Friday, April 29, 2011

Will 'Variety' Be Added to the Penske File?

Reed ElsevierImage by shindoverse via FlickrDutch media mogul Reed Elsevier may be unloading Variety to 30-year-old Detroit Internet media conglomerate owner Jay Penske, according to TheDaily.com.

Penske, scion of a wealthy car-racing family, already has an online media stable that includes HollywoodLife, Movieline and showbiz Website, Deadline. Penske's online holdings are backed by a $35 million stake from private equity company, Quadrangle Partners, according to TheDaily.com post.  The Amsterdam-based Reed Elsevier held onto Variety, after offering it up for sale in 2008 at a time when it sold 61 trade journals as the magazine industry faltered with the economic slowdown.

Variety has denied TheDaily's claim. The magazine, which has been covering the entertainment industry since 1905, is owned by the Reed Business Information division of Reed Elsevier.

"TUOL" can see the Variety headline now if TheDaily item proves true: "Dragging Mag No Dutch Treat."






Enhanced by Zemanta

Mediate: Huff Post Will Handle All Aol Original News Content

DULLES, VA - NOVEMBER 29: (FILE PHOTO) Signs i...Image by Getty Images via @daylifeA little more than two months after America Online and Huffington Post announced their merger (see "TUOL" post 2/7/11), Mediaite.com is reporting that Aol News will forego producing original content, leaving that task to Huff Post staffers.

Aol has yet to respond to the Mediaite post. Mediaite reported that included among the jobs pared by Aol last month (see "TUOL" post 3/10/11) were a previously undisclosed 120 editorial staffers. If Mediaite's story is borne out, it remains to be seen whether the "Aol News" brand, such as it is, will continue to have an online presence, even if it is being overseen and created by Huffington Posters.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Thursday, April 28, 2011

UPDATE: Holmes' Libel Suit Against Star No Longer Afoot

The Actress Katie Holmes at the National Memor...Image via WikipediaReuters and The Hollywood Reporter's "THR, Esq." blog report today that actress Katie Holmes has settled her $50 million defamation suit against Florida-based American Media's Star Magazine (see "TUOL" post 3/2/11).

Although the financial terms of the settlement in the Los Angeles Superior Court case, Katie Holmes v. American Media, Inc. (Case No. 11-cv-01750) were undisclosed, Holmes received an apology in the May 9 edition of Star Magazine that states the supermarket tabloid "did not intend to suggest that Ms. Holmes was a drug addict or was undergoing treatment for drug addiction." As part of the resolution of the case, the publication agreed to make a sizable contribution to a charity favored by Holmes, the Dizzy Feet Foundation, which advocates for greater access to dance education and offers opportunities to underprivileged children to pursue careers as professional dancers.

Holmes sued over a Jan. 20, 2011 front-page Star story trumpeting: "Addiction Nightmare, Katie Drug Shocker!" The inside story on page 42, however, made no reference to prescription or illicit drugs, but rather, to "addictive treatments" of Scientology counseling sessions employing an "e-meter" device. Holmes is married to actor and high-profile Scientologist Tom Cruise.

The dedicated staff of "TUOL" is delighted that Holmes is not an impaired substance abuser, though it does make it that much harder to explain why she agreed to portray Jackie Kennedy in "The Kennedys" mini-series.


Enhanced by Zemanta

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

60 Minute Egg: Poultry Co. Scrambles to DC Circuit Court to Appeal Libel Dismissal

Since the late-70s, 60 Minutes' opening featur...Image via WikipediaMar-Jac Poultry, Inc., v. Rita Katz et al (Case No. 11-0736), filed this week in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, seeks to reinstate a defamation suit incubating since 2003 until U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia Judge Rosemary Collyer last month granted summary judgment to defendants Rita Katz and CBS News' 60 Minutes.

As reported by the Legal Times blog, the suit arose from a segment aired by the popular tv news magazine in May 2003, involving an interview with researcher and self-anointed terrorist hunter Rita Katz, appearing in disguise and using an alias. In the story, Katz allegedly made defamatory comments about the Georgia-based plaintiff, purportedly linking it to terrorist financing.  The poultry farm was not verbally identified by name in the story, though the Mar-Jac name was displayed.

