jim spanfeller political affiliation jim spanfeller political affiliation

The digital media and blogging network, which oversees websites like Deadspin, Gizmodo, Jezebel, A.V. The person hired was Bruce Rogers, who most recently ran the institute arm of SITO Mobile, a mobile data company. Never mind the flood of negative stories about staff blowback over the company's editorial direction. Six days after the SVPs exchange with McAvoy, Spanfeller sent an email to the entire staff announcing G/O Medias new company values. Gaffney and Spanfeller said that G/O Media is looking for acquisitions itself. Everyone can seeit on the pageor at least, everyone could see it before the censorship. (check all that apply); and What do you like LEAST about Deadspin? The four women who Spanfeller counts as major hires include two he hired (head of talent and deputy counsel); one he promoted from within to executive managing editor; and a yet-to-be-filled position he says he plans to offer to a woman. I have communicated our timeline concerns to Jim and he understands that development is not an exact science and that goals may not be hit, Knight told Deadspin. The former staff of Splinter later launched the worker-owned Discourse Blog. Steve Thompson, 55, was installed over a female vice president who had been running west coast sales for two and a half years. Spanfeller did offer to promote one female employee, former chief of staff for The Onion Katie Pontius, and make her the companys head of talent, but the position fell through after he demanded that she fire newsroom editorial director Susie Banikarimas her first management move, which Pontius refused, according to sources who spoke to Deadspin. He did not answer a question about whether he was aware that a female VP was already leading west coast sales or that he installed a man (who also carries a VP title) above her. "We were a leftist site, not a liberal one, which gives you a sense of how closely Spanfeller followed our work," he said. Spanfeller said that he wasnt preventing, just delaying analytics from being implemented, on the grounds that its not particularly useful information at the moment. (The day after Deadspin contacted Spanfeller for comment, the tech team was given the green light to roll out video analytics. "[17], "Great Hill Partners Agrees to Acquire Gizmodo Media Group", "Great Hill Partners Acquires Gizmodo Media Group", "President & CEO, Jim Spanfeller Named as IAB Chairman", "Alumni Album: Helping Us Connect to the Web", "Advertising; 4 Young Executives On Move at Newsweek", "Playboy Hires 2 New Execs; Title of Publisher Goes to 1", "New Gizmodo boss Jim Spanfeller is an old school digital media vet", "After Days Of Resignations, The Last Of The Deadspin Staff Has Quit", "Deadspin Is ZombifiedBut Gawker's Content Warriors Fight On", "The Media-Sensational Rise and Fall of "Jim Spanfeller Is a Herb", "GMG Union votes no confidence in G/O Media CEO Jim Spanfeller", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jim_Spanfeller&oldid=1074755870, This page was last edited on 2 March 2022, at 00:52. Spanfeller, who became head of the digital media company when GMG was purchased by private equity firm Great Hill Partners, told staff that he expected the site's direct advertising to "take the. Multiple people who worked for him at The Daily Meal (part of Spanfeller Media Group) told Deadspin that Spanfeller couldnt cede any control. James J. Spanfeller Jr. is an American media executive best known for running Forbes.com from 20012009. Vice president for west coast sales Steve Thompson, who worked with Spanfeller at, Vice president for east coast sales Sean Flanagan, who worked with Spanfeller at. That union's collective bargaining agreement expires in February. "People are scared of him. They include: (Spanfeller declined to be interviewed in person but answered emailed questions. Another former Daily Meal staffer said that management was straight-up scared of Spanfeller, adding, I can see why. There are regions that were within my scope of responsibilities and within my role that I cannot call on and neither can my team.. Mad Money Twitter - Jim . As you know, one reason that I dont believe that publications should write about themselves is because I fear it damages perceived external credibility in editorial independence, which, if anything, makes keeping advertisers at bay harder, not easier. He is currently the CEO of G/O Media which consists primarily of sites that were previously part of Gawker Media. When I followed up about the meeting the next day with Spanfeller, I was told it was canceled. As for why that move was never announced, Spanfeller told Deadspin he believed Mike McAvoy would announce Rogers arrival, even though Spanfeller hired Rogers and he has announced other hires across the company since taking over. "There's a fly and he's a swatter, and that's it," the former executive said. And he made sure to make it clear that I just didnt get it in his mind that I just didnt get this whole digital thing, she said. As Spanfeller increasingly insisted on directing editorial coverage in what he believed to be more