“As a metaphor for a rough battle or mob scene in any other arena, scrum seems vivid — the first time,” writes New York Times standards editor Philip Corbett. “Maybe the second. Less so the 10th or 20th time we use it that way.”
* Philip Corbett: Words we love too much (NYTimes.com)
* Earlier: Words journalists use that people never say (JimRomenesko.com)
Rupert Murdoch’s The Daily iPad publication is laying off nearly a third of its staff, reports Peter Kafka. Staffers will be told today that fifty of the news operation’s 170 employees will be fired.
Employees who produce the paper’s editorial page and sports coverage will be heavily hit by the layoffs, and The Daily will run skeletal versions of those sections from now on. But the cuts will affect other parts of The Daily, including its design and production staff.
UPDATE: Read The Daily editor Jesse Angelo’s note to readers.
UPDATE II: New York Observer is live-blogging the layoffs.
* The Daily lays off a third of its staff. (All Things D)
* Publisher of Murdoch’s The Daily iPad publication buys a $1.2M Brooklyn Heights co-op. (observer.com)
* Pete Thamel quits the New York Times for Sports Illustrated. (The Big Lead)
* Pulitzer-winner M.L. Elrick leaves Detroit Free Press for Fox affiliate. (Deadline Detroit) | (Crain’s)
* Joe Ricketts-funded DNAinfo.com appears to be thriving. A Chicago site will launch soon. (Capital New York)
* Sports journalist Andrew Baggarly fulfills lifelong dream by appearing on “Jeopardy.” (Medill)
* Conrad Black hints at a return to newspapers. (Yahoo News Canada)
* Possible Showtime series for The Daily Show’s “senior black correspondent.” (Washington Post)
* Morningstar CEO, Chicago private equity exec invest in Texas newspaper chain. (Chicago Tribune)
* Chicago Reader staff moves into the Sun-Times building. (Chicago Reader)
* Update of former Chicago Tribune investigative reporter Maurice Possley. (NewspaperAlum.com)
* RIP longtime Daily Breeze columnist John Bogert. (Daily Breeze) | Ex-Plain Dealer reporter Damian Guevara dies at 37. (Cleveland.com)
Emily Gitter, who is currently deputy editor of the Wall Street Journal’s Weekend Journal, has been named editor of the paper’s Friday 16-page real estate section, which launches in the fall.
Emily Gitter
“While we are proud to name Emily as the Editor of *$#@%!*&%, the name of the section itself must remain secret for a few more weeks,” says managing editor Robert Thomson, “but it will be the world’s pre-eminent print property section and thrive digitally across borders and languages.”
Thomson’s memo is after the jump. Read More
Oh. My Twitter account appears to have been un-suspended. Did I miss much while I was away?
— Guy Adams (@guyadams) July 31, 2012
Guy Adams, UK Independent’s Los Angeles-based correspondent, says Twitter told him in an email that “we have just received an update from the complainant retracting their original request.”
“I don’t know who is the biggest assclown in this case anymore — both Twitter or NBC are fighting really hard now to win that medal,” writes Jesus Diaz.
— San Diego Reader
This email about hoax press releases was sent to news outlets after the Los Angeles Times and San Diego Reader posted stories based on the releases.
From: Hartman, Debra (USACAS)
Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2012 10:09 AM
To: [Various news organizations]
Subject: Re: HOAX Press Releases — Media AvailabilityTwo press releases purporting to be from the office of U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy this morning regarding a shutdown of local pharmacies are a hoax.
“This office did not issue those press releases. We are looking into the source of the emails,” Duffy said.
Duffy will be available at 11 a.m. today in front of the federal building for on camera interviews.
Public Affairs Coordinator Kelly Thornton, 619-546-9726
Media Liaison Debra Hartman, 619-546-8817
Stories based on the hoax releases remain online. [UPDATE: They've been revised to note the hoax; the original headlines are below]:
LOS ANGELES TIMES: U.S. Attorney in San Diego cracks down on pharmacies over drug sales
SAN DIEGO READER: U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy now targeting storefront pharmacies
UPDATE II: “This hoax was conducted in retaliation against US Attorney Laura Duffy for her insubordination against the Obama Administration and Government of the United States of America,” says an email. || READ IT AFTER THE JUMP. Read More
Media General — “smaller, more focused” after selling its newspapers (but for the Tampa Tribune) to Warren Buffett — is dismissing 75 employees today. CEO Marshall Morton tells his staff:
When we sold our newspapers last month, we changed from a company
with revenues of $616 million in 2011 and approximately 4,000 employees to one that will have revenues this year of about $350 million and about 1,400 employees working at our television stations. The resources that were necessary to support our larger organization are not justifiable in our smaller, more focused company.
Read his letter after the jump. Read More
Annie Leibovitz prepares to shoot in the Washington Post newsroom today.instagr.am/p/NvxYB5s20y/
— john temple (@johntemplewp) July 31, 2012
It’s Vanity Fair Day at the office. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein just walked by fighting over where their old desks used to be.
#carlwon— Melissa Bell (@MelissaBell) July 31, 2012
Robert Redford is in the newsroom.
#allthepresidentsmen— Jura Koncius (@JuraKoncius) July 31, 2012
Credit: @johntemplewp
What’s up, Vanity Fair? “We never talk about what we’re doing until it’s done,” a VF spokesperson tells Romenensko readers. “Sorry.” (I’ve also asked Washington Post managing editor John Temple about today’s shoot. Check your Facebook email, John.)