In her 34-page Memorandum Opinion granting defendants' summary judgment motion (Mar-Jac Poultry, Inc. v. Rita Katz et al. Case No. 03-cv-2422-RMC), Judge Collyer said, based on the flamboyant Katz's account, "no reasonable jury could find Ms. Katz's statements about laundering money through misreporting dead chickens were anything but rank speculation, surmise or hyperbole, engendered, perhaps, by her thrill at being involved in an undercover capacity."  In other words, going undercover in a henhouse is exciting stuff for a researcher used to being cooped up, as it were.

The plaintiff hopes for a less fowl reception from the appellate court.




Enhanced by Zemanta

Chicago Reader Continues Transformation from Funky to Glossy

Chicago Reader Cover FreebiesImage by TRAFFIK [US] via FlickrPoynter.org's Romanesko media gossip site notes that the alternative weekly newspaper, The Chicago Reader, has completed its metamorphosis from edgy ugly duckling to mainstream princess, as the latest issue features a stapled, glossy cover.

The Reader, which was founded in 1971 by Carleton College classmates, used to be known for its leftist political slant, extensive arts coverage, adult classified ads, and cheap ink and paper stock that made readers look as if they were wearing driving gloves.  The free paper, which faces stiff competition from The Chicago Tribune's RedEye, Newcity and Time Out Chicago, hopes the sleeker appearance will overcome the disposable feel of its former self.

The Reader was purchased in 2007 by Creative Loafing, which took its name literally and fell into bankruptcy, from which it was acquired for $5 million in 2009 by hedge fund Atalaya Capital Management LP. The weekly is distributed in newspaper boxes and at certain bars, restaurants and retail outlets on Wednesdays and Thursdays, though it is dated every Thursday.

"TUOL" lived in Chicago for many years and remembers fondly the bulky, inky Reader, though rarely got through the over-long, under-edited news articles, favoring instead the restaurant reviews, risque comic strips and "The Straight Dope" column authored by Cecil.
Enhanced by Zemanta

UPDATE: Redskins Owner Strategy: Re-file Libel Suit; Boost Money-Throwing Game

ASHBURN,VA - JANUARY 6:  Mike Shanahan, the ne...Image by Getty Images via @daylifeWashington Redskins owner Dan Snyder has returned from the proverbial drawing board with a refurbished defamation lawsuit against the Washington City Paper (see "TUOL" post 2/3/11) for an unflattering portrayal of him in a November 19, 2009, article entitled: "The Cranky Redskins Fan's Guide to Dan Snyder," according to The Washington Post.

The all-new, if not improved, lawsuit drops hedge fund Atalaya Capital Management LP, owner of the Washington City Paper and Creative Loafing, as a defendant, but adds the author of the article at issue, Dave McKenna, a much shallower pocket than the money fund, to be sure.  The re-filed complaint also shifts its emphasis from alleged anti-Semetic remarks by the article to claims by Snyder that the article contains false, malicious statements that held him up to ridicule in the business community and among Redskins fans, already impatient with the team's 6-10 showing in 2010.

In his original suit, Snyder sought $2 million in damages from the City Paper  for allegations in the article he deemed libelous, such as that he forged names as a telemarketer for Snyder Communications and was tossed from the board of directors of Six Flags Entertainment Corp.

Is it possible to lock-out an NFL owner from the courtroom?

Enhanced by Zemanta

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

McClatchy Co. Reports 1Q Earnings Decline

The McClatchy CompanyImage via WikipediaSacramento, Calif.-based media conglomerate McClatchy Co. today reported First Quarter revenues in 2011 were 9.5 percent lower than the corresponding period in 2010.

McClatchy, which counts 30 daily newspapers and numerous weeklies among its holdings, saw ad revenues in 1Q of 2011 plunge 11 percent, while circulation decreased by 5 percent compared to a year ago. Layoffs at McClatchy papers such as The Sacramento Bee and The Ft. Worth Star-Telegram have been chronicled in this blog (see "TUOL" posts 2/9/11, 2/1/11).
Enhanced by Zemanta

Sixth Circuit Unimpressed with Ohio 'Boy Mayor''s Libel Suit

Seal of the United States Court of Appeals for...Image via WikipediaIn Bentkowski v. Cleveland Scene LLC et al. (Case No. 09-4547), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit this week held that a weekly magazine's article about Seven Hills Ohio Mayor David Bentkowski was not defamatory.

