Our regular roundup of timely ideas and information. In this digest: A shift in news culture around paywalls, advice for digital personalization to attract readers, Google's victory over AP, and more.

<a href="http://paidcontent.org/article/419-are-newspapers-finally-figuring-out-how-to-reward-their-best-customers/" target="_blank">Are Newspapers Finally Figuring Out How To Reward Their Best Customers?</a>
Clay Shirky’s take on ads, engagement, paywalls and payoffs across legacy papers offers insight for publishers. A smart synthesis on where the news culture has been and where it may be headed.

<a href="http://techcrunch.com/2012/01/08/you-cant-spell-media-without-me/" target="_blank"> You Can’t Spell Media Without “Me”</a>
Check out Ben Elowitz’s Six Elements of Ultimate Digital Personalization. How do you help bring readers’ worlds to them?

<a href="http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/top-stories/158375/how-google-beat-associated-press-with-iowa-caucus-results-and-why-it-matters-santorum-romney/" target="_blank"> How Google beat AP with Iowa caucus results (and why it matters)</a>
“Google’s experiment showed how an innovative technology company can push in on the turf of a venerable news organization that prides itself on getting it first and getting it right.”

<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57358912/the-real-deal-with-groupon/?tag=currentVideoInfo;videoMetaInfo" target="_blank"> The real deal with Groupon</a>
Plenty of publishers make deals part of their business plans. Keep up with market leader Groupon in this 60 Minutes sit-down with founder Andrew Mason.

<a href="http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/10539.aspx" target="_blank"> How FedEx turned a disaster into a PR win</a>
Transparency, humility, and honest intent, delivered right on time. More than a PR win, a cross-sector view of a vital journalism value – let your customers know and trust you.

<a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/press/tablets-helping-publishers-sell-back-issues-137387" target="_blank"> Tablets Helping Publishers Sell Back Issues</a>
Got older content with great shelf life? Some publishers find the tablet format sparks sales of back issues.

<a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2012/01/northwest_trustee_squeezes_mor.html" target="_blank"> Northwest Trustee Services squeezes more profits from home foreclosures with one-stop model</a>
A fascinating sign of the times: Why a major foreclosure company is buying up local newspapers. “For many small-town papers, foreclosure notices have become one of their largest revenue sources.”

<a href="http://mashable.com/2012/01/05/newsright-online-news/" target="_blank"> NewsRight: a Game Changer for Online Journalism?</a>
Backed by major media players, NewsRight is an effort to circumvent piracy with tracking technology. Learn where your stories appear, then choose to seek payment or enjoy the promotion.