Today marks Facebook’s initial public offering, which is top of mind for many people around the world. But that’s not the only story on our radar this week. See below for a roundup of the media and publishing headlines that recently caught our eye:
- Facebook IPO Will Be Felt Throughout Social Business Space: With today’s $16 billion IPO for Facebook (the largest IPO in history), other social networking businesses are buzzing about what this means for the industry as a whole.
- Missouri newspaper pays blogger for copyright claim: All American Blogger Duane Lester videotaped his copyright showdown with a Missouri newspaper and the video went viral this week. At first the small-town newspaper staff refused to pay Lester for his copyright claim but eventually wrote Lester a $500 check with “bull shit” in the memo line.
- Larry Kramer’s vision for USA Today: This week, USA Today named MarketWatch founder Larry Kramer as president and publisher of the paper. An interview on Kramer’s vision for the paper revealed that the veteran entrepreneur hopes to enhance the paper’s online presence The publication will celebrate its 30th birthday in September.
- Ford Foundation gives Los Angeles Times $1 million grant: A Ford Foundation grant will enable the LA Times to hire journalists and content writers focusing on “Vietnamese, Korean and other immigrant communities, the California prison system, the border region and Brazil,” according to James Rainey.
- Buffett and Berkshire bet on print, buy 63 Media General papers: Warren Buffett will spend $142 million to purchase 63 daily and weekly newspapers (the majority of General Media’s papers), giving Buffett’s company a 20% stake in General Media. Buffett said in a statement, “in towns and cities where there is a strong sense of community, there is no more important institution than the local paper.”