Yes, Virginia, WSJ editors read USA Today

USAT is famous for its trend stories, so it was noteworthy this morning when The Wall Street Journal chose an unusual forum -- its editorial page -- to pick apart one such USAT account about the Gulf Oil spill.

The June 8 story: "Oil spills escalated in this decade." The paper found the number of spills from offshore oil rigs and pipelines in U.S. waters "more than quadrupled this decade, a trend that could have served as a warning for the massive leak in the Gulf of Mexico."

Here's the graph the WSJ didn't like: "From the early 1970s through the '90s, offshore rigs and pipelines averaged about four spills per year of at least 50 barrels, according to the Minerals Management Service (MMS). One barrel is equal to 42 gallons. The average annual total surged to more than 17 from 2000 through 2009. From 2005 through 2009, spills averaged 22 a year."

"That sounds ominous," the Journal opines, "so we decided to check Minerals Management Service spill data and see for ourselves. Here's the rest of the story: While the averages reported by USA Today are correct, the paper failed to mention that the numbers were distorted by some outlier years, in particular 2004 (22 spills), 2005 (49 spills) and 2008 (33 spills). It's no coincidence that those were the years of Hurricanes Ivan (2004), Katrina and Rita (2005) and Gustav and Ike (2008)."

Now, depending on your perspective, the WSJ is providing important context that deflates USAT's trend discovery. Or, the Journal's famously conservative editorial page is once more kissing corporate butt.

[Image: this morning's front page, Newseum]

NWS said in content-sharing talks with Gannett

Regarding a new plan to centralize digital content contracting, the well-known Gannett Blog poster known as "My Boss" says representatives of Gannett, USA Today and News Corp. have been discussing a possible combination of news, advertising and other content operations. News Corp.'s properties include The Wall Street Journal.

I have now confirmed that these talks have, indeed, been underway. I do not know their current status, however. (Updated at 3:58 p.m. ET to reflect my source's belief that these talks cover subjects beyond news content development.) Following are key portions of My Boss' post:

"This is the first step in the eventual News Corp. and Gannett/USA Today paid content agreement. There are some big implications for digital sales for newspapers and USAT. Jack Williams has been meeting with Jon Miller at News Corp. to discuss one delivery mechanism for all local content and for USAT to combine news operations within WSJ and sales within News Corp."

Some context: Any such deal with News Corp. would come amid USA Today's flagging circulation and advertising sales, which have lagged other Gannett newspapers as the U.S. economy struggles to regain its footing after the Great Recession.

Know about a reported USA Today staff meeting on Thursday? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

[Image: today's paper, Newseum]

Top Pop | Beauty, van der Sloot, 'flash crash'

[van der Sloot]

Most popular right now on the websites of:

• The New York Times: Off runway, brazilian beauty goes beyond blond
• USA Today: Joran van der Sloot confesses to killing Lima woman
• The Wall Street Journal: DJIA slides under 'flash crash' low

Slow traffic ahead: Memorial Day and the Internet

In my home state of Rhode Island, Memorial Day traditionally marks the start of beach-going season. Families head for the shore, opening beach houses for another summer away from scorching city temperatures. These days, I know something else that starts this three-day weekend: Internet traffic begins falling, and remains low during much of the summer, as more people vacation and stay away from the Web.

Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.

[Photo: bather at Pompano Beach, Fla., by Eric Thayer of The New York Times via Gawker]

Top Pop | Landis confessions, Valentino T-shirts

[Nelson]

Most popular right now on the websites of:

• The New York Times: Setback delays ‘Top Kill’ effort to seal leaking oil well in Gulf
• USA Today: Braids be gone: Willie Nelson gets a haircut
• The Wall Street Journal: Big spat on rig preceded explosion

Stock | Publishers dip in broad market retreat

Major newspaper publishers's stocks are following overall stock markets lower, on renewed investor worries over E.U. debt. Recent trading in stocks I follow:

• Gannett: $14.79, down 3.3%
• New York Times Co.: $8.52, down 6.5%
• News Corp.: $15.04, down 4.8%

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 277 points, or 2.7%. The S&P 500 is down 33 points, or 3%.

The broad retreat is stocks, according to The Wall Street Journal, came on mounting worries over Europe's will to address its debt woes as unions went on strike in Greece and investors fretted that trading regulations like those introduced this week in Germany could be adopted in other countries.

Top Pop | Doubtful vet, Travolta dogs, health care

[Travolta]

Most popular stories right now on the websites of:

• The New York Times: Candidate’s words on Vietnam service differ from history
• USA Today: Dogs in Travolta's family killed at airport
• The Wall Street Journal: No, you can't keep your health plan

Stock | NWS outlook dims as E.U. bank fears build

After falling 2% on Friday, NWS shares resume trading tomorrow morning as fear in the financial markets is building again -- this time over worries Europe's biggest banks face strains that will hobble European economies.

"Bourses and bank shares in Europe plunged on Friday because of these fears," The New York Times says, with Wall Street following suit.

Shares were also down in Tokyo and Australia in early trading on Monday. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 2.1% to 19,732.12, MarketWatch is reporting, falling back below the psychologically important 20,000 level; the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index lost 2.9% to 11,254.22.

Related: the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the S&P 500 Index

Times said to start charging for Web in January

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that The New York Times will begin charging for access to articles on its website in January. The Journal cites remarks that NYT Executive Editor Bill Keller made at a dinner for the Foreign Press Association this last night.

The WSJ report notes the Times unveiled a plan early this year to begin charging for access to the Web version of its flagship newspaper. "Keller's comments helped pinpoint the timing of the plan,'' the Journal says.

