It was a volatile few days for the media: Liberty Media’s John Malone gave Sirius Radio a $530 million bailout, Times savior Carlos Slim “threw his weight around,” and New York newspaper websites were among the most trafficked. But Newsweek might be closing bureaus. The media dramedy continues.
• One publication that’s not dying: Politico, a (sort of) post-print venture where hustling staffers aim to “win the morning, win the afternoon” with discussion-worthy “scooplets.” Perhaps they’re motivated by internal memos like this: “We are not the AP or the Times. … If we ONLY do what those two great organizations do, WE WILL NOT SURVIVE AND WE WON’T HAVE JOBS.” [TNR]
• The awards ceremonies continue: The Times’ David Barstow won a George P. Polk Award for national reporting (for “Message Machine”). More winners here. [E&P]
• Alfred A. Knopf, influential publisher, died while we were on vacation. [NYT]
• At a lecture on “The Art of the Interview,” Barbara Walters offered this insight: “I think the only programs that will still be there as they are now in 10 years are the morning shows. Everything else you can TiVo and watch later or read about on the internet.” [Portfolio]
• This year’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, featuring Bar Refaeli, set an all-time high-traffic record for the Sports Illustrated website. Similarly, Lindsay Lohan’s nude spread is still in our most viewed. [Time Warner]
• The Tribune Co. has implemented a salary freeze for 2009. [BrowardPB]
• According to Time.com, Perez Hilton, Gawker, and TechCrunch are overrated, while Lifehacker, The Daily Dish, and Deadspin pwn the Internet. More picks here. [Time].
• Gawker offers up a rumor: Newsweek is maybe shutting down its London, L.A., and San Francisco bureaus. [Gawker]
