NAA Roundup

By Lindsey Loving April 8, 2016

NAA Roundup is a weekly blog post featuring NAA member announcements and staff changes; NAA announcements; what’s on our reading list this week; and what’s hot on social media.

If you would like an announcement included in the NAA Roundup, please email lindsey.loving@naa.org.

Member Announcements:

Globe editor McGrory: It’s time to rethink everything we do (Media Nation)
The Globe is laying the groundwork for an analysis of its newsrooms and print business, according to a new memo from editor Brian McGrory. The Globe’s “reinvention initiative” will explore how The Globe can rethink both its internal production process and bigger questions about its print operations.

Gannett completes acquisition of Journal Media Group (Gannett)
The U.S. Department of Justice yesterday informed Gannett that it had the go-ahead to close its deal for Journal Media Group. The acquisition brings in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Commercial Appeal and the Knoxville News Sentinel, Ventura County Star and other papers into the Gannett fold.

The New York Times debuts “Running” newsletter (The New York Times)
The new weekly newsletter provides practical tips, expert advice and exclusive content for those interested in running.

Staff Announcements:

GateHouse Media:
Tom Clifford has been named VP of GateHouse Media’s Center for News & Design.
Alain Begun has been named Vice President of Marketing.

NAA Announcements:

Digital publishers put Brave Software on notice that substituting publishers’ ads is illegal: 17 NAA members, representing 1200 newspapers, yesterday sent a cease and desist letter to Brave Software, putting it on notice that its plans to develop an ad blocking browser that swaps out publishers’ ads with “better” ads sold through its own network is blatantly illegal.

NAA Announces Speaker Line-Up for NAA mediaXchange 2016: NAA announced the speaker line-up for its annual NAA mediaXchange conference, taking place April 17-20 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C. The influential group of speakers includes Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP plc, who will participate via live interactive video feed from London, England; Google executive Laurent Cordier; and Washington Post Executive Editor Marty Baron, who was recently portrayed in the Academy Award-winning film Spotlight for his work at The Boston Globe. Register for NAA mediaXchange and view the current program agenda by clicking here.

What We’re Reading:

‘Facebook opens the door to branded content from top publishers’ (Digiday)
Facebook has officially updated its policy and will now allow publishers to post ads in the form of branded content to their pages. Media outlets have been hoping for such a development to help drive more money from their efforts on the social network.

‘Verizon to Proceed With Yahoo Bid, Google Weighs Offer’ (Bloomberg)
Verizon Communications plans to make a first-round bid for Yahoo Inc.’s Web business next week, and is willing to acquire the company’s Yahoo Japan Corp. stake, as well.

‘How the Financial Times uses reader insight to evolve its native ad offering’ (Digiday)
Since its first paid post in October, the publisher is seeing the time spent on these posts increase by 123%, with engagement rivaling that of editorial content.

‘Panama Papers show the value of newsroom collaboration’ (Columbia Journalism Review)
The project is a testament to ICIJ’s partnership model, which aims to maximize impact through inclusive global collaboration. Media partners around the world localized the Panama Papers for their respective audiences, while near-simultaneous publication of that work created a critical mass of coverage needed to drive discussion worldwide.

‘How The Economist used virtual reality to tell stories through digital reconstruction’ (Journalism.co.uk)
The publisher is using virtual reality to bring back to life the historical collection of the Mosul Museum, destroyed by the so-called Islamic State.