Boston Herald - Boston Herald

Judge apologizes for lag in unsealing documents

Associated Press — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:41:49 -0400

WASHINGTON — A federal judge apologized Wednesday for an 18-month delay in unsealing documents in a case involving an alleged leak of classified information to a reporter.

The documents include two warrants and related materials for the email accounts of Stephen Kim, a State Department adviser who faces charges of leaking secret information about North Korea to Fox News reporter James Rosen.

Dependable Cleaners inks sponsorship deal with Boston Breakers

Ira Kantor — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:58:05 -0400

Dependable Cleaners said today it has teamed up with the Boston Breakers women’s soccer team this season as its official dry cleaning partner.

Dependable Cleaners will also launch the “Dependable Play of the Game,” where fans can visit its Facebook page and vote on the Breakers’ play of the game after each game. Videos of various plays will be posted 24 to 48 hours post-game.

American International College names Forge Worldwide as lead agency

Ira Kantor — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:14:51 -0400

American International College in Springfield has named Forge Worldwide as their lead agency for a re-branding engagement, the agency said today.

The account was awarded after a brief review of undisclosed agencies. Billings for the account were not disclosed.

Piers Morgan writing book about life at CNN

Associated Press — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:44:41 -0400

NEW YORK — Piers Morgan is going behind the scenes.

The host of CNN's "Piers Morgan Live" has a deal with Gallery Books for "Shooting Straight: Guns, Gays, God, and George Clooney." Gallery, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, announced Wednesday that the book is scheduled for October.

Morgan, in a statement issued by Gallery, promised a "warts and all" account of life at CNN and said the book would be like "'The Newsroom' on steroids," referring to the HBO series.

'GMA' host Roberts to write memoir about illness

Associated Press — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:33:54 -0400

NEW YORK — Robin Roberts will tell the story of her battle with a life-threatening illness in a new memoir.

Grand Central Publishing says the "Good Morning America" anchor will write the as-yet-untitled book for publication next April.

The publisher announced Wednesday that Roberts will write about her rare illness and her recovery, as well as the life lessons she continues to learn since her return to the "GMA" anchor desk.

Experts: Globe worth more torn apart

Chris Cassidy — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

The New York Times Co.’s local media properties — the Boston Globe, bostonglobe.com, boston.com and the Worcester Telegram & Gazette — could fetch tens of millions more if they were sold off separately than bundled together, according to industry experts.

“Given what the Globe has done, breaking apart bostonglobe.com from boston.com and putting less Globe content on Boston.com, it makes that a more foreseeable possibility,” said news industry analyst Ken Doctor.

Herald videos win two Tellys

herald.staff — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

The Herald’s Robert Greim, director of video production, received two bronze Telly awards for his multimedia coverage of the Boston police K-9 unit and parishioners in Scituate who refuse to abandon their Catholic church.

Greim, who holds a degree in broadcast and film from Boston University, has worked at the Herald for nearly 40 years, beginning in the pressroom as a teenager.

The Telly Awards receive more than 14,000 entries from all 50 states and honor those that meet “a high standard of merit” in film and video.

White House: Reporters shouldn't be prosecuted

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:37:09 -0400

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama believes journalists shouldn't be prosecuted for doing their jobs, the White House said Tuesday, showing solidarity with First Amendment advocates alarmed by a pair of high-profile federal probes into national security leaks.

Although Obama believes leaking classified information violates the law, he also believes that a free press is critical — and that questions being raised about the proper balance between those two concerns are entirely appropriate, said White House spokesman Jay Carney.

ESPN cutting workforce, 'smartly managing costs'

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:24:39 -0400

NEW YORK — ESPN is cutting its workforce, the latest Disney division to reduce staff.

"We are implementing changes across the company to enhance our continued growth while smartly managing costs," the sports media giant said in a statement Tuesday. "While difficult, we are confident that it will make us more competitive, innovative and productive."

NFL, Xbox enhancing interactive television viewing

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:18:47 -0400

Imagine Sean Payton holding up a Surface tablet instead of a cardboard playsheet on the sideline.

Envision Peyton Manning sitting on the bench and dissecting the last series from a variety of camera angles on his hand-held device instead of looking at still photos. Or sitting at home and pulling up real-time highlights on a Sunday afternoon.

It's coming.

