Time drops paywall, Vice near bankruptcy, Messenger’s hiring spree: TBN Ticker for May 5

How many more hires before startup The Messenger single-handedly saves journalism? This week’s ticker also introduces our Qwoted 100 star Natalie Bickel of CommOddities, Inc., and recaps Time CEO Jessica Sibley’s announcement that the magazine will drop its paywall. A sad state of affairs stares us in the eyes as Vice Media plans to file for bankruptcy already firing a number of its staffers, including editor in chief Michael Learmonth.

Surf the “natmosfear” with Natalie Bickel… Natalie Bickel of CommOddities, Inc. is the latest feature in our Qwoted 100 series. A University of Louisville graduate, Bickel considers PR a calling. In her interview with Talking Biz News editor and publisher Lou Carlozo, she discusses the future of PR in terms of making fast connections between PRs and reporters, and how she gets around the reporter’s favorite stall tactic, “not right now.” Talking about journalism and PR, Bickel said, “Journalism elevates the voices of those who take a stand and dedicate their brand or life to helping others. Public relations that focuses on solving a problem that benefits others, especially marginalized groups, has increased greatly this year.” Read the full interview on Talking Biz News.

Free content from Time Magazine…Time CEO Jessica Sibley announced at the Time100 Gala that the magazine would be removing its digital paywall making its content free and available to everyone. “TIME is starting a new chapter in this history: We are offering audiences around the world free access to Time.com, including TIME’s archives dating back to 1923, beginning June 1,” Sibley said. Expanding free access to Time.com for readers worldwide – including our current audience of 105 million, the largest in our history – ensures that we are doing our part to eliminate barriers and improve the world.” However, the company will charge for the print product and offer a paid digital version of the print magazine via retailers like Amazon Kindle and Apple News.

 The Messenger sends a loud “we’re hiring” message… Over the past few weeks, hiring announcements from The Messenger have flooded TBN, including today’s word that Mary Margaret has been named entertainment. We couldn’t be happier, as digital journalism needs a new force to be reckoned with, and a cause for hope. Will impatience for immediate profits or a money hemorrhage overtake The Messenger’s mission? The aggressive hiring and involvement of Jimmy Finkelstein (The Hill, The Hollywood Reporter) seems to suggest otherwise — so while we’re not holding our breath, we are holding out hope. That said: If you Google “The Messenger,” you’ll be overrun by pieces on the Facebook app. Huh? And speaking of Vice…

Vice Media to file for bankruptcy… Vice Media, recently looking for a buyer, is now preparing for a bankruptcy filing in the coming weeks. The decision comes after the company shut down its flagship program “Vice News Tonight” and laid off staff. Vice “has been engaged in a comprehensive evaluation of strategic alternatives and planning,” a spokesman said in a statement. “The company, its board and stakeholders continue to be focused on finding the best path for the company.” Read the full details here.

Vice News fires EIC Learmonth… Michael Learmonth, editor in chief of Vice News, has been laid off following the undergoing “restructuring” at the company. Learmonth’s tweet reads, “Too many people to thank. So grateful for my nearly 7 years here – truly the best team in this business. Do connect with me here, or at mlearmonth@gmail.com.” Learmonth joined Vice News in July 2016 as a news director. Before that, he served as managing editor of International Business Times. He also held editorial roles at Advertising Age and Business Insider, and has also worked at Variety. Learmonth has a B.A. from Earlham College in Indiana and a M.J. from the University of California, Berkeley. Reach out to him via LinkedIn.

A Nat Geo layoff… Michael Greshko, a science writer at National Geographic, has been laid off. Greshko posted the news on Twitter, “My ride at National Geographic will come to an end in June. My job has been eliminated in Disney’s latest round of layoffs. Now, to plug myself: I write on multiple beats and have worked on everything from Ellie-winning features to Webby honoree social campaigns. I’ve got deep analytics and project management experience. If I can help your newsroom starting this fall, let me know!” You can reach out to Greshko via LinkedIn.

HuffPost makes a promotion on the politics beat… Kevin Robillard has been appointed senior politics editor at HuffPost. Recently, he served as a senior political reporter. Robillard joined HuffPost in April 2018 from Politico, where he worked for seven years, first covering transportation and then campaigns. He also reported for TBD.com and interned at Newsweek, PolitiFact and Congressional Quarterly. A graduate of the University of Maryland, you can reach out to Robillard on Twitter.

Streaming radio with Dow Jones… Dow Jones is launching a new streaming radio channel on the audio platform TuneIn this month. Matthew Keys of The Desk reports, “The channel, called WSJ Radio, will operate around-the-clock with featured content produced by the audio teams at the Wall Street Journal and its sister publications Barron’s, MarketWatch and Investor’s Business Daily. ‘We’re thrilled to be able to partner with Dow Jones as they are the go-to source for international business news and data,’ Richard Stern, the CEO of TuneIn, said in a statement e-mailed to The Desk.” Read more here.

