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Ziff Davis Acquires Computer Shopper Website

Ziff Davis, Inc., a technology media company, has announced the acquisition of ComputerShopper.com, a destination for reviews and comparison shopping of technology products. Founded in 1979, Computer Shopper was initially a print publication, which transitioned into an online destination. The site receives 1.5 million unique visitors monthly. The acquisition is the fifth for Ziff Davis since 2011.

Vivek Shah, CEO of Ziff Davis, says, "We're thrilled to be bringing Computer Shopper back into the Ziff Davis portfolio as a digital business with a very devoted audience. ComputerShopper.com perfectly fits our mission to inform and influence buyers of technology."

Image: Ziff Davis, Inc.

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Newsweek Calls President Obama The First Gay President

Newsweek has decided to declare President Obama as "The First Gay President," following his decision to support gay marriage earlier this week. The issue includes an article by Andrew Sullivan. The cover includes a photograph of President Obama with a multicolored halo above his head. Newsweek is likely hoping reader's remember Toni Morrison's description of former President Bill Clinton as the first black president in 1998.

President Obama made the announcement that he now supports gay marriage on Good Morning America. You can see the video clip here.

The cover is for the May 21, 2012 issue of Newsweek, which has not yet arrived on newsstands, but the digital version is already available on iTunes.

Photo: Newsweek

(via Politico)

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Bloomberg to Double Frequency of Bloomberg Pursuits in 2012

AdWeek reports that Bloomberg is doubling the frequency of its luxury lifestyle magazine, Bloomberg Pursuits. Doubling means the publication will go from two issues in 2012 to four issues in 2013. Strong ad sales helped motivate Bloomberg to publish more issues.

Some of the subjects the magazine covers include art, luxury cars, travel destinations, real estate, fashion, watches, wine and luxury services. It is targeted at ultra-affluent readers. Bloomberg says it has a global circulation of 375,000. The editor of the magazine is Vince Bielski. He also edits the Wealth section of Bloomberg Markets magazine.

Photo: Bloomberg L.P.

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Time Wins Magazine of the Year at 2012 National Magazine Awards

Time magazine was named the Magazine of the Year at the ASME's 2012 National Magazine Awards. You can see photographs of the winners here. Here is a list of the winning titles in each category.

Magazine of the Year: Time
General Excellence Active/Special Interest: Inc.
General Excellence General Interest: Bloomberg Businessweek
General Excellence Lifestyle: House Beautiful
General Excellence Thought Leader: IEEE Spectrum
General Excellence Women's: O, The Oprah Magazine
Design: Gentlemen's Quarterly
Feature Photography: The New York Times Magazine
Fiction: Zoetrope: All-Story
Leisure Interests: Saveur
News and Documentary Photography: Harper's magazine
Personal Service: Glamour
Photography: Vogue
Profile Writing: D Magazine
Public Interest: The New Yorker
Reporting: The New Yorker
Single-topic Issue: The Encyclopedia of 9/11

Photo: Time

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Chantal Restivo-Alessi Named Chief Digital Office of HarperCollins Publishers

HarperCollins Publishers has announced that Chantal Restivo-Alessi has been appointed to the position of Chief Digital Officer. Restivo-Alessi will report to Brian Murray, President and CEO of HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide, and will sit on the company's executive committee. Restivo-Alessi will be responsible for leading the overall global digital strategy for the company. Leslie Hulse, Senior Vice President, Digital Business Development, will report to her.

Restivo-Alessi said in a statement, "I am thrilled to be joining HarperCollins at such an exciting time of change. HarperCollins has demonstrated the ability to excel in digital publishing and I look forward to working with the leadership team to further the company's continued growth and innovation."

Restivo-Alessi joins HarperCollins from ING Bank in London, where she was Head of Media Corporate Finance. She has also worked at Aegis Group PLC in senior strategy and operational roles, EMI music, and Booz & Company. Restivo-Alessi is fluent in six languages, holds an MBA from Columbia University, a Masters in Foreign Trade and International Marketing from ICE Italian Institute, and a Laurea (MA) in International Political Sciences from University of Rome.

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Anderson Family Taking Books a Million Private

Clyde B. Anderson announced plans for the Anderson family to take Books-A-Million, Inc. (BAMM) private. Mr. Anderson is the Executive Chairman of BAMM. He and his family own approximately 53 percent of the common stock of the Company.

Under Anderson's plan, existing shareholders will receive $3.05 per share in cash. This represents a 20% premium over the stock's closing price on April 27, 2012. The proposal estimates the equity of BAMM to be $48.8 million. BAMM would be merged with a new company that the Anderson family will control. The stock repurchase will be funded using BAMM's existing credit line. The management of the company will remain the same.

