The Loser? Journalism.

Learning that AOL is buying out Huffington Post was as about as terrifying as it would be to hear that George W. Bush and Courtney Love are having a baby together.

Tim Rutten has a great editoral in today's Los Angeles Times about precisely why this is horrible, depressing news.

AOL's Patch headhunted me when they were sniffing around for someone to do a Granada Hills Patch. Would I have earned a hell of a lot more than I'm earning now had I accepted their offer? Yes. Would I have ever seen my family again? No.

Patch is basically AOL's attempt to create the journalistic equivalent of a Juarez sweatshop, but with writers instead of seamstresses, and now that AOL is teaming up with HuffPo, that other famously exploitative content aggravator, they're about to become the Triangle Shirtwaist Co. of news.

I've heard rumors that there'll be a Granada Hills Patch come fall. And good on ya, anyone who takes that job. I'll be reading it, and probably stealing content from it if that does happen. So what? I'm sure AOL can afford it.

Comments

  1. chuckFebruary 10, 2011 at 1:05 AM

    It's a total right wing buyout.

    ReplyDelete
  2. DonnaFebruary 12, 2011 at 10:36 AM

    LOVE your characterization of the Internet version of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. So true!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousFebruary 13, 2011 at 1:17 PM

    I was depressed to hear about the Huffington Post buyout and I can't imagine who will handle the Granada Hills Patch. Boring.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousFebruary 13, 2011 at 5:12 PM

    As someone who was an AOL "volunteer" for many years before being thrown out, I can relate. I did it willingly, because I believed in the online area I was in, but no one was forced to. The sad thing with Patch is that they actually are making it appear legit, while paying below minimum wage when it gets averaged out. Glad you didn't take it--and hopefully no one else falls for it. I refuse to read anything "examiner" or "Patch" related.

    ReplyDelete

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