Category: Technology Author : Duncan Riley Posted: February 17, 2010
Tags : b5media, blog networks, gawker
The move by b5media yesterday to terminate the contracts of over 50 bloggers writing for its now defunct entertainment network is the first stage in the mass firing of all contract bloggers, The Inquisitr has learned.
The full number of bloggers to be fired remains unclear at the time of writing, but is believed to be somewhere between 100 and 150 contract bloggers.
Confirmation of the move is backed by former Gawker Editor Elizabeth Spiers, who would now appear to have taken a senior role at the company.
On her personal blog, Spiers writes
One of my larger clients is launching a new lifestyle site and relaunching three others and I need new staffers for all of them. (We’re basically tearing them down and starting over—redesigning them, restructuring editorially and adding lots of new original content.)
On her Tumblr blog she confirms that the client is b5media:
More background on Crushable and what else I’ve been working on: one of my clients is b5media a Toronto-based (but quickly moving to New York) web publishing network
Notably Spiers also claims that b5media is doing 30 million page views a month across the network currently, a claim so fanciful I’ve only just stopped laughing after reading it (see the Alexa ranks for the remaining sites in this post.) But I digress.
Spiers does bring experience to the role, having worked at both Gawker and MediaBistro, however this is her first time running (alone) a multi-title content network like this (note she was a founder of Dead Horse Media.) The decision to not include existing content in new pop blog Crushable may indicate that she is may be already be out of her depth when it comes to simple things like SEO and the value of Google.
To rub salt into the wounds of existing bloggers for the network, Spiers is also advertising for contributors; we’d guess that this may indicate a shift of payment model from b5media’s previous mix of rev share and flat rates to a payment per post model.
If you’re writing for b5media currently and haven’t started looking for a new writing gig yet, now would be a good time to start.
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Feb 17, 2010
Wow. No concept of decorum or timing either, eh? It’s very sad to see something I was a part of lose its heart and soul. While the “moving to New York” part might not seem like a big deal, I think it’s a real slap in the face of the Canadian tech community.
Feb 18, 2010
It’s very sad to watch. So many friends and writers I used to work with depend on what little money they bring from b5. Not only have they chipped away at their livelihood – they’ve chiseled away at their self-esteem and confidence as the writers I once knew them to be. Glad I was canned a year ago. It’s painful enough to watch – I can’t imagine being victim to these horrible business practices.
I agree with Tris – I thought it sounded like a slap in the face too – but that’s common for the business practices there now, don’cha think?
Feb 18, 2010
Its a global trend now a days to terminate the contract for fire the employees under contract. I wonder why they need to take this step now as world economy is taking up lift.
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Mar 7, 2010
Yeah, it was good while it lasted and the better days were the earlier ones. From my perspective, things took a downturn when they got their initial funding. It changed things. It’s understandable why it would, just wish it could have been avoided. The termination letter was just that, a termination letter. Not an email from a friend or a “best of luck” from a previous employer. Given the value of the community in the early days, I’m sure the earlier management team would have provide a much different exit strategy for their bloggers if it had come to this under their watch. Alas, things changed.