Tribune Publishing And Union Agree To Two-Year Contract (mediapost.com)

States apparently are getting tired of waiting for national legislation that would support local journalism. The Massachusetts legislature, to name one, is mulling a bill that would provide a tax credit to reimburse the cost of local newspaper subscriptions. To benefit from this, a local print or digital publication would have to primarily serve the local community and consist of content derived from primary sources and relating to news and current events. It would also have to employ at least one local news journalist who resides in the community.

Enthusiast media company Active Interest Media (AIM) has acquired Taunton Press, a consumer media and book business. Terms were not disclosed. The purchase of Newtown, CT-based Taunton doubles AIM’s reach in the gardening, woodworking and homebuilding sectors, the company states. “While the symmetry of many of our core markets is obvious; woodworking, gardening, and homebuilding; there are many other similarities,” notes Andrew Clurman, president and CEO of AIM. For one, both firms have been “aggressively pursuing the creation of new digital products, memberships, and online learning to better serve their audiences," Clurman adds. For another, the two companies share “a dedication to producing high-quality information, and inspiring enthusiasts for hands-on living,” says Andrea Roman, board chair of Taunton Press.

Barnes & Noble announces the shortlists for the Barnes & Noble Children’s & Young Adult Book Awards. These annual awards give a national platform to new and emerging talent in Children’s Publishing. The shortlist in each category of Picture Books, Young Readers and Young Adult is selected by the booksellers at Barnes & Noble who specialize in Children’s bookselling in stores across the country. Barnes & Noble has an astonishing track record for discovering, establishing and championing the careers of many authors with its Book Clubs, Monthly Picks and Book of the Year, and the Children’s & YA Book Awards play a similar role, launching hitherto little-known authors that will shape children’s literature for years to come. Last year, for its inaugural Overall Winner, B. B. Alston’s debut, Amari and the Night Brothers, enchanted the hearts of Barnes & Noble booksellers from coast to coast and went on to achieve extraordinary success.