Urgent: In broad market rout, NWS down nearly 5%

Company shares finally closed at $16.21, down 78 cents, or 4.6%, as stock markets overall plunged on growing worries over the debt crisis in Europe. News Corp.'s performance was worse than broader stock market indexes: The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average both dived 3.2%. At one point, the Dow fell by nearly 1,000. (Updated at 5:25 p.m. ET.)

Stock | Post earnings, investors pound NWS

Company shares recently traded for $16.56, down $1.11, or more than 6%, as Wall Street registered disappointment with News Corp.'s third-quarter results yesterday. NWS's decline is well below other market indexes: The S&P 500, a closely watched barometer of broad stock market activity, was down less than 1%, as was the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Earnings | Third-quarter earnings pop on 'Avatar'

Record box-office receipts from Avatar, coupled with growth in its cable, broadcast and newspaper operations fueled third-quarter earnings, surpassing forecasts and propelled shares in after-hours trading, the company just announced.

Amid a broad market selloff, MarketWatch says, NWS shares fell this afternoon by 3.8% to end trading at $17.68, but the stock climbed 3% in after-hours trading.

Stock | NWS pummeled in broad market selloff

News Corp.'s stock recently traded for $17.56 a share, down 82 cents, or 4.5%, as broader markets dived on renewed concerns over the European Union's bailout plan for Greece. NWS's plunge is greater than other market measures: The S&P 500 Index was recently down 2.5%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average is off 2.2%, or 248 points. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite has fallen 3.2%.

In Times Square near-bombing, it's advantage: NYT

The Wall Street Journal missed the big local story in print because it doesn't publish on Sundays. In the rising battle over New York City news, that gave The New York Times an advantage. Still, it kept the play modest, limiting it on the front page to the traditional far-right column lede position (bigger view):


The two papers are now duking it out online, of course. Screenshots, taken moments ago; click on images for bigger view:



[Image: front page, Newseum]

Stock | NWS, other newspaper shares get creamed

News Corp.'s stock closed moments ago at $17.98, down 62 cents a share, or 3.3%, as newspaper stocks swooned during a day when markets overall fell on worries over Europe's growing debt crisis.

The news stocks were hit harder, however. Gannett closed at $17.54, down 6%. Shares in the New York Times Co. fell more than 7.3%, to $10.45. The S&P 500 Index, a broader measure of overall stock market activity, fell 2.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 213 points, or 1.9%, Google Finance says.

As battle heats up, WSJ continues circ gains on NYT

The Wall Street Journal eked out a small circulation gain during the six months ended March 31 from a year ago, an industry group report says today, as the daily racheted up its competition with The New York Times with a new section devoted to New York City.

The Journal topped this morning's Audit Bureau of Circulations list of the nation’s largest-circulation daily newspapers, trade journal Editor & Publisher is reporting. The WSJ was the only daily among the 10 largest to gain circulation in the latest six-month period, E&P says.

The third national daily, USA Today, continued to see its circulation drop, although losses moderated from the the previous six-month period.

Top three dailies
USAT remained No. 2 among the 10 largest, E&P says:

The Wall Street Journal

• March 31, 2010: 2,092,523
• March 31, 2009: 2,082,189
• Change: +0.5%

USA Today

• 1,826,622
• 2,113,725
• -13.58%

The New York Times

• 951,063
• 1,039,032
• -8.47%

Related: The industry got some good news today -- well, sort of.

Money launderers and counterfeiters, beware

"This note incorporates the best technology available to ensure we're staying ahead of counterfeiters."

-- U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, in remarks today as his department unveiled the newest design for $100 bills, in a story that's now the most popular on The Wall Street Journal's website.

Dow Jones lawsuit claims 'brazen' content theft

Dow Jones & Co. says in its suit today against Briefing.com that in just one two-week period, the investment website copied a "substantial portion" of at least 100 articles, and republished more than 70 headlines within three minutes of their initial publication on Dow Jones Newswires. The complaint claims Briefing.com cut and pasted Dow Jones content and included the pirated material in its cheaper product, according to a just-moved story on The Wall Street Journal.

Related: News Corp.'s statement about the suit

AdAge says NYT's new online biz page is the latest gambit to grab readers, advertisers from rival WSJ

The online section front has been rebuilt, starting today, to more closely resemble a home page, trade publication Advertising Age says, "complete with the top-left and top-right 'rabbit ear' ad units traditionally limited to the paper's standard home page; an automated "latest news" box on the top-right with stories from the Times and other sources such as Reuters and the Associated Press; a frequently updated river of news down the left column; a center column highlighting analysis; and Times blog posts wherever they may fit in the news or insight columns."

Related: NYT Co.'s press release on the makeover

WSJ shut out of Pulitzers, as rival NYT wins three

The New York Times today won three Pulitzer Prizes, in a 2010 competition that saw a new generation of online journalists elbowing their way into the industry's highest honor.

Notably, the Times' surging competitor -- The Wall Street Journal -- failed to win a single prize.

The NYT won for explanatory reporting and for national reporting. Plus, the Times's Sunday magazine tied for the award in investigative reporting with with the Philadelphia Daily News. The magazine's work was in collaboration with ProPublica -- a new, non-profit website devoted to investigative journalism. (So, in fact, maybe the NYT won just 2.5 Pulitzers.)

In a new post, the New York Observer says: The WSJ, which was once a Pulitzer-hoarder under former top editor Paul Steiger, "once again goes home empty-handed." The paper has not won an award since April 2007, and this brings the Journal's Pulitzer count in the Rupert Murdoch era to a grand total of zero, the Observer says.

Related: the complete list of 2010 winners. Plus, the WSJ's account of the awards