Politico hires Smith to cover banking… Geoffrey Smith has joined Politico as a central banking editor to cover news on inflation, deflation stagflation and everything else in the “-flation nation.” Since December 2016, he has freelanced. Previously, Smith served as Europe finance editor at Bloomberg and worked as a news editor, Europe at Fortune magazine. He covered financial regulation at The Wall Street Journal and served as Russia bureau chief at Dow Jones Newswires. Be sure to congratulate Smith on Twitter.

Ma to cover clean tech for Bloomberg… Bloomberg News has hired Michelle Ma to cover clean technology. In her new role, she join the power, weather, climate and natural disasters team. Previously, she wrote about climate and technology as a freelancer. She was also a climate tech reporter at Protocol and has worked as a news editor of live journalism and special coverage at the Wall Street Journal. Ma has a master’s degree in business and economics journalism from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. You can connect with her on Twitter.

Jalopnik returns as EIC… Rory Carroll has rejoined automotive news and opinion site Jalopnik as its editor in chief. Previously, he held the same post at the site from 2020 to 2022. In his new role, Carroll will oversee writers, editors and producers dedicated to creating coverage of the industry. He joins from RM Sotheby’s, where he worked in an executive role. Previously, he served as executive editor and publisher of Autoweek and has contributed to The New York Times’ Wheels blog. You can reach out to Carroll via Twitter.

Guardian makes a hire for race and equity… Lauren N. Williams will join The Guardian US as deputy editor for race and equity on May 30. In her new role, she will oversee editorial coverage on race, identity, and inequality across all teams and desks. “I’m thrilled to be joining the Guardian, helping to strengthen our coverage of communities across the US, and to bring in new audiences,” Williams said. “I look forward to developing ambitious storytelling projects that widen perspectives on racial systems and dynamics, and to working with so many talented teams to elevate the Guardian’s essential journalism.” Recently, she was a senior editor at The Atlantic. Williams has a B.A. from Georgetown University and can be reached via Twitter.

FT’s synergy with Endpoints News… Kerry Flynn of Axios spoke with Matt Fottrell, VP of the Financial Times in the U.S. and managing director of FT Specialist, about its majority stake purchase in Endpoints News. Flynn reports, “Speaking from the FT’s New York office in the west side of Soho, Fottrell says the deal with Endpoints made sense given the publication’s editorial mission aligned with its own. ‘The biopharma sector’s a multitrillion-dollar industry. It’s highly regulated. It’s incredibly competitive. There’s always deals taking place … and they are news hungry. Broadly speaking, I like businesses where there’s a prize for winning and a penalty for losing. That makes [people] more likely to subscribe.’” Read the full details here.

Forbes launches “ForbesBLK”… Forbes is launching ForbesBLK to cover Black entrepreneurs and hold events. The editorial content will include new lists, profiles, content strategies and a newsletter. “Forbes will continue to invest in the growth and success of the ForbesBLK community and its members,” chief content officer Randall Lane said. “We are committed to using our platforms to drive meaningful change in business, culture and society.” Read more here.

Reuters reports lower Q1 earnings… The Reuters news operation reported a 21 percent decrease in first quarter earnings due to investments and lower revenue growth. The news operation reported adjusted EBITDA earnings of $29 million in the first quarter, down from $37 million in the same quarter a year ago. However, overall, Thomson Reuters reported a 4 percent increase in first quarter revenue of $1.74 billion and a 23 percent increase in its operating profit of $508 million. The earnings release can be found here.

NPR’s Adams joins the Texas Tribune… Matt Adams will join the Texas Tribune as director of audience engagement. Currently, he is an acting supervisor for audience engagement at NPR. Before NPR, he served at National Geographic as assistant photo editor, associate photo editor and senior producer. Adams has a B.A. from Point Park University in Pittsburgh and an M.A. from Ohio University. You can connect with him on Twitter.

Alabama Media Group has a new president… AL.com reports, “Natalie Pruitt will be the new president of Alabama Media Group, succeeding Tom Bates, who has led AMG as president since 2015 and announced his retirement on Thursday. A mid-May transition is planned. She has spent 12 years working for Advance Local, AMG’s parent company, in various leadership roles. “I appreciate the opportunity to help the team continue to excel at what we do best at AMG – connecting our communities through award-winning storytelling, growing new audiences and outperforming for our clients,” she said. Pruitt is on the executive boards for the Better Business Bureau of South and Central Alabama, The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs and The Service Guild of Birmingham. She is also a board member and past president for the Multimedia Newspaper Advertising Executive Association.”

Mariam Ahmed is Talking Biz News’ content correspondent. For tips on the Friday TBN Ticker, email her at mariam@talkingbiznews.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.