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IAC/InterActiveCorp., which controls Newsweek, plans to announce a digital plan for the magazine this fall, though it's unclear how that will affect the print publication.

Bloomberg reporter Edmund Lee, who listened to IAC/InterActiveCorp's earning call, tweeted, "Barry Diller says there will be a plan in place later this year to take Newsweek digital only." He tweeted later that he had confirmed this with a public relations representative.

All Things D's Peter Kafka has a different take, saying his understanding is that Diller is "thinking about going Web-only with Newsweek, but hasn’t committed to it." Kafka says he confirmed that understanding with a public relations rep.

Politico's Dylan Byers has a similar take as Kafka, based in part on an email from the same person Kafka talked to.

Kafka posted his transcription of the relevant portion of the call. Diller commented that Newsweek has a good brand, but it, like others, has to solve the problem of producing a weekly magazine.

"And the transition will happen, I believe. I’m not saying it will happen totally. But the transition to online from hard print will take place. We’re examining all of our options. Our plan is that, by September, October and certainly, uh, firmly have a plan in place for next year. It’s going be different than it is this year. I can’t tell you in what ways it’s going to be different. But it will be different.”

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David Simon, whose HBO series "Treme" chronicles life in post-Katrina New Orleans, told Poynter that The Times-Picayune's decision to cut publication to three days a week and cut staff is "grievous news as it would be for any American city." He praised the newspaper's "strong civic work," particularly its investigations into police brutality and Louisiana's prison industry:

Katrina seemed to give the paper a sense of itself for several years afterward and Newhouse was reluctant to be ruthless after the flood. But New Orleans isn't immune. No one is. And this slow suicide -- as the great Molly Ivins called it -- will continue unabated until the industry swallows hard and takes its product -- every last newspaper -- behind a paywall.

And if they don't do that?

If not, then it is the day of the "citizen journalist," which is to say, the day of the amateur. And American institutions, or for that matter the world as a whole, will not be held accountable by individuals doing this as a hobby.

Related: Sen. Landrieu on Times-Picayune: ‘To think of not having a daily print edition saddens me.’ | Simon's 2009 CJR piece: Build the wall (more...)

The Washington Post
The Post has confirmed Politico's story Wednesday reporting that John Temple, former editor of the Rocky Mountain News and now editor of Honolulu Civil Beat, will replace Raju Narisetti as one of its two managing editors.

Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli tells staff in a memo that with Temple's hiring, the Post is structuring its newsroom "around our two key audiences, those who read us locally and those who come to us from outside the area." As Vanity Fair's Sarah Ellison reported in February, the Post has long struggled with its identity as a local vs. a national paper. Brauchli continues: "The new leadership structure aligns the Newsroom with our broader strategy of being the indispensable guide to Washington, both for people who live in this region and for those who want to understand it as the world’s seat of power. "

The announcement signals that the Post will continue to confound anyone who tries to understand the management of its Style section, which covers arts. Temple will run Sunday Arts and Sunday Style (two sections that were previously one section); Liz Spayd, the other managing editor, will manage Style on other days. On the Web, the Post continues to divide Style content between the “Lifestyle” and “Entertainment” tabs on its navigational bar.

Related: Temple factors heavily in 5280's chronicle of the last days of the Rocky. He responded to the piece in a blog post.

The Post's news release is after the jump.

But first, Brauchli's memo to staff:

To the Staff:

I’m pleased to announce that John Temple is joining The Washington Post as a managing editor.

John is a journalist and leader of exceptional talent, whose experience is an ideal fit for the role he’s taking on. He’ll oversee the departments that predominantly serve our local market. He will also serve as the Newsroom’s senior digital editor.

With his arrival, we will restructure the Newsroom around our two key audiences, those who read us locally and those who come to us from outside the area. John will have responsibility for Local, Sports, Weekend, Going Out Guide, Local Living, Food, Travel, Sunday Arts, Sunday Style, The Washington Post Magazine and Capitol Business. (more...)