Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker Back Deadspin Staff After Mass Exodus
Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Cory Booker have both come out in support of Deadspin’s editorial staff — all of whom either resigned or were fired from the site this week.
On Thursday evening, Sanders directly called out G/O Media CEO Jim Spanfeller, tweeting, “I stand with the former @Deadspin workers who decided not to bow to the greed of private equity vultures like @JimSpanfeller. This is the kind of greed that is destroying journalism across the country, and together we are going to take them on.”
And on Friday, Booker praised the Gizmodo Media Group union — which issued its own damning statement condemning Spanfeller — and Deadspin and other G/O Media sites for providing “a perspective that is too often missing from mainstream outlets.”
Also Read: Every Deadspin Writer and Editor Is Now Gone
Earlier this week, G/O Media leadership — which publishes Deadspin — sent a memo to staff emphasizing that the site would only cover sports content. The decision was widely criticized by staffers, given that the site has been known to publish insightful commentary and off-beat satire on the intersections of sports, politics, and culture. The situation escalated to a point where top editor Barry Petchesky was fired from the site on Tuesday for “not sticking to sports.” By Wednesday, at least seven staff writers and editors resigned en masse and, as of Friday, no writers or editors remain at the site.
A spokesperson for G/O Media told The Washington Post that Deadspin plans on hiring a new staff of writers.
I stand with the former @Deadspin workers who decided not to bow to the greed of private equity vultures like @JimSpanfeller. This is the kind of greed that is destroying journalism across the country, and together we are going to take them on.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) November 1, 2019
Proud of @gmgunion for defending independent journalism. Outlets like Deadspin, Jezebel and The Root provide a perspective that is too often missing from mainstream outlets. We can’t afford to lose that perspective. https://t.co/Vg4IX7o4UR
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) November 1, 2019
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