Circuit Judge Boyce F. Martin Jr. upheld the summary judgment ruling in favor of the publication by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. Bentkowski sued over an Aug. 1, 2007, article entitled "The Bizarre Boy Mayor" that appeared in the "First Punch" section of Cleveland Scene, which features, humor, comment and criticism.

Bentkowski claimed he was defamed by two passages in the article, one of which said he "routinely tries to pull off stunts like limiting residents' feedback at meetings and barring government employees from running for office," and a portion of the article that purportedly suggests he sought information about young women constituents for illicit purposes.

 The Court, however, said the Mayor failed to show Cleveland Scene published the article with actual malice, and, citing the hyperbole, simile and other figurative language used in the article, said the statements at issue constituted opinion, and were incapable of a defamatory meaning. The Court referenced examples in the article, such as stating the mayor had the "political IQ of Quizmos' lettuce,"  to support its conclusion that the article was not actionable.

Factors weighed by the Court in deciding whether the allegedly offensive statements constitute opinion include: 1) the specific language used, 2) whether the statement is verifiable, 3) the general context of the statement and 4) the broader context in which the statement appeared.

Tip of the hat to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Website (www.rcfp.org) for reporting on this case. 



Enhanced by Zemanta

Telling a Storify to Journalists

Image representing Storify as depicted in Crun...Image via CrunchBaseA former Associated Press reporter and an engineer have co-founded Web start-up Storify, which went live yesterday, to enable journalists and others to sort through the melange of content from YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and other digital platforms, according to The New York Times.

With $2 million in capital from Khosla Ventures, former AP scribe Burt Herman and engineer Xavier Damman, who previously founded the Hacks/Hackers group for engineers and journalists, expect the San Francisco-based Storify to aid journalists in culling relevant online data from the various content providers. Storify users are able to add text and embed content collages on their own Web sites.

Storify's tools are free, but the Times article said the start-up is considering charging brands to use the service or soliciting ads. Storify joins a spate of other new companies, including Tumblr, Storyful and Color, offering journalists a way to separate the wheat from the Blogosphere's chaff.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Monday, April 25, 2011

Dan Abrams Online Media Empire Continues to Grow with Mogulite

NEW YORK - DECEMBER 08:  TV personality Dan Ab...Image by Getty Images via @daylifeTechCrunch.com reports that 45-year-old NBC News legal analyst turned Media Metwork entrepreneur Dan Abrams is debuting Mogulite today, which he views as a worthy addition to the Mediaite, Geekosystem family (see "TUOL" post 12/7/10).

Mogulite, is not something you soak your mogul in to remove stains, nor is it a creation from the imagination of H.G. Wells or J.R. Tolkien. Rather, it is a Website devoted to reporting on the lives of bigshots, ranging from Oprah to Mark Cuban, to some of our friends who helped destroy the World economy a couple of years back.

Peter Lauria of The Daily Beast will be consulting editor, and The Real Deal's Amy Tennery, managing editor, of Mogulite. Features will include an evolving Mogul Power Grid to show who's on top of his or her game and, perhaps, if we're lucky, who's been indicted.  The introductory post for Mogulite says in part: "We're committed to the idea that what the ultra-wealthy and powerful do matters, as much as many would like to deny it."

One may wonder if Mogulite's appeal will match that of Mediaite, which draws more than 1.2 million unique visitors monthly, according to the TechCrunch post. Stop us, if you've heard this one, but didn't this kind of "zillionaire as rock star" mentality give us Ken Lay, Bernie Madoff and the rest of the Lousekateers?




Enhanced by Zemanta

Barnes & Noble Adds a 'Hook' to the Nook

B&N's Nook Color eReaderImage by orb9220 via FlickrThe E-reader wars continue unabated, with Barnes & Noble set to expand its Nook e-reader to accommodate email and an applications store, according to an Associated Press story.

Amazon, Inc.'s Kindle has made more of a splash in the market, but Nook does offer a color touchscreen, compared to the Kindle's non-touch-sensitive black and white screen.  (See "TUOL" post 2/10/10.) Among the 125 applications introduced for the Nook today are the game, "Angry Birds," and  "Epicurious" recipes.