Anderson wrote a letter to the Board of Directors which was also filed with the SEC. In the letter he says, "We believe that this Proposal presents a unique and highly attractive opportunity for the public shareholders of the Company." He also explains that the deal must be approved by a majority of the shareholders who are not members of the Anderson family. He also says that the family intends to continue the business and is not doing the deal to sell to a third party.

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Hulu.com Valued at $2 Billion in Deal to Buy Out Providence Equity for $200 Million

Bloomberg reports that Hulu.com's owners are buying out their venture capital partner, Providence Equity Partners Inc. Walt Disney Co., Comcast Corp. and News Corp. are buying Providence's 10% stake in the venture for $200 million, according to Bloomberg's sources.

Providence invested $100 million in the company in 2007. The reports say Hulu.com is now being valued at $2 billions. As part of the deal, employees will be able to sell some of their shares and cash out. Hulu says it now has 2 million subscribers to Hulu Plus who pay $8 a month for the service.

Hulu is currently working on expanding its roster of original programming in a bid to get more advertisers.

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National Enquirer Debuts iPad App, Called EnquirerPlus

American Media, Inc. (AMI) has launched EnquirerPlus, an iPad versio nof the National Enquirer. AMI says the app is targeted at a younger audience. The inaugural issue of EnquirerPlus features more than 35 stories, hundreds of photos plus a world exclusive video showing Whitney Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina inhaling from a bong.

David J. Pecker, AMI Chairman, President, and CEO. says, "It is extremely exciting to introduce the National Enquirer brand to a new generation of readers. EnquirerPlus is our latest step in transforming American Media into today's leading celebrity and health & fitness content provider across all platforms."

The first issue of the EnquirerPlus is free to download. Subsequently, single copies can be purchased for 99 cents or $2.99 for a month's subscription. The app can be found here on iTunes.

Image: AMI

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Chicago Tribune to Cut 20 Jobs, Outsource Some Local Suburban News Coverage

The Chicago Tribune announced that it has made an investment in Journatic, LLC, a local content provider.

Crain's Chicago Business reports that the Tribune will outsource some of its local suburban news coverage to Journatic. The Tribune will also cut about 20 jobs in the process. The Daily Herald says the job cuts could be as high as 40.

Brian Timpone, Co-founder and CEO of Journatic, said in a statement, "We are thrilled that Tribune has chosen to invest in Journatic, We look forward to benefiting from Tribune's experience in developing successful ventures within the media space."

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Major Magazine Publishers Partner for Digital Magazine Service

Conde Nast, Hearst, Meredith, News Corp. and Time Inc. have all partnered to launch Next Issue Media, which is offering a service billed as a Netflix for magazines. The tablet newsstand is available for Android now and will be available for the iPad in the near future.

Morgan Guenther, CEO of Next Issue Media, says, "This is a game changer for customers. We're bringing it all together. The most popular magazines, a great reading experience, interactive content and unlimited access to our entire catalog - with lots more to come."

Next Issue will enable readers to have unlimited access to as many magazines in the Next Issue newsstand as they want. Prices start at $9.99 per month. Here are the price plans available:

Unlimited Basic: Includes titles published monthly and bi-weekly for $9.99 per month
Unlimited Premium: Includes all titles in the catalog, including weeklies such as Entertainment Weekly, People, Sports Illustrated, The New Yorker, Time for $14.99 per month
Individual magazine subscriptions range from $1.99 to $9.99 per month
Individual magazine issues are available from $2.49 to $5.99 per issue

Take a look:

Photo: Next Issue Media

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The Write News Joins Pinterest

The Write News has joined Pinterest. Pinterest is a new social networks that lets users create virtual pinboards on different topics. Users then pin interesting things they find online to their pinboards using a graphic or photograph. For example, check our sister site, ShoppingBlog.com's Pinterest site, which has pinboards in multiple categories.

You can find The Write News on Pinterest here. You can also get updates from The Write News on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

Image: Pinterest

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PC Magazine Launches iPad Edition

Ziff Davis announced today that PC Magazine has launched its first iPad edition. Every month, the iPad edition of PC Magazine will contain more than 40 articles, reviews, features and interactive elements. The company says there will be "no advertising whatsoever" in the iPad magazine. The iPad app, avaiable here, will be free to download and will include a free sample issue. The April issue is available for $3.99. Two subscription options are available: monthly at $1.99 or annually at $19.99.

Dan Costa, Editor-in-Chief, Ziff Davis, says, "Because we ceased the print publication a few years ago and shifted purely to the Web, we were able to design an iPad edition from scratch with the iPad consumer in mind. We know consumers love rich content, but hate long download times. The April issue is only 70 MB and the exclusion of advertising is another great benefit to readers."

PC Magazine is also available on Zinio, Nook, Kindle and the Sony Reader. These versions of the publication were also revised with the April 2012 issue.

