyway. And the paper might be closed anyway."

The number of layoffs would most likely top 150, and may go as high as 225, according to the bulletin.

Click here to read more.

Fresno Bee may cut 26 from newsroom

The Fresno Bee reported Thursday that it may be forced to cut 26 members of its newsroom, along with other non-union employees, according to Editor & Publisher.

The Bee cuts would occur if members of the California Media Workers Guild do not agree to a proposal that includes pay cuts of up to 6%, the paper reported. Union members will vote on the plan March 10.
The newspaper also plans layoffs and pay cuts for managers and workers in departments not represented by the union, but specifics haven't been revealed.

The announcement follows a similar one from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Both papers are owned by McClatchy Co., which has starting trimming costs across the country in an effort to save $110 million on the year.

Click here to read more.

Star-Telegram to layoff 12% of workforce

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram announced today it will cut its workforce by 12% in a cost-cutting move, according to an article on the paper's website.

In a memo to employees, [Publisher Gary] Wortel said the reductions would occur in virtually all areas of the paper's operations. In addition to involuntary layoffs, he said a voluntary buyout plan is being offered to many of the more than 1,000 workers.

Employees earning more than $25 thousand per year will also be forced to take a wage cut ranging from 2.5 percent to 10 percent.
Employees' 401(k) plans have already been frozen, after a company-wide move by owner McClatchy Co. earlier this year.

To read more, click here.

Q & A with FBN's Alexis Glick

Media Bistro has an interview with FOX Business Network anchor and vice president of business news Alexis Glick. The interview covers a broad range of topics, from the economy to the future of the media to FBN's competition with CNBC.

When asked about her take on the future of the TV industry, Glick said, "At least for the next two to four years, what we're going to have to focus on is how to get ourselves out of this financial crisis." She added, "our job as journalists is going to be to measure some of the progress." When asked about CNBC, FBN's top competitor,  Glick said, "of course we looked at what we thought CNBC does well or perhaps what they don't do well. But we didn't focus a great deal of our time or energy on CNBC." 

For the full interview click here. 

The White House takes on CNBC's Jim Cramer

Media Bistro is reporting CNBC's Jim Cramer's comments about the Obama Administration's economic stimulus plan,which Cramer called, "the greatest wealth destruction I've seen by a President," prompted White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs to fire back.

"I'm not entirely sure what he's pointing to to make some of the statements," said Gibbs. "And you can go back and look at any number of statements he's made in the past about the economy and wonder where some of the back-up for those are too."

Gibbs's remarks then prompted Cramer's response in a column on Mainstreet.com in which he wrote, "I am proud to have voted for the Obama who I thought understood the need to get us on the right path, and create jobs and wealth before taxing it and making moves that hurt job creation." It looks like the Web site's audience is siding with Cramer. In a poll, 92 percent said they agreed with the CNBC commentator.

For more click here.

WSJ. advertising down

Women's Wear Daily reports that advertising for the Wall Street Journal's magazine WSJ. is way down.
In the high-end glossy magazine's national edition, there are just 27 advertising pages of the total 92 pages. That's a big drop from when the magazine launched it's first issue in September.
At that point there were 51 ad pages of 104.
From the story:

Though the original plan was to go monthly this year, WSJ. is remaining a quarterly in response to market conditions. Publisher Ellen Asmodeo-Giglio put it bluntly: “The commitment is there, the investment is there, but the advertising is not. We’re still going full force, but the ad climate is extremely challenging.”

For the full report from WWD.com click here.

Kessler joins Entrepreneur

Freelance writer Mike Kessler is the new deputy editor for Entrepreneur magazine. The hire comes just after the magazine launched a redesigned look.
Kessler brings his experience writing for national magazines that include Details, Men's Journal, BestLife and Outside. Kessler's writing has also appeared in New York Times Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Salon.com and the book Best American Magazine Writing 2008.
From the release:

"Entrepreneur is working harder than ever to uncover innovative ideas and solutions for business owners," says Amy Cosper, editor in chief. "Mike's investigative prowess and journalistic curiosity will deepen our ability to look at ideas in the news and society at large that both affect small businesses and offer new opportunities they may have otherwise overlooked."

To read the full release click here.

Sponsors announced for WSJ's ECO:nomics conference

MSNBC is reporting The Wall Street Journal announced Chevron, FedEx, Intel and Vestas as the sponsors of its second annual ECO:nomics - Creating Environmental Capital conference. The Journal's editors will host the event scheduled to be held at Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, Calif. March 4 through 6.

"ECO:nomics will focus on strategic challenges facing business leaders today and provide a forum that will drive frank discussions that get to the bottom line of business and the environment," said Michael Rooney, chief revenue officer of The Wall Street Journal. "We are pleased to have these sponsors on board for what promises to be a compelling event." 

For more click here. 

CNBC's Santelli denies association with protesters

The New York Times is reporting the recent speculation about CNBC reporter Rick Santelli's ties to "tea party movements" and right-wing groups prompted Santelli's blog post on CNBC's Web site in which he maintained his on air remarks were "spontaneous."

