Open Discussion of ‘Terminations’ – Is this a new trend?

Hot on the heels of the b5media post publicly discussing a parting of the ways, TechCrunch publisher Mike Arrington today posted openly about the “termination” of TechCrunch UK’s relationship with editor Sam Sethi.

It’s interesting to see that new media entrepreneurs aren’t as cautious as corporate executives about disclosing the details of firings. No mention of someone “wanting to spend time more time with their family,” or “pursuing opportunities elsewhere.”

In Arrington’s case, the situation started to spiral out when he told the organizer of the Le Web conference, who had left an embarrassing comment on the TCUK blog, that it could be deleted.

This is where you would think entrepreneurs would recognize that there are trade-offs when you hire an aggressive, self-directed editor to make things happen. That’s not the kind of person who appreciates being ordered to delete publicly posted material.

Instead of meekly deleting the comment, Sethi followed up with another post, simultaneously criticizing the Le Web social media conference while mentioning that TechCrunch UK is planning to hold conferences and events next year. This, said Arrington, was a conflict of interest, and a firing offence.

“Basic ethical behavior is not subjective. We will not associate with individuals who choose to cross the line.”

I don’t begrudge Arrington’s right to fire his editor. But he shouldn’t be surprised about the response he received when he ordered the removal of the comment. Publishers and editors often argue about what should and should not be published, but smart publishers leave the day-to-day decisions to their editors.

He gets full marks for his candour, and being willing to defend his actions on his personal blog. A cynical (but true) take on Arrington’s choice of venue for posting about the issue comes from First Page Direct’s Gary Reid:

“Arrington has done one smart thing in the whole of this episode, he’s moved the conversation to his own territory, a good lesson for all bloggers under fire, take it home, fight on home ground, rally the troops.”

Take-away: I see this as more of an internal communications issue. My magazine school mentors stressed the importance of a new editor sending the publisher a clear statement of the direction in which he or she wants to take the publication, and the expectations of what leeway the editor will have for decision-making. Getting this clarity of roles and responsibilities in writing before accepting the job (or immediately thereafter) is extremely important for avoiding later conflicts over the editor’s actions.

Tags: blogs, conflict, editors, firing, le web, mike arrington, relationships, techcrunch