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Problems at Patch.com

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Drip, Jan 19, 2011.

  1. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    Lenz should have told Armstrong to go fuck himself and continue videoing. What's he going to do, fire him?
     
  2. gravehunter

    gravehunter Member

    Here's more on the firing and Patch's supposed future...

    http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/conference_gall_L7kFlZegr4EuO9QkSZUAgP
     
  3. Tucsondriver

    Tucsondriver Member

    Romenesko just posted the audio and transcript from the first few minutes of the CEO's conference call that includes the apparent Lenz firing. Beyond the obvious callousness of firing a guy on a conference call (for nothing), Armstrong doesn't seem to like his employees very much. But what jumped out at me was him talking about not caring what the press says about Patch, as if even he doesn't view the company he founded as being part of the press. So much for reinventing journalism.

    http://jimromenesko.com/2013/08/10/listen-to-aol-ceo-tim-armstrong-fire-his-creative-director-during-a-conference-call/
     
  4. podunk press

    podunk press Active Member

    I got an offer from Patch three years ago.

    My wife and I talked it over. I would have made an additional $10-$15K jumping from print to Patch. I didn't go.

    Our thoughts back then: "No way this endeavor works."
     
  5. britwrit

    britwrit Well-Known Member


    Done. I don't work there but from now on, Patch is my primary news source.
     
  6. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    But what about the people who Armstrong is about to lay off? What if they used the product and were invested in it? Was it not good enough?
     
  7. wicked

    wicked Well-Known Member

    Armstrong gives a non-apology apology.

    http://www.boston.com/news/source/2013/08/aol_seo_fires_employee_in_front_of_1000_others.html
     
  8. Baron Scicluna

    Baron Scicluna Well-Known Member

    Unless you're rehiring him with a nice raise, Mr. Corporate Idiot, your apology is meaningless. Nobody is going to remember anything about your rah-rah shit except for you telling people that you're doing layoffs, and that you fired one poor guy right in front of everyone.
     
  9. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    One story I read said Patch's sales last year were $35 million and expenses were between $126M and $162M. Six years down the road, they've got it all figured out!
     
  10. schiezainc

    schiezainc Well-Known Member

    Eh. They're still closer to Step 2 than the underwear gnomes.
     
  11. Who would have thought church-luncheon journalism wasn't profitable?
     
  12. Tucsondriver

    Tucsondriver Member

    The bizarre firing aside, a boss telling employees how they should think about the company is pretty creepy. Confirms my worst fears about corporate.
     
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