Happy Friday! Here’s a look at the media and publishing headlines that caught our eye this week:
- 66% Prefer Reading Print Newspaper To Online Version: Although digital subscriptions are growing, a recent telephone survey conducted by Rasmussen Reports found that more than half of the American adults surveyed prefer reading the print edition of the newspaper.
- ABC: Newspaper circulation rose in last six months, 5% on Sundays: More good news for newspapers! The Audit Bureau of Circulations reports that daily newspaper circulation has increased for digital and print editions. The New York Times’ circulation increased 73 percent, largely due to an increase in digital subscriptions.
- Meet Signal, the Instagram of Citizen Journalism: A new iPhone app in private beta applies the Instagram concept of sharing images to citizen journalists and web content writers. Users can upload images with a geo-tagged location and caption of around 60 characters. An algorithm groups photos from the same story but different contributors together. Signal should be available it in the app store later this year.
- Microsoft Deal Adds to E-Book Battle: Microsoft has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Barnes & Nobles’ Nook division, giving the tech giant a 17.6 percent stake and heightening competition in the digital book market.
- Time Is Magazine of the Year at National Magazine Awards: On Thursday evening, Time Magazine received accolades as magazine of the year. The National Magazine Award recognized Businessweek for general excellence, O, The Oprah Magazine for general excellence among women’s magazines, Inc. for active- and special-interest magazines, House Beautiful for lifestyle magazines, and IEEE Spectrum for thought-leader magazines.
- Google Rewards Innovation in Journalism: Google is partnering with a Danish publication to sponsor the Nordic News Hacker 2012 competition. The goal of the competition is to spotlight experts who make raw data accessible in smart, innovative ways.
- New York’s Columbia University gets $2m for digital journalism research: The Tow and Knight Foundations have announced $2 milllion in funding to Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism. The money will focus on three areas of digital journalism: measuring the impact new practices and tools, increasing transparency in journalism, and examining what visual tools best engage and inform readers.
Freelancers, what are you reading this week? Any links you’d add to this list?