links for 2007-07-19

“Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger told a Lords committee that an ‘act of faith’ was required when investing in a digital future.” … and predicts an “iPod moment” for news…

“In the few days leading up to the start of the Iraq War, Tony Blair had three phone conversations with Rupert Murdoch. … We are now aware of these calls because this information has been released by the Cabinet Office to the LibDem peer Lord Avebury”

“Since the beginning of this year, the rate of decline in advertising revenue has accelerated. Total print and online ad revenue was down 4.8% to $10.6 billion in the first quarter from a year earlier, according to the Newspaper Association of America”

“Yesterday, the New York Sun’s president, editor-in-chief, and co-founder Seth Lipsky waxed nostalgic about his dinner buddy, ideological fellow-traveler, and Sun funder (and let’s not forget, newly minted convicted felon … ), Conrad Black.”

“The widow of Daniel Pearl has sued more than a dozen reputed terrorists and Pakistan’s largest bank, blaming them for the torture and murder of the Wall Street Journal reporter in 2002.”

“Laurel Touby turned her popular cocktail parties into a high-traffic Web site for job-seeking media and creative professionals. Yesterday, she sold Mediabistro.com, the company that sprang from those mixers, for $23 million.”