Jim Spanfeller (previously) is the private equity monster whose mismanagement of various former Gizmodo sites (notably Gawker, Splinter and Deadspin) has generated endless bad press from his own employees, who have doggedly reported on every single demand that they shut up and suck it up, has now been publicly condemned in the pages of yet another of his publications — this time, it’s the gaming site Kotaku.
Joshua Rivera and Gita Jackson have both resigned from Kotaku. In a farewell post, the journalists interview one another about their careers at the site, with special disapprobation for Spanfeller, Great Hill Partners and G/O Media.
Gita: His outward and obvious hostility towards the writers here, his treatment of the Deadspin writers, his firing of Barry, the way that he talks about Deadspin and the way that he won’t take responsibility for its closure even though it comes from his really awful management decisions, have just made my faith in the ability of him being able to keep this company solvent, just completely obliterated. And it’s all him. It’s all his choices.Josh: There’s no way I feel supported as a writer. I know Stephen Totilo, bless up, will go to the ends of the earth for us.
Gita: Hell yeah. He would fight an army. He cares so much about his writers.
Josh: It’s a shame that we don’t have owners that care for a fraction as much. You know, they don’t, they don’t shout out our work. They don’t care for our work.
Gita: I’m not even sure that Jim Spanfeller is aware that he has a video game website.
Josh: I mean, he might know now.
Gita: [laughs.] Yeah. Sup dude. Suck it.
Goodbye From Josh and Gita [Gita Jackson/Kotaku]
(Image: GMG Union, modified; Creepy Co, modified)
(Thanks, Ratel!)