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GMG Union
@gmgunion.bsky.social
Gizmodo Media Group Union of WGAEast, representing workers at Gizmodo, Jalopnik, Jezebel, Kotaku, Quartz, and The Root Onward! gizmodomediagroupunion@gmail.com
192 followers19 following3 posts
GUgmgunion.bsky.social

This marks the second Kotaku EIC in 7 months driven out by G/O Media’s aggressive mismanagement and Jim Spanfeller’s blatant disregard for journalism. It is very clear that leadership wants to undermine the people who make these sites special and replace their work with slop.

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GUgmgunion.bsky.social

The Deadspin sale marks the second time in six months that G/O Media has laid off the entire unionized staff of a website and sold only its brand name. We recognize this method for what it really is: Union busting. G/O staffers deserve better.

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Reposted by GMG Union
OIonionunion.bsky.social

The Onion would like to congratulate its owner, G/O Media, for standing firm in its return-to-office mandate, as we can think of nowhere more conducive to best-in-class thought leadership than a fluorescent-lit room populated with the abandoned desks of terminated colleagues.

48
Reposted by GMG Union
OIonionunion.bsky.social

It's impossible to foster a creative and successful media company if AI content mush is valued over the skills of talented writers, editors, and artists. This is why we're fighting for a fair contract. RT to show your support! ✊

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GUgmgunion.bsky.social

Jezebel was a good website. Our statement:

GMG Union Statement on Today’s Layoffs

Today, with no warning, G/O Media laid off 23 people across multiple outlets, including; Deadspin, Gizmodo, io9, Jalopnik, Jezebel, Kotaku, The Onion, The Onion Art Department, and Quartz. These layoffs are cruel and entirely preventable. Jezebel, which has been a pillar of fearless journalism and important cultural commentary since 2007, was shut down entirely. G/O Media management failed to undertake the range of cost-cutting options it had—like furloughs, voluntary reduced hours, staff buyouts, and executive pay cuts—before laying off employees. Some of these layoffs come immediately after sites have made other hires for the same pay rate, raising questions about whether the layoffs had any forethought or were merely done at the whims of a capricious CEO.
It is particularly egregious that G/O Media chose to lay off journalists whose skills and beats are so valuable to the current political and cultural moment. By laying off writers and investigative reporters who focus on bodily autonomy, technology, climate change, and culture, the company has left itself unprepared to deal with the biggest stories of our modern world—stories that require a deft, knowledgeable hand in reporting. These cuts affect not only our network, but every reader who relied on this expert coverage to understand their own changing rights and place within the world.
The layoffs, and specifically the closure of Jezebel, also underscore fundamental flaws in the ad-supported media model, where concerns about “brand safety” limit supporting content about the biggest, most important stories of the day—stories that generate enormous traffic because people read and share them. Rather than rethink this model, G/O management has decided to shutter the brand entirely because of its strategic and commercial ineptitude. Jezebel was a good website, and the journalists who worked there were exemplary, brilliant, and deserved better than to have their site shuttered with no warning. Each of the journalists affected were experts in their beat, and have worked for years to develop their voice and skills. They did not deserve to be arbitrarily laid off due to “restructuring” when options remained available to G/O Media. 

Some of the journalists affected include:
From Gizmodo, 
Mack DeGeurin @mackdegeurin; mack.degeurin@gmail.com
Nikki Main @nlmain1; nikkimain15@gmail.com 
Angely Mercado amercado92@gmail.com 

From io9, 
Linda Codega @lincodega; lhcodega@gmail.com 

From Jalopnik,
Kyle Hyatt @kylejhyatt; info@kylehyatt.com 

From Jezebel,
Kady Ruth Ashcraft @kady_ruth; kadyruth@gmail.com 
Kylie Cheung @kylietcheung; kyliec515@gmail.com
Caitlin Cruz @CaitlinRCruz; caitlinrcruz@protonmail.com 
Audra Heinrichs @audraheinrichs; audraheinrichs16@gmail.com 
Rich Juzwiak @richjuz; richjuz@gmail.com
Susan Rinkunas @susanrinkunas; susanrinkunaswrites@gmail.com 
Lauren Tousignant @L_tousignant; Lauren.tousignant@gmail.com 

From Kotaku,
Ashley Bardhan @ashleybardhan; ashleybardhan@gmail.com 
Isaiah Colbert @shineyezehuhh; eyezehuhh@gmail.com
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Reposted by GMG Union
SRsusanrinkunas.com

Jezebel's work was more vital than ever. A statement from the staffers unionized with @gmgunion.bsky.social@wgaeast.bsky.social about "economic headwinds"

screenshot
Statement on G/O Media's Decision to Shut Down Jezebel
NEW YORK, NY (November 9, 2023) - The following is a statement from Writers Guild of America East members at Jezebel regarding G/O Media's
decision to shut down ine site
We are devastated though hardly surprised at G/O Media and Jim
Shanteller s inabity to min our wanste and their crie decision to shutter
it. Jezebel has been a pillar of fearless jouralism and important cultural commentary since 2007 and made an indelible mark on the media
landscape. The closure of Jezebel also underscores fundamental flaws in the ad-supported media model where concerns about "brand safety" limit monetizing content about the biggest, most important stories of the day-stories that create huge traffic because people read and share them. A well-run company would have moved away from an advertising model, but instead they are shuttering the brand entirely because of their strategic
and commercial ineptitude. Jezebel was a good website.
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GU
GMG Union
@gmgunion.bsky.social
Gizmodo Media Group Union of WGAEast, representing workers at Gizmodo, Jalopnik, Jezebel, Kotaku, Quartz, and The Root Onward! gizmodomediagroupunion@gmail.com
192 followers19 following3 posts