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Kotaku EIC Resigns Over New Editorial Edict

Thick Thighs Save Lives

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
kotaku-16x9-1.png

Jen Glennon, who took over as editor in chief of Kotaku in October, resigned Thursday. In a resignation letter seen by Aftermath, Glennon says that she made this choice due to the management team’s recent decision to deprioritize news in favor of guides.

Glennon is the second editor in chief of Kotaku since Stephen Totilo’s departure in 2021, following Patricia Hernandez, who was fired in August 2023.
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“After careful consideration, I have concluded that the current management structure and decision-making processes at G/O Media are not aligned with my values and goals for Kotaku,” Glennon wrote in her letter of resignation, which was addressed to G/O Media executives Jim Spanfeller and Lea Goldman.

“I firmly believe that the decision to ‘invert’ Kotaku's editorial strategy to deprioritize news in favor of guides is fundamentally misguided given the current infrastructure of the site,” Glennon wrote. “[This decision is] directly contradicted by months of traffic data, and shows an astonishing disregard for the livelihoods of the remaining writers and editors who work here.”
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Glennon also announced her resignation on Twitter, writing, “I've resigned from Kotaku and Jim Spanfeller is an herb.”
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According to a source close to the situation, Kotaku's staff will be expected to create 50 guides a week at the site. Currently, Kotaku’s homepage features a prominent “game tips and guides” module at the top of the page, in a space that was previously reserved for major stories and breaking news. Staff members have criticized the homepage redesign on social media, noting that Kotaku’s major source of traffic is not guides.

Aftermath reached out to G/O Media for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
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aftermath.site

Kotaku EIC Resigns Over New Editorial Edict - Aftermath

Kotaku EIC Jen Glennon resigned Thursday, citing a deprioritzation of news in favor of guides content at the G/O Media-owned gaming site.
aftermath.site aftermath.site
 
Last edited:
RickSanchez

RickSanchez

Member
management team’s recent decision to deprioritize news in favor of guides. Kotaku's staff will be expected to create 50 guides a week
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Fucking ridiculous. Sounds like the same situation that happened at the Escapist which led to a mass Exodus of their YouTube talent.

No matter the ideological differences between Kotaku and GAF, it is wrong to suddenly expect your employees to work to death doing something they do not have experience in doing.
 
Last edited:
Nydius

Nydius

Member
RickSanchez said:
No matter the ideological differences between them and GAF, you cant suddenly expect to work your employees to death doing something they do not have experience in doing.
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Completely agree with this point. I don’t care one bit for Kotaku or their slacktivism fluff pieces masquerading as “news” but I can understand their frustration in being told their work would radically shift to something else.

It would be like me going into work and being told “you’re not doing network hardware anymore, we’re moving you to the programming team”. I’d be pissed and looking for a new job. Network design and support is my specialty, not coding.

That said, I don’t see this helping Kotaku much, if at all. Their reputation is firmly in the gutter and there are so many other “guide” sites out there I can’t see what they’d offer that would make them stand out over any other. 🤷
 
nush

nush

Member
A

ANDS

Banned
BigBeauford said:
Ohhh noes, are you gonna cry because you have to actually play video games and be a source of information for playing games instead of being a activist mouthpiece?
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. . .because that tracks with what they took the job to do right? Produce wikis for video games. What an asinine criticism.

RickSanchez said:
Fucking ridiculous. Sounds like the same situation that happened at the Escapist which led to a mass Exodus of their YouTube talent.

No matter the ideological differences between them and GAF, you cant suddenly expect to work your employees to death doing something they do not have experience in doing.
Click to expand...

Amen. It is wild what the response to this is; bias is a helluva drug.
 
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Kacho

Kacho

Gold Member
tmlDan

tmlDan

Member
RickSanchez said:
Fucking ridiculous. Sounds like the same situation that happened at the Escapist which led to a mass Exodus of their YouTube talent.

