Deadspin writers quit en masse over 'stick to sports' memo
  • 4 years ago
NEW YORK — Most of the staff at Deadspin have unfortunately said adios in an open revolt against a top brass mandate to stick to sports.
USA Today reported that the resignations came at the end of a contentious few months between staff and douchey new ownership.
According to the New York Post, trouble started on Monday after the editorial director of Deadspin's parent company, G/O Media, issued a staff memo to "write only about sports and that which is relevant to sports in some way."
So in typical Deadspin fashion, the editorial staff began filling the site with exclusively non-sports stories.
Then on Tuesday, Deadspin deputy director Barry Petchesky said that he'd been axed for not following the directive.
Petchesky tweeted, "Hi, I've just been fired from Deadspin for not sticking to sports."
The Washington Post reported that this then led to close to a dozen Deadspin writers and editors announcing their resignations over Twitter in protest on Wednesday and Thursday.
According to Business Insider, shortly after that the Gizmodo Media Group issued a statement over Twitter accusing the company's CEO, Jim Spanfeller, of "curtailing [Deadspin's] most well-read coverage because it makes him personally uncomfortable."

Many long time readers, sports nutz and fellow journalists have all taken to Twitter to commend the former Deadspin staff for their integrity and courage.
Apparently in an attempt to deaden the backlash, G/O has shut off all comments on Deadspin.
Maybe it's time for a name change—perhaps just call it DEAD from now on.
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