advertiser-friendly directions, clashes between him and the companys writers and editors have escalated. I intend to continue supervising the reporting process, including legal review, and then publish a thorough and fair story, which of course would include responses from people we spoke to. And I didnt know what Sean was doing. They cant even pitch effectively, said another employee who was present. The CEO alleged. Spanfeller said the goal was to find out what the key points of attraction are for our visitors.. When one reviews the actual questions one might feel even more uneasy. She said Spanfeller didnt have many questions for her, describing him as apathetic. Spanfeller seemed not to recall this interaction, telling Deadspin that the sales team was not covering direct clients.. Laura M. Browning and Caitlin PenzeyMoog, the A.V. . As I said in the article, some of the celebs I mentioned could have changed their political leanings. Jack Crosbie, a former Splinter contractor and co-owner of Discourse, said that traffic declined at Splinter because G/O did not refill lost positions. James J. Spanfeller serves as President & Chief Executive Officer of Forbes.com, a leading media Internet company, and as Executive Vice President of Electronic Publishing for . Spanfeller says Pontius accepted the job, but he decided she was not a good fit for this position after Pontius refused to join me in communicating our plans to fire Banikarim. Email him here: caleb@mediaite.com (Pontius declined to comment. "We are happy to hear that the company is profitable and financially stable enough for Jim Spanfeller to consider further acquisitions, and look forward to welcoming more workers into our union," the G/O Media union said in a statement. Great Hill Partners is a growth equity company committed to building businesses. 20 Employees Complained to Deadspin About Spanfellers Management, After interviewing nearly two dozen employees, Deadspin found that 20 people who work for G/O Media expressed frustration with Spanfellers approach to hiring and his new executives lack of knowledge about the company combined with their seeming unwillingness or inability to get up to speed.. In early April, Great Hill Partners, a private-equity firm, acquired Gizmodo Media Groupa collection of sites, formed from the assets of the old Gawker, that included Jezebel, Lifehacker, and Deadspinas well as The Onion, a satirical news site, reportedly at a fire-sale price.The company, renamed G/O Media, installed Jim Spanfeller, formerly of Forbes.com, Playboy, and Ziff Davis, as CEO. Spanfellers executive assistant set up a time for us to meet. This response, which Spanfeller emailed out along with the questions to and answers from every other executive to the entire company as an attempt to undermine this story, prompted this response from a third sales employee. If I had known, I would have been happy to interview her and consider her for the role., On June 20, the next time Spanfeller was in Chicago, the SVP met with him to ask why she had been overlooked. At least have everybody well briefed on this is what were doing and this is what wed like to learn from it, Reibstein said. A voter's representatives in government. Like many media companies, G/O Media's advertising business was battered by the pandemic. At the same time, working with the EICs to set a general editorial direction is clearly in the purview of any owner.). Over the last few weeks, during their attempts to hinder or prevent the publication of this story, Maidment and Spanfeller invoked concerns about Deadspins credibility in covering G/O Media. Use this information as you see fit. Jim Rich, the former top editor of the New York Daily News, will start as editor-in-chief of Deadspin on Monday. Heres The REAL Clip, Christian Walker GOES OFF on Predator Matt Schlapp for Allegedly Groping Male Campaign Staffer: Hes Done This Before, Im Sure!, LOL. Emma Carmichael is a friend of mine, and we both worked at Gawker Media and, as it was later named after being purchased by Univision, Gizmodo Media Group, or GMG. Jim characterized that as a misunderstanding, she said. 1. tips@mediaite.com, Caleb Ecarma was a reporter at Mediaite. That the story has been submitted for legal review without the benefit of our responses leads me to the conclusion that the piece is already fully written and that our responses to questions are mere window dressing. From a womans perspective, I did feel very belittled. That union also opposes G/O Media's recent requirement to return to in-person work. But after the staff meeting, sources say, members of the tech team held a meeting with Knight to explain why the date was unrealistic. In the months that followed, without posting the jobs publicly, Spanfeller, 62, hired a stable of white men to fill executive positions overseeing nearly every facet of the company. The other is still in college., Four of nine major hires have been women, Spanfeller said. A spokesperson for G/O has yet to respond to a request for clarification, but we will update this post if and when that changes. At the time of publication, Carmichaels original tweet has been retweeted