No matter the ideological differences between them and GAF, you cant suddenly expect to work your employees to death doing something they do not have experience in doing.
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I agree with you, but its clear nobody gives af about their idea of "news' this is clearly indicating that they're bleeding money and need to do what gets clicks. Which is guides (sadly) - even tho i much prefer powerpyx over anything.
 
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M

Moneal

Member
STARSBarry said:
To be fair...

And I don't believe I'm saying this, she's got a point.

Like who the fuck goes to Kotaku for game guides? It would require the people writing to actually play games, and 50 guides a week?

Not even GameFAQ's could manage that shit.
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while the 50 guides sounds ridiculous, who goes to Kotaku for news, or anything else for that matter. It looks like management realized that they are not sustainable as they currently are and changes need to be made. I would guess guides get more clicks than the news they are writing. Most get news form forums or twitter now anyway. Also guides stay relevant much longer. She mentioned that the site data is the opposite of the move, but doesn't mention what the rest of the space is seeing, especially sites that are getting more traffic than Kotaku. Pretty sure IGN has much more traffic than them and guides are probably the main reason.
 
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nush

nush

Member
www.gamesindustry.biz

Jen Glennon is appointed as Kotaku's new editor-in-chief

Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox Jen Glennon has been hired as the new edit…
www.gamesindustry.biz www.gamesindustry.biz

She didn't even last barely 6 months. :messenger_tears_of_joy:

And she replaced the fired Patricia Hernandez

www.gamesindustry.biz

G/O Media reportedly fires Kotaku editor-in-chief Patricia Hernandez

Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox Kotaku editor-in-chief Patricia Hernandez …
www.gamesindustry.biz www.gamesindustry.biz

You knew that was going to happen when her opening word vomit announcement was this.
kotaku.com

Hello Kotaku, It's Me, Your New EIC

Patricia Hernandez is back after her previous stint as deputy editor
kotaku.com kotaku.com


200w.gif
 
M

Moneal

Member
diffusionx said:
Somewhat disagree, Polygon is the usual shit in terms of editorials but they actually have really good guides and a nice layout. When I google for vidya guides I will often go to Polygon before other sites.
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Gamer_By_Proxy said:
TBH there's a better chance of me going there for a guide than their Reeee articles they call "news"
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yep Ive never went to IGN for their news, Gaf handles that. I do sometimes use their guides when google recommends one.
 
Kacho

Kacho

Gold Member
nush said:
www.gamesindustry.biz

Jen Glennon is appointed as Kotaku's new editor-in-chief

Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox Jen Glennon has been hired as the new edit…
www.gamesindustry.biz www.gamesindustry.biz

She didn't even last barely 6 months. :messenger_tears_of_joy:

And she replaced the fired Patricia Hernandez

www.gamesindustry.biz

G/O Media reportedly fires Kotaku editor-in-chief Patricia Hernandez

Sign up for the GI Daily here to get the biggest news straight to your inbox Kotaku editor-in-chief Patricia Hernandez …
www.gamesindustry.biz www.gamesindustry.biz

You knew that was going to happen when her opening word vomit announcement was this.
kotaku.com

Hello Kotaku, It's Me, Your New EIC

Patricia Hernandez is back after her previous stint as deputy editor
kotaku.com kotaku.com


200w.gif
Click to expand...
Damn Patricia Hernandez got fired? I’m so out of the loop.
 
J

jason10mm

Gold Member
Shake Your Rump said:
"Kotaku's staff will be expected to create 50 guides a week"

Oh, so those same dozens of clickbait articles we find all over with such alluring titles as "five things I wish I knew before starting this game". Wheee
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You are probably correct but damned if those types of articles helpful if written well. Since we seem to have COMPLETELY dumped the very concept of game manuals, in game tips or wikis, and now tutorials are just the most basic "left stick to look left" shit these complex subgame heavy titles really need a way to educate the casual player and these guides are valuable for that.
 
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