Flash content will further jazz up Nook's Web browser. Nook runs Google, Inc.'s Android software, but not standard Android apps.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Friday, April 22, 2011

Algeria Urged to Relax Press Controls

Abdelaziz Bouteflika, president of Algeria, in...Image via WikipediaThe Jurist Website (htttp://jurist.law.pitt.edu) reports that Frank LaRue, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, has challenged Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to make good on his declared initiative for constitutional and political reforms by taking the government's thumb off of the nation's news media.

Among the changes LaRue wants to see  are the decriminalization of defamation, the removal of government control over Algeria's television and radio stations, and restructuring current laws so that the right to peaceful assembly would be encouraged, rather than oppressed.  Algeria has been under a state of emergency since 1992, when the military halted elections to prevent religious fundamentalists from assuming power.
Enhanced by Zemanta

UPDATE: Obama Administration Asks High Court to Review FCC Indecency Rulings

WASHINGTON - JANUARY 25:  U.S. President Barac...Image by Getty Images via @daylifeActing U.S. Solicitor General Neal Katyal, at the Obama Administration's behest, urged the U.S. Supreme Court today to accept for review the FCC's indecency policy that restricts broadcasting nudity and profanity over the airwaves.

In its decisions in both Fox Television v. FCC (Case Nos. 06-1760, 06-2750, 06-5358) and ABC v. FCC (Case No. 08-0841), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit condemned the FCC's indecency standard as being unconstitutionally vague and violative of the First Amendment's free-speech guarantee. (See "TUOL" posts 1/5/11, 8/30/10.)

The government is arguing that the Second Circuit rulings effectively handcuffed the FCC and prevent it from carrying out its mandate to enforce statutory restrictions on broadcast indecency, whereas Hollywood moguls and First Amendment advocates contend that reinstating vague indecency rules would have a "chilling effect" on free speech.

The dedicated staff of  "TUOL" is in the latter camp, and also believes that the national debt, on-going conflicts in the Middle East, and health care are among a handful of issues that ought to command the attention of the Obama Administration ahead of  7-seconds worth of NYPD Blue actress Charlotte Ross's buttocks being broadcast in 2003, as captivating as "TUOL" remembered them to be.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Texas High Court Ruling Lets Anonymous Bloggers Stay Anonymous

Building of the Supreme Court of TexasImage via WikipediaIn In re Does, __S.W.3d __ , 2011 WL 1447544 (Texas 2011), the Lone Star State's High Court quashed subpoenas issued to Google to unmask two anonymous bloggers facing claims of defamation, invasion of privacy and copyright infringement.

Pursuant to Rule 202.1 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, an individual may petition the court for an order authorizing a deposition: "(a) to perpetuate or obtain the person's own testimony or that of any other person for use in an anticipated suit or (b) to investigate a potential claim or suit." In this instance, the Court agreed with the anonymous bloggers who challenged the subpoenas on the basis that the plaintiff failed to demonstrate the need for pre-suit discovery by showing that justice in an anticipated suit would be delayed or denied if depositions were not allowed and that the benefits of permitting depositions to investigate possible claims would outweigh the burden or expense of conducting the discovery.

Unlike many of the cases on which "TUOL" has reported in which courts have quashed subpoenas seeking the identity of anonymous bloggers, the Texas Supreme Court did not look for support to the First Amendment argument that the plaintiff's right to pursue a judicial remedy is subordinate to blogger's free speech right to speak anonymously.

Kudos to Evan Brown, whose always informative Internet Cases blog zeroed in on this interesting decision.
Enhanced by Zemanta

WaPo Hopes for a Treasure 'Trove'

WASHINGTON - JANUARY 15:   Employees wait outs...Image by Getty Images via @daylifeThe Washington Post yesterday unveiled a news aggregating Website, Trove, that draws content from more than 10,000 Internet news sources, according to a story in today's Los Angeles Times.

Trove, which also is accessible via mobile phone apps, is able to sort news by connecting to users' Facebook profiles and algorithmically determining users' interests. Trove's home page also will boast breaking news stories selected by its editors.

Very cutting edge of the Washington Post, but "TUOL" would rather have Howie Kurtz and David Broder back.
Enhanced by Zemanta

NY Times' Earnings A'Changin' for the Worst

NYC: New York Times BuildingImage by wallyg via FlickrThe New York Times Co.'s 2011 First Quarter figures plunged 58 percent compared to a year ago, attributable largely to shrinking print advertising revenues.

