Digital First
Jim Brady has “chosen to move on” from Digital First Media, CEO John Paton writes in a blog post. Paton confirms earlier reports that DFM is disbanding its Thunderdome project, which Brady championed.
Going forward, some of what happens at Thunderdome today will continue; some of what Thunderdome does will be redistributed to our staff in the field to continue and some will be stopped.
Over the coming days and weeks DFM Editor-in-Chief Jim Brady and Project Thunderdome Editor Robyn Tomlin will be putting those changes into effect.
While our Company will continue to invest heavily in digital development, increasingly our focus will be in local where we are the news and information leader in our markets.
Tomlin is also leaving, Paton writes. DFM Digital Transformation Editor Steve Buttry writes in a blog post that he’s leaving, too.
Tomlin told Poynter’s Jill Geisler that staffers have known for about a week that the end was nigh, and its office has become “a job placement center.”
According to Tomlin, she and Brady have been on the phones, working their wide network of contacts to let other organizations know about the soon-to-be-available talent on their team.
For what it's worth, I'll also soon be departing DFM as part of the changes announced today. Been a hell of a fun ride, thanks to @jxpaton.
— Jim Brady (@jimbradysp) April 2, 2014
DFM Managing Editor Mandy Jenkins tweeted a picture of today’s all-hands meeting:
Even when they're getting bad news, the staff of @DFMThunderdome is all online. pic.twitter.com/Ndfoym5y0O
— Mandy Jenkins (@mjenkins) April 2, 2014
Here’s a list of Thunderdome staff.
Disclosure: Brady was my boss at TBD.com and is on Poynter’s National Advisory Board.
Earlier: Digital First Media axes ‘Thunderdome,’ may sell its newspapers
