As the committed “the simple life 2.0″ reader that you are, you may know that I was (briefly) the parenting columnist for a hyperlocal news and entertainment site called City’s Best-DC, run by the Huffington Post Media Group (HPMG) — a new breed media organization formed by the acquisition of Huffington Post by AOL.
On March 23, HPMG emailed us freelancers at 2:38 am ET to give us 10 hours notice of a conference call to discuss the new organization. They thanked us — a bit nervously and zealously — for our wonderful contribution to City’s Best. They assured us that any changes coming down the pike were not for cost-saving reasons (they are looking to replace all freelancers with full time journalists), and not going to hit most of the city sub-sites like Washington DC for at least three months.
Alas, we freelancers received a succinct email at 3:13 am ET just two weeks later on April 6 from an AOL staffer whose title is “Content Compliance Program Director.” We were advised that, “Per the terms of your agreement with AOL, this note confirms the end of your engagement for content services effective Wednesday, April 6, 2011.” (See “Layoffs continue in the wake of the AOL-Huffington Post merger,” Editor’s Weblog, 4/8/11.)
OK, then.
I wish HPMG good luck and wisdom in navigating the tempestuous waters of media and journalism as we know it today. (I don’t mean that sarcastically.) Things are changing rapidly and seemingly without end in American media. Journalist friends are experiencing something close to a blood bath as writers are shed from their ranks. Media companies are trying every kind of business model as bottom lines continue to take a beating. HPMG are betting that moving back to a traditional news organization model where full time writers work out of an old school news room will help move them to the forefront of the media landscape.
Arianna, if you end up needing a good freelancer, you know where to find me!
Photo courtesy ~Brenda-Star~, Flickr
I’ll miss City’s Best-DC. Even though I didn’t post, I enjoyed reading it, and it did get me out to try Open City (which I now love). Will “the simple life 2.0″ continue? I hope so!
Thanks, C
The blog may continue on, but sporadically.
Not the first, and definitely not the last, bad decision by AOL. In fact you should be oddly honored.
Very sorry to hear the news, but I’m sure better opportunities will come your way!
Love, John
thanks
kat, so sorry to hear it.. i’ve enjoyed your posts. wish i had responded more.. sorry, jane
hi J! you haven’t been reading b/c i haven’t posted much this yr
look forward to seeing you soon! now i have to get writing about health care payment reform. not exactly the right topic for this forum 
Aw – how unfortunate!!
Sorry to hear that, Kat!
hi, Em! no worry. working for, who else?, SD this wk