As the tabloid news site tries to rebuild itself, Daily Beast staffers are preparing for the worst. The Post has learned that he fears his new boss is already sharpening his axe, even as he makes bizarre demands on staffing and reporting.
Former Hearst Magazines executive Joanna Coles (who along with former Disney executive Ben Sherwood received a minority stake in The Daily Beast from media mogul Barry Diller) said on Monday, the same day the deal was announced. Officials said they broke into the site’s headquarters.
When the 61-year-old executive moved quickly into the corner office of former Daily Beast chief executive Heather Dietrick, his staff was given a terrifying task. It was a one-page memo, due on Friday, about who we were and how we wanted to cover our beats. said the official.
“People understand the memo to be telling Mr. Coles ‘why he should continue working at The Daily Beast,'” said a person close to the matter.
A source close to Mr. Coles told the Post on Thursday that the British-born editor wrote a one-page memo to his staff to brainstorm fresh ideas when he started a new job. He says he often asks them to do so.
Fears were further heightened by IAC’s billionaire chairman, Mr. Diller, who made a rare appearance in the newsroom this week and was “running around” without mingling with the general public, people familiar with the matter said.
“His presence alone makes people nervous,” the source said.
Diller told the Post he came to his office “to greet Joanna Coles and Ben Sherwood and welcome them to the building.”
Mr. Coles and Mr. Sherwood are trying to squeeze profits out of The Daily Beast’s Frank Gehry-designed headquarters in Manhattan’s upscale Chelsea neighborhood.
The Daily Beast makes about $14 million a year in revenue and loses about $20 million a year, according to people familiar with the company’s finances.
The two began work Monday with a breakfast meeting with Daily Beast Editor-in-Chief Tracy Connor, but sources say Connor has been roaming the office ever since.
Word on the street is that Sherwood and Coles are already considering replacing Connor, but first he will likely do much of the dirty work of making redundancies before he retires.
“She knows the walls are closing in on her,” a Daily Beast source said. She is “starting to understand the fact that she is likely to be fired.”
The tension is so evident that Connor’s dog, which Connor has brought into the office every day for years without incident, urinated on the carpet this week, according to reporters. He added that he could “smell the fear.”
Discuss business.
A source said of Conor: “Unlike her dog Pearl, who urinated on the carpet due to stress, she seems to be at peace with what she’s done during her tenure.”
A spokesperson for The Daily Beast denied that layoffs were imminent.
“The speculation regarding personnel matters is clearly false, and the new leadership has not been here for a full week,” the official said.
Meanwhile, Pearl’s publicist told the Post: “She is battling shy bladder syndrome and is terrified of unwanted attention.”
Jokes aside, the high-powered insiders are Connor, a highly regarded editorial executive who shies away from flashy events, and Connor, a designer-wearing British-born executive with a penchant for dealing with the rich and powerful. He pointed out a clear difference from Coles, who enjoys playing. And she has led some to compare her to Vogue editor Anna Wintour.
“Joanna once told a friend that she’s better than Anna because she has that extra ‘joe’ that makes her more ferocious,” the source said.
Sources said that during an all-hands meeting between Mr. Coles and Mr. Sherwood on Monday afternoon, a reporter asked Mr. Coles whether he thought The Daily Beast was “going to be like the Messenger.” . A year under media mogul Jimmy Finkelstein.
meanwhile Pac News reported Last weekend, sources told the Post that Coles and Sherwood had earmarked $300,000 for the new editor-in-chief, and Diller said they would not be able to spend as wildly as Finkelstein. He pointed out that the situation is well under control.
According to people familiar with the matter, Mr. Coles, who was relentlessly pursued by Mr. Finkelstein to manage the startup, met the billionaire in Palm Beach, Florida, before the Messenger launched, and “knew it wasn’t going to work out,” according to The Beast. He reportedly told the staff.
Adding to staff’s anxiety, a “bearded man” who was an assistant at Coles was walking around asking employees who they were and what they were doing for the company. was.
In the first few days, IAC officials were perplexed by Coles’ aggressive work performance, with one official saying, “This type of leadership is no longer commonplace,” and Coles saying, “This type of leadership is no longer normal,” according to text messages reviewed by the Post. “We should give people a chance,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, some Beast staffers are rolling their eyes at what Coles has already done, including advertising on Instagram that it was hiring correspondent Lauren Sanchez.
Mr. Coles also raised eyebrows by pushing a vague story without a byline. Barron Trump may attend New York University.
Some employees were similarly disappointed when she asked them about Meghan Markle’s brand of jam and how to make their own. One person observed that Mr. Coles seemed to ignore the Daily Beast’s reputation for fraud and play the role of an overzealous editor. , scoop-driven journalism.
“I’d love to try Meghan Markle’s new jam,” Coles told the Post.
“I’m British, so I’m obsessed with jam, as all British people are. I like to end my day at 4 p.m. with jam and scones,” Coles says, referring to News Editorial. She declined to provide further insight into her plans in the chamber.
But Coles’ cheeky sense of humor has so far offended some people.
“The whole thing is a huge class calf,” one official complained.
There were other clear signs of fear throughout the newsroom, officials said. On Wednesday, staffers came to work “in formal attire,” with male reporters who usually wear denim wearing ties.
Still, the sources added, employees appear to be more concerned about fitting in than raising their profile.
“People are also very careful not to make eye contact with Coles,” the source said. “She will look at you and assign you some tasks.”
