Someone claiming to be a Newsweek employee (or perhaps more than one individual) has written a heartfelt defence of Newsweek.com, following the news that the site will be closed after its merger with the Daily Beast:
The thing you have to understand about Newsweek is that it would only be fitting that its website would be the first to go. Like most print publications, Newsweek magazine has been led by people who deep down don’t understand the web, and because they don’t understand it, they fear it and don’t value it.
While high-level print editors were taking sleek black towncars to and from the office (and everywhere in between, including, on at least one instance, from DC to New York), this was a staff who slept on grimy couches while reporting on the road; forking out their own funds, at times, just to produce good work. The disparity in work hours, in pay, in resources – it was comical. And it was only telling that not so long ago – let’s say five years – one high-level company executive had to be corrected about the website’s URL: no, Newsweek.com wasn’t the same thing as the internal Newsweek intranet.
… In the face of indifference, condescension and even outright hostility from its print counterpart; with little to no resources; with more high-level hires and fires over the past couple of years than anybody could possibly count – and a revolving door of editors – the small but tireless staff at Newsweek.com consistently created editorial work that made waves: via a website, on video platforms, through multimedia, photo and social media. Whatever happens to Newsweek, we are all proud to have played a part in that.