SCOC rules man duped by Time in sweeps ploy

The Supreme Court of Canada has sent a sharp warning to unscrupulous marketers, awarding $15,000 in punitive damages to a Quebec man who was duped by a Time magazine subscription ploy. Globe and Mail

James Murdoch gives up News International role

James Murdoch, the younger son of Rupert, will relinquish his position as executive chairman of News International, following a phone-hacking scandal that shut down the News Of The World newspaper and led to the arrest of several company executives and journalists.

Harlequin a big Q4 winner for Torstar

The performance of romance publisher Harlequin has been the source of Torstar's Q4 profit. The corporation's results are merged so we have no figure for the Toronto Star. Torstar says that it's doubtful Harlequin can match its 2011 performance in 2012.   

Journalist’s rescue from Syria costs 13 lives

 British photographer Paul Conroy has been spirited safely out of the Syrian city of Homs into Lebanon, but the rescue cost 13 volunteers their lives. National Post

Can the paywall be made to pay?

Warren Buffett is the latest notable to say that if only newspapers made people pay for the news, the industry would be okay.  Possibly. But the psychological  hurdle for publishers of who will be first seems a high one. Close down online and lose readers to your competitors who are still online  And what to do about the great national and international broadcasters who are uniquely qualified to be on the Internet. "Join our post show program online"  News is the one place where television hasn't been hurt by the Internet. And finally there's the hordes of freelance tinkerers and blog maniacs who are sniffing around the morning paper's lunch in local news. Getting people to pay for news seems like a long shot.