The publisher of the flagship New York Times and 17 dailies nationwide also pointed to a 12.7 percent boost in the cost of newsprint and a 3.7 percent drop in circulation revenue as factors in the disappointing numbers. The Times earned $5.4 million, or 4 cents a share during 1Q 2011, down from 8 cents a share on earnings of $12.8 million a year ago.

Like two ships passing in the night, digital advertising revenue soared 4.5 percent while print ad revenue sank 7.5 percent.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Media General Demoted by Poor Quarterly Earnings

Media General-tower-Awendaw-SCImage via WikipediaDeclining advertising revenues among its print and advertising holdings are to blame for a $4.2 million operating loss in the First Quarter of 2011 by Richmond, Va.-based media conglomerate Media General, Inc.("MGI"), according to Editor & Publisher.

The disappointing numbers fare poorly compared to First Quarter earnings in 2010, during which MGI showed an $8.7 million operating profit.  Total 2011 1Q revenues were $148.9 million, a 6.2 percent drop from the corresponding period a year ago.

Although MGI's television stations and local media Web sites performed comparatively well, the company's numbers were dragged down by its print and advertising entities.  MGI experience a 7 percent decline in circulation revenues in the First Quarter of 2011.

The company, whose presence is strongest in the Southeast U.S., includes ownership of 3 metropolitan dailies and 20 community newspapers, 18 network-affiliated television outlets, and 200 specialty publications, including weekly newspapers and niche publications.


Enhanced by Zemanta

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Pa. Court Orders State Police to Produce Redacted Records to AP

Pennsylvania State PoliceImage via WikipediaThe Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania this week ordered State Police to turn over off-duty work records to the Associated Press under Pennsylvania's Right to Know Law [1 Act of Feb. 14, 2008, P. L. 6, 65 P.S. secs. 67.101-67.3104].

As reported on the Web site of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (www.rcfp.org), the 14-page decision of the Court in Pennsylvania State Troopers Assn. v. Marc Scolforo (Case No. 1623 C.D.2010) said Social Security Numbers, home addresses, and the times and places of the off-duty work by the law enforcement personnel may be redacted, but the records themselves are subject to release under the Right to Know Law.

The State Police Assn. had challenged production of the records, dating back to 2005, citing the Right to Know Law exemptions under  Sec. 708(b)(10)(i)(A) and Sec. 708(b)(17), which exempt records evidencing pre-decisional deliberations and non-criminal investigatory records, respectively. In siding with the earlier decision by the Office of Open Records ordering production of the records, the Court said the Association had not demonstrated state police employees would be subject to substantial and demonstrable harm were the records to become public.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Breitbart Seeks Dismissal or Venue Change in Sherrod Libel Suit

Shirley Sherrod, a Georgia USDA employee, whos...Image via WikipediaConservative commentator and blogger Andrew Breitbart and co-defendant Larry O'Connor argued this week in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that former U.S. Dept. of Agriculture head Shirley Sherrod's defamation suit against them should be tossed on First Amendment grounds.

In her 42-page complaint, Sherrod v. Breibart et al. (Case No. 00015711), the plaintiff claims she was defamed by being portrayed as racist based on a "deceptively edited" clip of speech "taken out of context" that suggests the black Sherrod discriminated against white farmers. The defendants counter that their interpretation of the clip is protected speech under the First Amendment and that the snippet at issue and Breitbart's commentary on his Web site "captured the gist of the [Sherrod] speech."

Failing dismissal of the suit, the defendants further argued that the matter, which they already removed to federal court from D.C. Superior Court, should be transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California where they reside.




Enhanced by Zemanta

Committee to broker speech & obscenity issues receives icy reception

Headquarters of RÚV, the Icelandic National Br...Image via WikipediaA measure enacted by Iceland's Parliament that creates a government-controlled committee to mediate disputes among the public, news media and government involving potentially obscene content is drawing criticism from free speech advocates.

The press freedom-friendly nation (see "TUOL" post 8/19/10) passed the new law to shield children from sexually explicit materials and preserve press freedoms, but critics argue a government-run committee to enforce press freedom may inhibit the press. The law also drew fire because it does not exercise control over national broadcaster RUV.  Petitioners urging the president to veto the legislation so that a public referendum may be held have amassed 2000 signatures to date, according to the European Journalism Centre.