more than 300 times. Its something that Im working to improve. I expect to be treated the way I treat people., This pattern played out three more times in Spanfellers first few months as CEO. Two other major jobs Spanfeller gave to women include his new head of talent and deputy counsel, which were both outside hires; he did give a promotion to one woman, who he made deputy editorial director. Naturally, we were dismayed to discover one more problemthe survey placed on Deadspin. Great Hill Partners did not disclose the financial terms of the private, all equity transaction but stated in a press release that Spanfeller is an investor. Successfully sold . What Spanfeller says is normal is, of course, a reflection of his own values, which evidently rank transparency, diversity, and inclusion as secondary concerns to financial success. According to Dave Reibstein, past chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Marketing Association and a professor of marketing at University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School of Business (where he teaches a course on market research), there are several problems with the survey. Spanfeller said he did not recall the specific request. Both lawsuits detail discrimination personally faced or witnessed by the plaintiffs from Jim Spanfeller, who became CEO of G/O Media in April after private equity firm Great Hill acquired Gizmodo . Unlike private equity investors who financially engineer acquisitions, burdening companies they buy with debt and massive . The Deadspin takedown covered numerous issues that have arisen since Univisions sale of the company to Great Hill, ranging from accounts of Spanfeller screaming at past employees, to allegations that the new G/O Media boss is on-boarding his old media buddies over highly qualified women who have worked at the company for years, along with numerous other accusations of mismanagement. She said Spanfeller told her that he was unaware of what she did at the company, and that she replied: That doesnt help, because that says you not only didnt know what I did, but you also had no interest in meeting the only woman on the revenue leadership team who is an SVP who has been successful, according to meeting her revenue and finance goals. She said the conversation ended with Spanfeller saying, Im sorry, I dont know what else you want me to say., Spanfeller confirmed the womans account to Deadspin. Stay up to date with what you want to know. At the same time we are still exploring all options to get this work done by August 15th.. Or knowledgeable writers?, Asked about the survey, Rogers said he thinks its responses will accurately and fully reflect Deadspin readers opinions of the site. In all of those cases Jim listened to my arguments and in many cases agreed with me and the issue was settled, he wrote in response to one question. pretty big scoop from me Jim Spanfeller is a herb https://t.co/gZDCs6mfhC. I was disappointed. Ive reached out to Spanfeller for comment multiple times over the past few days and have yet to hear back. Why Ketanji Brown Jackson Split With the Courts Liberals in a 54 Decision, the firing of beloved editor Barry Petchesky, According to Great Hill Partners website, increasingly insisted on directing editorial coverage. When asked if she stood by the content of the since-disappeared post, Carmichael remained steadfast: I did really careful, thorough research, and the evidence is there. It laid off 14 staffers in the summer of 2020. I think it makes him a bad role model for the rest of his team.. G/O Media shuttered its politics site, Splinter, in 2019. 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Spanfellers cronies now fill the G/O Media positions of chief financial officer, editorial director, senior VP of marketing, VP of west coast sales, VP of east coast sales, and VP of southern sales. Jim Spanfeller @JimSpanfeller Founder of http://TheDailyMeal.comand http://TheActiveTimes.com. 2. Shortly after the sale in April, she said, she met briefly with Spanfeller and explained to him her role and responsibilities in the company, which was primarily to work directly with clients to secure partnerships, instead of going through media ad agencies. A leading digital publisher producing category leaders The Daily Meal and The Active Times. Spanfeller admitted he contacted Maidment in June after receiving my initial email requesting an interview. Who doesnt like uncompromising commentary or sports stories you couldnt find anywhere else? "You're not a 'blogger,' you're a professional journalist. When pressed, Knight admitted the deadline may be unrealistic. Jim Rich, the former Daily News editor charged with bringing Deadspin back to life following a mass staff exodus, has resigned after just 18 months on the job, The Post has learned. Sports News Without Fear, Favor or Compromise. In an email read to Deadspin, McAvoy agreed that she was qualified for the role and said he would talk with Spanfeller to ensure she was interviewed for the new opportunity, which had not been posted publicly. According to his LinkedIn, Thompson is the founder of Mediacentric Inc., a