In your dreary Tuesday media column: the National Magazine Awards announce nominees, News Corp's Shine acquisition is complete, Jeff Greenfield needs a new job, the Brit phone hacking scandal continues, content farms get aspirational, and media launches still exist.

The AP, even with its recession-inspired cutbacks, is a great news service—but a pricey one, by newspaper standards. So Thomson Reuters is starting a competing U.S. news service. Like AP, but crappier cheaper.