Business Insider’s top editor is ‘tired too’ amid strike
Insider, a digital news site, is experiencing chaos as its unionized employees strike for better wages, benefits, and job security. The strike has lasted for a week, and the site’s management has been struggling to keep up with the workload. Editor-in-chief Nicholas Carlson has been forced to write 11 stories since the start of the strike, and Insider CEO Henry Blodget has also contributed columns to the site.
In a message reviewed by the New York Post, Carlson acknowledged the challenging period: “I know you’re tired. I’m tired too.” With internal complaints coming from managers, Carlson suggested that they “pace themselves” and move into a phase where they “keep serving our audience, but in a way that it’s sustainable for you.” The site’s management has been forced to repurpose old stories and publish rough drafts to keep web traffic from plummeting.
Insider’s unionized employees hope to improve their compensation through the strike. William Antonelli, tech reporter and shop steward for the NewsGuild of New York, said that the strike has been challenging for both sides: “It’s clear from what we’ve seen in Slack that the managers that are left are scrambling to make up the work that union members usually do.” An Insider spokesman has also stated that “it’s been challenging for our newsroom to keep up the pace as half our team isn’t working.”
The lack of fresh copy has created a decline in page views. According to a source, Insider’s traffic totals 3.4 million page views, down 19% from the previous four Thursdays. Unique views and total time spent on the site have also fallen. For the first five days of June, page views totaled about 158 million, down from the first five days of May, when traffic totaled 172 million.
A source close to the situation mentioned that Insider’s unique visits were up week-over-week during the strike. However, traffic started to decline mid-week when the company ran out of pre-written stories to publish.
The union members at Insider are protesting the company’s health care plan and annual raises. Some employees have seen an increase in health care costs of over 1000%. The strike comes one month after hundreds of Insider staffers staged a walk-out against plans to layoff 10% of the company’s workforce.
FAQs:
1. What is Insider?
Insider is a digital news site that publishes articles about news, finance, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle.
2. Why are Insider’s employees on strike?
Insider’s employees are on strike for better wages, benefits, and job security. The strike began on June 4th.
3. How has the strike affected Insider?
The strike has created chaos for the site’s management, who have been struggling to keep up with the workload. The lack of fresh copy has created a decline in page views.
4. What issues are the union members protesting?
The union members at Insider are protesting the company’s health care plan and annual raises. Some employees have seen an increase in health care costs of over 1000%.
5. When did Insider employees stage a walk-out before the strike?
Insider employees staged a walk-out in May 2023 after plans to layoff 10% of the company’s workforce were announced.
6. Are Insider’s unique visits up or down during the strike?
According to a source close to the situation, Insider’s unique visits were up week-over-week during the strike. However, traffic started to decline mid-week when the company ran out of pre-written stories to publish.
Top editor at Business Insider expresses fatigue during strike
Insider’s Editor-in-chief, Nicholas Carlson, has revealed to other bosses at the media outlet during a writer’s strike that he is tired and suggested they pace themselves as they continue to crank out headlines to keep the site afloat. The strike has entered its second week and is over wages, benefits, and layoffs. Carlson, who has been forced to write 11 stories himself since the strike started, warned in a Slack message reviewed by The Post that the chaos “may last a little longer” as reporters continued to strike. Sources said the message was in response to complaints from managers about the punishing workload, which includes churning out multiple stories a day, repurposing old stories – and in at least one case – publishing a rough draft of a reporter’s story in a desperate bid to keep web traffic from plummeting.
Insider’s unionized employees have been on strike since last Friday in hopes of improving their compensation. The lack of fresh content force Insider CEO Henry Blodget to pen a few columns himself, and repackaged old stories with some cosmetic updates. On Thursday, Insider traffic totaled 3.4 million page views, down 19% from the last four Thursdays, according to a person briefed on the numbers. New subscriptions – a metric reporters are evaluated by – also fell from 985 new sign ups in the first five days in June from 1,291 for the first five days in May. Union members papered the neighborhoods of Blodget and Carlson, urging them to return to the bargaining table. The strike comes a month after hundreds of Insider staffers staged a walk out to protest plans to lay off 10% of the workforce.