• 9/11 Coverage: Aiming To Commemorate, Not Exploit
    With the media's coverage of the tenth anniversary of 9/11 beginning in earnest this week, the New York Times' Jeremy W. Peters and Brian Stelter report on how publications and TV channels have attempted to walk "the fine line between commemoration and exploitation" both editorially and in ad sales. For example, New York magazine (whose entry into the category was a well-done encyclopedia of 9/11 related items, from A for Airport Security to Z for Zazi, Najibullah) "gave advertisers who had already bought space in the magazine the option of bowing out," because, according to publisher Lawrence C. …
  • OMFG: An Acronym That Helped Redefine Promos For TV Shows
    According to Ad Age's Brian Steinberg, "the art and science of promoting TV programs is in flux" -- a notion perhaps underscored by CW exec Rick Haskins' "crazy idea" to use "OMFG," an acronym commonly used by young texters, on ads promoting "Gossip Girl" almost four years ago. Haskins is now leaving CW to pursue other products, but his efforts have helped to redefine the network marketing landscape with his "belief... that TV promos need to work harder to link TV programs with current and potential viewers -- the better to spur them to watch however the show might …
  • Abramson Takes Hold As New 'Times' Editor, Names Team
    In her first day as New York Times executive editor, Jill Abramson lays out plans for her leadership team -- including Rick Berke moving from National Editor to assistant managing editor, Features department and weekly sections; and Susan Chira, former Foreign Editor, becoming assistant managing editor, news. "I plan to focus my energies on two areas: digital innovation and integration and, no surprise here, the news," Abramson writes in a memo to her staff.
  • Advance Touchdown: NBC Sells Most Of Super Bowl Ad Inventory
    NBC has sold most of its ad inventory for Super Bowl XLVI already, with perhaps six in-game slots remaining out of roughly 63 slots, five months before the Feb. 5 broadcast. The top price was $3.5 million a spot, more than Fox's $3 million a spot last year.Auto companies led the pack of advertisers, all of whom have purchased deals including other NBC Sports TV offerings -- particularly the 17-day 2012 Summer Olympics.
  • Why Starz Kissed Netflix Good-bye
    Ryan Lawler analyzes the reasons behind Starz' Thursday announcement that it would be ending its content-streaming deal with Netflix in March. For one, Starz probably lost money on the deal, and possibly alienated its traditional partners -- cable and satellite operators."The most likely outcome," Lawler writes, "isn't that Starz's streaming content goes to one of Netflix's competitors, but that the network keeps the digital rights to itself and makes them part of its TV Everywhere services with cable companies, who can offer the programming online for their paying customers."
  • Washington Post To Shutter Local Bureaus
    The Washington Post is closing six of its eight local bureaus, located in suburban Virginia and Maryland, as a cost-cutting measure that will not affect staff or local coverage (which is being beefed up), according to a staff memo.The paper will retain its Annapolis and Richmond offices.
  • Details Partners With E-Commerce Site
    Details magazine will become the latest men's pub to move into e-commerce by collaborating with Mr. Porter, the men's version of fashion site Net-a-porter. Mr. Porter products picked by Details editors will appear on the pub's Web site; the product selection will also be available on the e-commerce site for purchase.
  • Shocker: Beauty Ad Without Photoshopping
    That's how mineral cosmetics company Bare Escentuals shot its first traditional ad campaign, according to Leslie Blodgett, the company's executive chairman."We're leaving in everything that they came with on their face. Every line, wrinkle, puffy bloodshot eye," she says in this piece.The models themselves were far from traditional, chosen from a blind casting call for women 20 to 60 on the basis of questionnaires about "who they were and what they were like," writes Tanzine Vega. "We have a responsibility as a beauty company to start changing the images that women see," Blodgett says. Doesn't that sound like the Dove …
  • For Economic Headaches: Take Two News Items, Call Me In Morning
    A little humor -- and altruism -- can help ease us through these uncertain economic times. Which is why we like the following two related items. In the first, we were cheered to hear how Dayton Daily News photo editor Larry Price chose to resign his post rather than lay off half his staff. The Pulitzer-winning Price wrote to his former employees: "I do not believe the layoffs are fair to you as individuals or that they are in the best interest of the Dayton Daily news and our readers."Next, for the funny-sarcastic, check out The Onion's piece on …
  • The CFO Shuffle At Newsweek/Daily Beast
    Gary Starr will be the new CFO at the Newsweek Daily Beast Co., replacing Jennie Tse Wang. Starr was previously senior vice president of finance at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
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