Photo: Ziff Davis

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Reed Business Information Puts Variety Up for Sale

Reed Business Information (RBI) announced today that it has put Variety up for sale. RBI has been divesting itself of its business magazines over the past three years.

Mark Kelsey, CEO of RBI, said in a statement, "Variety is an iconic title serving the film and entertainment industry for more than 100 years. With RBI's increasing focus on data services, and the sale of our other US print magazines, it now makes sense for us to sell the business. Variety has an incredibly talented team who have successfully innovated and expanded the franchise in industry news and analysis. I have no doubt the business will continue to thrive under new ownership."

Variety is a highly respected daily print trade publication for Hollywood, but it is no longer the dominant source of information about the entertainment business. The L.A. Times notes that Variety has been hiding its content behind a pay wall, while its competitors offer similar content for free.

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HGTV Magazine To Launch With June/July 2012 Issue

Hearst Magazines and HGTV have announced they will launch HGTV Magazine with the June/July 2012 issue, which will arrive on newsstands in May. This issue will be followed by three more issues in 2012. Dan Fuchs, associate publisher of O, The Oprah Magazine since 2004, has been named publisher and chief revenue officer of HGTV Magazine. The launch of the magazine follows two test issues. The magazine's rate base will be 450,000.

Sara Peterson, HGTV Magazine's editor-in-chief, said in a statement, "We wanted to strike a chord with Americans looking for a fun, approachable magazine about how they live their lives at home and we're thrilled to have gotten the reaction we did with our debut test issue. We're excited to plan for more engaging, smile-inducing content in 2012."

Photo: Hearst Magazines

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First Issue of New York Cottages & Gardens Debuts

Cottages & Gardens Publications has launched a new magazine, New York Cottages & Gardens. The inaugural issue arrives on March 16, 2012. The bimonthly magazine provides inside scoop on area real estate deals and information about fashion, fine dining, gardening, art and antiques. Kendell Cronstrom is the editor-in-chief.

Here are some highlights of the launch issue:

The midtown pied-a-terre of powerhouse design duo Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams
The Hudson Valley home of legendary editor Marian McEvoy
The "Deeds & Don'ts" column featuring a dissection of New York real estate, including the swarm of people to Annabelle Selldorf's building 200 11th Avenue, home to Domenico Dolce, Nicole Kidman and Jamie Drake
The debut of the "Rising Star" feature. In each issue, the editors will shine the spotlight on New York's next great design firm. The March/April designers are Curious Yellow founded by Anna Cappelen and Nina Wolff
Imagery by top photographers William Waldron and Don Freeman, and antiques reportage by Wendy Moonan.

The website for the new magazine can be found here.

Photo: Cottages & Gardens Publications

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Three Little Pigs as a Breaking News Story

Here is a clever ad for The Guardian, a British newspaper. The ad takes story of the Three Little Pigs and acts as if it is a present news story. It is fun to watch as the story unfolds. The ad was created by Bartle Bogle Hegarty for The Guardian. The Guardian says the ad " imagines how we might cover the story of the three little pigs in print and online." Take a look:

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Screenwriting News Screenwriting news about the art and business of screenwriting from the only how-to magazine for screenwriters, Scriptologist.com.

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Lord Of War Reveals Secret Life

Writer/Director Andrew Niccol exposes another side of war in Lord Of War, a film in which Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage), an arms dealer, brings tragedy to his wife, his brother, and himself by selling weapons of war. Read more...

Firestorm : The Genesis Of My Screenwriting Techniques

My phone rang on a Saturday morning in April 1997. I was still asleep, but my answering machine picked up. "Chris, this is Matthew. I work with your producers," a voice from the machine said. "We've gotten an offer on your script, Firestorm, and we think we're going to take it."
Read more...

Filmmakers Revive Ghosts of Amityville

The 1979 film, The Amityville Horror, tells the true-life story of George and Kathy Lutz, a couple who moved into a house one year after an entire family had been murdered there. Read more...

CRASH Dramatizes Urban Reality

Writer/Director Paul Haggis based his upcoming film, CRASH, on a personal life experience in which he "was car-jacked at gunpoint" in Los Angeles, California. That experience inspired the screenplay for CRASH, which he co-wrote with Bobby Moresco. Read more...

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Don't expect too much. The Daily Grind is my process and punishment. Come along for the ride if you care to. Grind items exist to satisfy my daily writing requirements above and beyond any creative projects I'm working on. It's easy to get buried in a script for a month, several months, even a year. Hey, I've got stories I've never made it back from. I'm still buried in them. Then I stop writing. But writers write...right? Right. So here I write what I want to write about. Or I'll write about what I don't want to write about. And I have ADD, know that? So I have no idea really what I might write about...where it will start and where it might go. That's crazy. Then there's the whole 'meta-purpose': I'll even write when I don't want to write. Ah yes, the point... grind my ass. Daily. Voila. Welcome.

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