From the story:

Mr. Santelli's televised commentary appeared spontaneous to viewers. However, the Internet domain name ChicagoTeaParty.com was registered in August - well before his commentary - but not used until afterwards. The registration was first reported by two bloggers for Playboy's Web site who said it was evidence that Mr. Santelli's remarks were a "carefully planned trigger" for the protests. (The blog post was removed without explanation Monday.)

In his own blog post, titled "I Want to Set the Record Straight," Santelli denied any "affiliation or association" with any protesters or Web sites. 

According to the Times article, CNBC may be trying to move on from the Santelli frenzy. Santelli would not give interviews Monday and CNBC cancelled Santelli's appearance on Wednesday's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart." 

For more click here. 

Gunther joins Greener World Media

Marc Gunther, an author and former Fortune Magazine writer, has been named a Senior Writer for Greener World Media's Web sites, newsletters, and publications.
"For years, Marc Gunther has been one of the most respected voices in the mainstream media on green business and corporate social responsibility, having written seminal pieces on Wal-Mart, General Electric, and many other leadership companies," says Joel Makower, Greener World Media's chairman and executive editor. "We look forward to bringing that voice to our business audience."
To read the full release click here.

Thomson Reuters on demand

The New York Times reports that Thomson Reuters is planning to launch a video-on-demand service for its financial services clients within the next several months.
From the story:

It has no television outlet and no programming schedule — each piece is viewed only on demand — and it will not be open to the general public. “We’ve created something completely new here,” Devin Wenig, chief executive of the company’s markets division, said in an interview in his office above Times Square, where he demonstrated the service. “This is meant for the 550,000 financial professionals who have a Thomson Reuters screen on their desks.”

Daily News stays alive, becomes "edition" of Inquirer

Effective March 30, the Philadelphia Daily News, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month, will become a special "edition" of The Philadelphia Inquirer, according to Editor & Publisher.

Philadelphia Media Holdings CEO Brian Tierney said the change will save money on wire service fees by allowing the publications to act as a single subscriber, and will be helpful in selling advertising. “Instead of telling advertisers we have 330,00 circulation (at the Inquirer) plus the Daily News, it will help to say we have 440,000 daily circulation,” Tierney said, in a story in the Daily News.

According to the article, the move will also allow the Daily News to avoid staff cuts.
The Daily News stated that the two papers began working on the deals roughly a year ago.

Click here to read more.

From CNN to the classroom

The Houstonian has a story about Kelli Arena, a former CNN correspondent who at one time produced "Money Line" with Lou Dobbs, recent career switch to academia.
Arena is the new Dan Rather Chair of the Mass Communication Department at Sam Houston State University where she is teaching News and Feature Reporting.
From the story:

"The university was looking for someone who was in the industry and could provide some hands-on, immediate knowledge to students [for the chair position]," Arena said. "I am very serious about journalism as a necessary and important part of what happens in our society."

WSJ to expand sports coverage

Reuters is reporting The Wall Street Journal is trying to reach a broader audience by expanding its sports coverage to six days a week. The Journal already prints a sports page in its Friday editon, that was introduced about a year ago. According to Sports Editor Sam Walker, the new section will be used to "produce analytical articles and statistics - and graphics-laden packages that put a forward-looking spin on the news."

The new sports section will run Monday through Saturday.

For more click here. 

Hearst papers to start charging for some online content

Many Hearst-owned papers, including the troubled San Francisco Chronicle and Seattle Post-Intelligencer, will soon begin charging for access to some of their online content, according to Editor & Publisher.
President Steven Swartz sent a memo to staff Monday announcing the decision and laying out some of the details.

“Exactly how much paid content to hold back from our free sites will be a judgment call made daily by our management, whose mission should be to run the best free Web sites in our markets without compromising our ability to get a fair price from consumers for the expensive, unique reporting and writing that we produce each day,” Swartz said in the memo.

Swartz also said the company will stress the need to increase the amount of online-only content its papers produce in an effort to draw in readers with exclusive content.
He also said that some of that content will come from "other great sources of content in our communities," mentioning prominent citizens and bloggers as examples.

Click here to read more.

Santelli's "tea party" now a reality

During his infamous on air anti-stimulus "rant," CNBC reporter Rick Santelli called for a Chicago Tea Party to be held in June. But it appears angry protesters did not want to wait for better weather. Chicagoist is reporting a handful of US cities held their own tea parties Friday, including Chicago. Protesters organized at the Federal Plaza downtown and called on the government to repeal the latest stimulus bill. Some members of the angry crowd said the movement is just the beginning, and similar events will be held in the future. 

For photos and video from the event click here. 

On FBN: Bach gives advice to average American investor

David Bach, the author of Fight for Your Money, was on the FOX Business Network to offer some advice to the average American. Bach has two major rules for investing in this economy: keep your money in America and don't buy anything that is not liquid. Bach cited cases of Americans buying certificates of deposit in exotic nations to get a better rate. While he said the ultra-rich may be doing this and flocking to Switzerland to protect their assets and dodge taxes, average investors have to resist the urge to follow suit. 

Buffett to appear live on CNBC

CNBC is reporting Warren Buffett will appear live on all three hours of "Squawk Box" on Monday, March 9 starting at 6 am EST. CNBC is asking viewers to send in questions for Buffett that will be asked on the air by host Becky Quick. 

To view the submission form and story click here.