Why We Are Quitting RedState
by KIMBERLY ROSS AND ANDREA RUTH JANUARY 31, 2019 10:00 AM
or more than a decade, RedState was a solid voice in the world of online conservative commentary. Unfortunately, the allure of Trumpism has left the once great site a shell of its former self.
In 2015, before the Republican tide shifted to a near-complete acceptance of a politically inexperienced reality star playboy as the post-Obama savior, RedState stayed the course. While still the editor, Erick Erickson disinvited Donald Trump from the annual RedState Gathering following comments he made about Megyn Kelly. It was a message of defiance in the face of growing complacency among readers and GOP leadership alike. It did not come without cost. Tens of thousands of people canceled their subscriptions to the RedState Morning Briefing, the site’s daily newsletter.
As a result, though we started at RedState at different times, we were both proud to write at the publication, whether we entered under the leadership and guidance of Erick Erickson, Leon Wolf, or Caleb Howe. We found it admirable and a point of pride that RedState had held on to its principles while allowing its writers freedom, rather than going all in supporting or opposing Trump.
Unfortunately, though we continue to appreciate the hard work of our writing colleagues and hold great respect for most of them, we are no longer proud to write under the banner of RedState, or its parent group, Townhall Media, which is an affiliate of the Salem Media Group.
In April 2018, Salem management determined there had been enough front-page criticism of Trump and decided to take action. A number of long-time writers and editors, who happened to be unapologetic Trump critics, were dismissed from the site without warning. Among those let go was Managing Editor Caleb Howe, who was fired while traveling to a Salem work event. Management locked out access to the CMS, leaving writers unable to log in and wondering what was wrong. It wasn’t until hours later that Townhall VP & General Manager Jonathan Garthwaite sent emails informing those writers that contracts had been terminated.
In an attempt to save face, management insisted the decision was financial and not ideological, as a handful of Trump-critical writers remained. However, those with longer tenures, higher public profiles and biggest traffic draws were all let go. The financial excuse holds little water considering those let go were revenue-drivers.
The message was clear: Tread lightly when it comes to criticizing Trump.
more:
http://thebulwark.com/why-we-are-quitting-redstate/
DO SOMETHING!
| 