Enhanced by Zemanta

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

'Lights, Camera...Lawsuit'

Charlie Sheen in March 2009Image via WikipediaCharlie Sheen is going before the camera again, only this time, it will be in a courtroom.

The Hollywood Reporter's THR, Esq. blog reports that the judge presiding over Sheen's multi-million lawsuit against Warner Bros. and Two and a Half Men co-creator Chuck Lorre has decided the case will be televised via a single video camera.

Over the defendants' objections, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Allan Goodman sided with media organizations, saying the proceedings were occurring in a "public forum," in allowing the presence of a camera. Sheen and his counsel did not object to the camera (or a vat of tiger blood, a gallery filled with goddesses, or anything else, for that matter).

Whether the legal drama will play out in a courtroom or in a private arbitration hearing has yet to be decided.


Enhanced by Zemanta

And the Winner Is...No One

The Pulitzer Prize gold medal awardImage via WikipediaPulitzer Prizes were awarded yesterday, and for the first time since the honors were bestowed, there was no winner in the breaking local news category, AdWeek reports.

The Chicago Tribune, The Tennessean, and, jointly, The Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald all vied for the $10,000 award accompanying the Pulitzer Prize, but came up short. The breaking local news category was created by the Pulitzer committee in 1955, and this year marks the first time no winner was chosen. 

A number of editors purportedly don't compete in the category because they don't believe their coverage area has experienced enough of a disaster to snag the award.  "TUOL" suggests they cover the state of the newspaper industry if they want to cover a disaster.


Enhanced by Zemanta

Monday, April 18, 2011

Media Giant's Earnings Not So Big

Gannett LogoImage via WikipediaFirst-quarter earnings for media conglomerate Gannett Co. plunged 23 percent compared to a year ago, while revenues dropped 4 percent compared to the first quarter results in 2010, according to The Huffington Post.

The owner of USA Today and 80 other newspaper posted earnings of $90.5 million or 37 cents a share this quarter, compared to 2010 figures of $117.2 million or 49 cents a share. Likewise, revenues slipped 4 percent to $1.25 billion, from $1.3 billion a year ago. The company missed analysts' earnings projections, continuing the bad news that has seen company-wide staff furloughs and shrinking ad revenues (see "TUOL" posts 2/14/11, 1/5/11).



Enhanced by Zemanta

Friday, April 15, 2011

Myspace Class Action Suit Target for Allegedly Sharing Personal Data

Image representing MySpace as depicted in Crun...Image via CrunchBaseBrooklyn resident and Myspace member Linda Virtue has her name attached as plaintiff to a 13-count class-action suit filed this week in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York against the Beverly Hills, Calif.-based social media platform for allegedly sharing members' personal data and Internet browsing histories with aggregators without the members' approval.

The 33-page complaint in Virtue v. Myspace, Inc (Case No. 11-cv-1800) includes counts alleging common law claims, such as conversion, breach of contract, breach of the implied warranty of good faith and fair dealing, and invasion of privacy, along with violation of the Stored Data Communications Act [18 U.S.C. sec. 2701 et seq.] and unfair and fraudulent business practices. According to Bloomberg News, the plaintiffs contend that Myspace provides the names and browsing history of users to aggregators while at the same time assuring members they can restrict access to their personal information.

Nothing like kicking Myspace when it's down. According to the Bloomberg article, Myspace traffic plunged 29 percent in February to 62.6 million visitors worldwide, compared to 88 million global visitors in 2010.  Myspace owner News Corp. reportedly is looking to unload the social media platform to online music Website www.Vevo.com

Enhanced by Zemanta

UPDATE: Journo Majors Gone With the Wind at U. Colo.

Hiking trails and rock climbing in Boulder are...Image via WikipediaUniversity of Colorado Regents voted 5-4 this week to shut the university's journalism school, the first college to suffer such a fate in the University's history.

College President Bruce Benson backed the move to turn off the lights at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication June 30 (see "TUOL" posts 2/22/11, 8/26/10). Henceforth, students may pursue a double major in journalism and another subject or receive a certificate or minor in journalism, but no longer will be able to receive a bachelor's degree in journalism alone, reports the Boulder Daily Camera

Enhanced by Zemanta