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| Predecessor | Gizmodo Media Group |
|---|---|
| Founded | April 8, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-04-08) |
| Key people | Jim Spanfeller (CEO) |
| Subsidiaries | Gizmodo Kotaku Jalopnik Deadspin Lifehacker Jezebel The Root The A.V. Club The Takeout The Onion The Inventory |
| Website | g-omedia |
G/O Media Inc. is a media holding company that runs Gizmodo, Kotaku, Jalopnik, Deadspin, Lifehacker, Jezebel, The Root, The A.V. Club, The Takeout, The Onion, and The Inventory. G/O was formed in April 2019 when Great Hill Partners, a private equity firm, purchased the websites from Univision for $20.6 million. Prior to the sale, the former Gawker Media properties had operated as Gizmodo Media Group after being acquired by Univision following the conclusion of the Bollea v. Gawker lawsuit and subsequent bankruptcy in 2016. Former Forbes executive Jim Spanfeller became the CEO of G/O Media.
Conflict with leadership
G/O Media's leadership, introduced after the purchase from Univision, has been subject to frequent criticism by employees. Complaints include closer advertiser relationships, a lack of diversity, and suppression of reporting about the company itself. In October 2019 Deadspin's editor and chief, Barry Petchesky, was fired for refusing to adhere to a directive that the site "stick to sports." Soon after, the entirety of Deadspin staff resigned in protest leaving the site inactive. In January 2020 the GMG union, which represents the staff of G/O media, announced a vote of no confidence in CEO Jim Spanfeller citing, among other issues, a lack of willingness to negotiate for "functional editorial independence protections."
On 4th February 2021 the Writers Guild of America East filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board alleging that G/O Media had told employees that they had fired Alex Cranz for labor activism.
References
- Hayes, Dade (November 1, 2019). "Deadspin Loses Veteran Writer Drew Magary As Website's News Flow Runs Dry – Update". Deadline.
- "Univision Communications Inc. and Subsidiaries 2019 Second Quarter Reporting Package" (PDF). Univision Communications Inc. - Financial Reports - Quarterly Reports. June 30, 2019.
- DiNapoli, Jessica (August 17, 2016). "Univision to buy Gawker out of bankruptcy for $135 million". Reuters. Retrieved August 18, 2016.
- Sinclair, Brendan (April 8, 2019). "Univision sells Gizmodo Media Group". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
- Adams, Robert N. (April 8, 2019). "Gizmodo sold to Great Hill Partners, forming G/O Media". GameRevolution. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
- ^ Tani, Maxwell (July 18, 2019). "Gizmodo Media Staff Enraged at New CEO's 'Insane' Direction". The Daily Beast.
- Tracy, Marc (October 29, 2019). "Deadspin Editor Fired Amid Pushback Over 'Stick to Sports' Memo". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
- Robertson, Katie (November 1, 2019). "Deadspin's Last Staff Member Quits. But Deadspin Is Not Dead, the Boss Says". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
- "GMG Union votes no confidence in G/O Media CEO Jim Spanfeller". Awful Announcing. January 14, 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
- Eidelson, Josh (February 4, 2021). "G/O Media Told Staff Activism Got Editor Fired, Union Says". www.bloomberg.com. Bloomberg. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
Further reading
- Kelly, Keith J. (July 18, 2019). "New CEO of G/O Media ripped for bringing in 'older white guys'". New York Post. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
- Spangler, Todd (April 30, 2019). "G/O Media Lays Off 25 Staffers, After New CEO Said He Didn't Expect Layoffs at Former Gizmodo Media Group". Variety. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
- Spangler, Todd (November 5, 2019). "G/O Media Editorial Director Resigns After Deadspin's Entire Staff Quit Over His Coverage Crackdown". Variety. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
External links
See also
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| Corporate directors |
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| Former blogs | |
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| Companies with an annual revenue of over US$4 billion | |
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