multi-media representation company., A man was hired with my same title [vice president for west coast sales] to be my boss, the VP told Deadspin. Search over 95 Million Voter Registration Records. A longtime digital media veteran, Spanfeller was an unconventional choice to lead the new Gizmodo Media Group sites (The Daily Beast's CEO, Heather Dietrick, once served as president of the . Editorial director Paul Maidment, who worked with Spanfeller at Forbes and The Daily Meal. Both lawsuits detail discrimination personally faced or witnessed by the plaintiffs from Jim Spanfeller, who became CEO of G/O Media in April after private equity firm Great Hill acquired Gizmodo Media Group. Six of these hires were Spanfellers colleagues from his previous jobs at Forbes, Playboy, and Ziff Davis. In April, the tech team was told to move the companys video operations off of MCP, which Univision paid for to host video content, and onto JW Player, a cheaper video system. In one case, sources say Spanfeller did offer to promote a woman to run human resources, but on the condition she fire another woman at the company as her first order of business. Jim Spanfeller . No one has been named interim editor, and there is no succession plan in place. According to Great Hill Partners website, Spanfeller has led comparable media platforms and positioned them for successful strategic exit, which probably means something to someone, somewhere, but Spanfeller is perhaps best known for dramatically increasing Forbes.coms focus on digital advertising (Spanfeller also previously served as chairman of the Interactive Advertising Bureau). And Fake. Legal review is often a lengthy process involving multiple reads, so talking to a lawyer is certainly not an indication that we would publish without completing the reporting process. Former SVP of sales and operations Kurt Mueller had left the company, and McAvoy told the woman Spanfeller was hiring his replacement. [6] Just under two years later, Spanfeller was replaced as publisher by Scott Kauffmann and became the national sales manager of Newsweek magazine in 1986. Its everything Ive wanted and more.. Spanfellers all-staff email went on to accuse Deadspins staff of bias and cast doubt on the motives behind the story. He credited The Root for its journalism on the Black Lives Matter movement. The company is also on the hunt for acquisitions, according to Spanfeller. Before he started full time in early June, Flanagan was brought in as a consultant just after Spanfeller took over G/O Media. Initially, we had to move fast because the company was losing money at a rapid pace, he said. He said the company was just profitable before the pandemic hit its business, and is now comfortably back in the black. Then, in early June, former Onion CEO Mike McAvoy, whountil he was separated from the company on July 11had been leading sales across all the sites, told the SVP that Spanfeller had hired two new sales leaders, Flanagan and Thompson. You wrote a 'story,'" Spanfeller recalled telling staff. It was a welcome refrain for employees all too aware of how the company had languished under Univisions doomed ownership. We could have video analytics today. That management did not respond to our request for an explanation is only another of the many ways the workers at GMG have been ignored and put on the back burner in the name of a profitability mirage that is clearly more attractive to the big decision-makers than a functioning workplace. We had to move fast because the company was losing money at a rapid pace, Spanfeller wrote in a statement. The key journalistic properties descended from . A G/O Media spokesperson said the company plans to grow the 174-person editorial headcount to 200 by the end of the first quarter next year. The next day she refused to join me in communicating our plans to Susie. For the life of me, I am not sure how you can have a legal review without a complete story and I cannot imagine how you can consider your work to be objective without reviewing the answers to the questions that you have asked. When people came in with good ideas they were rejected., A woman who was hired at The Daily Meal after responding to a Craigslist post said she was once asked to write a story about a companys earnings, which she felt she wasnt qualified to write and for which she didnt receive guidance from her editors. During an internal sales summit meeting in New York on June 19, sales execs practiced pitching G/O Medias general presentation, a deck of about 15 slides that tells clients why they should do business with the company. But those efforts did not go very far, the people said, and the company has yet to mount a takeover. James J. Spanfeller is president of The Spanfeller Group, a management consultancy focusing on digital strategy, audience development, revenue acceleration and talent acquisition. Spanfeller, a man who is regularly and perhaps euphemistically referred to in press accounts as a digital media veteran, has so far hired a slew of his former colleagues at Forbes.comwhere he was CEO from 2001 to 2009and Playboywhere he was a senior vice president from 1989 to 1993.