Spotify's Top 10 most viral tracks

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:32:12 -0400

The following list represents the most viral tracks on Spotify, based on the number of people who shared it divided by the number who listened to it, from Monday, May 13, to Sunday, May 19, via Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter and Spotify.

1. Five Finger Death Punch, "Lift Me Up" (Prospect Park)

2. Mariah Carey, "Beautiful" (The Island Def Jam Music Group)

3. Robin Thicke, "Blurred Lines" (Star Trak LLC)

4. Lorde, "Royals" (Lava Music/Republic Records)

5. Hoodie Allen feat. Kina Grannis, "Make It Home" (Hoodie Allen)

Spotify's Top 10 most streamed tracks

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:30:07 -0400

The following list represents the top streamed tracks on Spotify from Monday, May 13, to Sunday, May 19:

UNITED STATES

1. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Ray Dalton, "Can't Hold Us" (Macklemore)

2. Daft Punk, "Get Lucky — Radio Edit" (Columbia Records)

3. Imagine Dragons, "Radioactive" (Interscope Records)

4. Justin Timberlake, "Mirrors" (RCA Records)

5. P!nk, "Just Give Me a Reason" (RCA Records)

6. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz, "Thrift Shop" (Macklemore)

Policy, discretion guide media sources probes

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:32:11 -0400

WASHINGTON — It was a rare moment in relations between the media and the government: In 2008, FBI Director Robert Mueller called the top editors at The New York Times and The Washington Post to apologize because the bureau had improperly obtained reporters' telephone records four years earlier.

The extraordinary call was an admission that the FBI's actions violated Justice Department policy about seeking journalists' phone records. But nothing about what the FBI did in 2004 appeared to run afoul of any law.

Gov't presses ahead on another leak case

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:58:34 -0400

WASHINGTON — In another case of the Obama administration investigating classified information improperly disclosed to reporters, the government is prosecuting a State Department expert on North Korea in a probe that appears to step into uncharted territory — by declaring that a journalist is committing a crime in disclosing leaked information.

NBC hires news division chief from Britain

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:31:00 -0400

NEW YORK — NBC went out of the company and out of the country to find a president for its news division, on Monday naming the first woman to hold the top job.

Deborah Turness, former editor of ITV News in Britain, replaces Steve Capus, who resigned earlier this year, and will begin her new job in August.

US urges Egypt gov't to defend political speech

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:23:11 -0400

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is calling on the Egyptian government to rein in prosecutions of political expression amid what it called a "growing trend" of efforts to punish and deter people from speaking their mind.

Special K churns out products in brand evolution

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:57:35 -0400

NEW YORK — Special K was once just a line of cereals. Today, it's a diet food empire.

The brand first hit shelves in 1955 as a no-frills breakfast alternative but now caters to dieters who see its airy chips and pastries as a way to beat cravings and lose weight. And this summer, Kellogg Co. is building on its biggest moneymaker with a "hot cereal" called Special K Nourish that's made with quinoa and other grains.

Archie Comics' gay kiss a poke at real controversy

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:51:58 -0400

It's just a quick kiss, but it's a long step forward for Archie Comics' only openly gay character Kevin Keller.

The Riverdale teen finds his life turned upside down after locking lips with his boyfriend, Devon, in Pop Tate's diner, drawing the ire of at least one disapproving Riverdale mom.

The woman "gets very offended and kind of pitches a bit of a fit," said Dan Parent, who writes and draws the issue, "Kevin Keller" No. 10 that is released Aug. 7.

CNN's Peter Bergen writing book on terrorism in US

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:58:52 -0400

NEW YORK — The author of best-sellers about Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida is working on a book about terrorists in the U.S.

Crown Publishers announced Monday that CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen has a deal for a definitive book on homegrown terrorism. The book will cover topics including the Boston Marathon bombings and the impact of government surveillance. It's tentatively titled "The United States of Jihad." The release date has yet to be determined.

Jordan: Arab Spring clears way for press freedoms

Associated Press — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:50:12 -0400

AMMAN, Jordan — The Arab Spring uprisings that toppled four Arab leaders have forced Mideast governments to allow more freedom of expression and of the press, Jordan's prime minister said Monday, but critics charged that Jordan itself is not doing enough.

Abdullah Ensour told a meeting of the Vienna-based International Press Institute, "The past few years have been very crucial to our region, because the Arab Spring has opened new horizons and created more demands" for wider freedoms of expression and the press.