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Ozy Media CEO Carlos Watson Says Company Isn’t Shutting Down

“We’re going to open for business, so we’re making news today,” Watson stated.

Eduardo Razo

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Over the weekend, Ozy Media’s board of directors determined it was best to shut the company down following a story in The New York Times. 

The report revealed that a top executive for the company impersonated a YouTube staffer while on a conference call with possible investors from Goldman Sachs.

Despite this announcement by the board, CEO Carlos Watson told NBC’s “Today” that his company, Ozy Media, is not shutting down. 

“We’re going to open for business, so we’re making news today,” Watson stated. “This is our Lazarus moment if you will. Last week was traumatic. It was difficult — heartbreaking in many ways — and at the end of the week, we did suspend operations with a plan to wind down.”

“But as we spent time over the weekend, we talked to advertising partners, we talked to some of our readers, some of our viewers, some of our investors.”

Watson might be open for business, but it seems as though his staffers won’t be returning. Veteran journalist Katty Kay presented her resignation after joining Ozy Media in May, and it looks as though she won’t be alone. 

The Wrap reported some of the comments made by former Ozy Media staffers since the first report of the scandal have caused many to get on this roller coaster ride. 

“There does not appear to be a plan. Carlos has gone completely rogue,” one former staffer said. “The entire editorial staff is done with him — who would possibly go back? Who the hell is going to want to go on ‘The Carlos Watson Show’ now?”

“We are all sick of the roller coaster,” another former employee said.

While these former staffers chose to remain anonymous, The Wrap did speak to Eugene Robinson, a former editor at large at Ozy Media, who stated that Watson is “nuts” for wanting to continue with the company. 

“The brand is damaged beyond repair, and the name never made sense,” Robinson said. “I’d launch again with a lot of the same staff sans Watson and Rao and rebrand. But I think that golden goose is dead.”

News Print & Digital

Report: More Than a Third of Twitter’s Top 100 Advertisers Have Exited

CNN’s Oliver Darcy shared the reporting done by the Washington Post that more than a third of the top 100 Twitter advertisers have abandoned the platform.

Eduardo Razo

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One of Elon Musk’s most significant challenges, as he now owns Twitter, lies on the financial side as the Tesla CEO attempts to make the social media stay afloat or at least somewhat profitable. 

However, CNN’s Oliver Darcy shared the reporting done by the Washington Post in his “Reliable Sources” newsletter that more than a third of Twitter’s top 100 advertisers have abandoned the platform.

With advertisers exiting, the lack of ad revenue is one of the most significant dangers to Twitter since it accounted for approximately 90 percent of its income last year.

The reporting also reveals that the pausing of ad campaigns is getting under Musk’s skin. The new Twitter owner lashed out at brands again Tuesday for “starving” the company of revenue. 

Musk also strongly suggested he never really created a “content moderation council” due to advertisers who “broke the deal” they allegedly had with him when they began exiting the platform after he “agreed to this condition.”

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Elon Musk: Ownership of Twitter Isn’t ‘Right-Wing Takeover’

Tesla CEO Elon Musk spoke with those who are still with the company, reassuring them that his ownership isn’t a “right-wing takeover.”

Eduardo Razo

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Last week saw Twitter have another mass exodus of staffers and Tesla CEO Elon Musk spoke with those who are still with the company, reassuring them that his ownership isn’t a “right-wing takeover.”

Furthermore, Musk stated that he doesn’t plan on moving the platform to Texas despite many suggesting he do so since, for him, it would send a wrong message. 

“If we want to move the headquarters to Texas, I think it would play into the idea that Twitter has gone from being left-wing to right-wing, which is not the case,” Musk said (h/t The Verge). “This is not a right-wing takeover of Twitter. It is a moderate-wing takeover of Twitter.”

However, Musk is open to the idea of having dual headquarters, one in San Francisco and another in Texas, but for now, his objective appears to be stabilizing the company after a rocky transition. 

Musk indicated he might be done with slashing employees, telling employees to refer potential staffers for engineering and sales positions.

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Blaze TV Hosts React To Controversy With Elon Musk, Twitter

Blaze TV hosts are reacting to the ongoing controversy involving Twitter as the company has seen mass layoffs under Elon Musk.

Ryan Hedrick

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Blaze TV hosts are reacting to the ongoing controversy involving Twitter. Last week, CBS News said it was halting its activity on the platform amid layoffs and resignations at the company. 

Jeff Fisher joined Pat Gray and Steve Burguiere aka Stu, on the “Glenn Beck Show ” Monday to discuss some of the latest developments involving Twitter including owner Elion Musk banning conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. 

Burguiere said it’s strange to see how left-leaning pundits have demonized Elon Musk following his acquisition of Twitter. 

“This guy should be a liberal icon,” stated Burguiere. “We lose sight of this because he says things about free speech that I guess is exclusively a right-wing issue.” 

Burguiere said that Musk should be able to do anything that he wants with Twitter considering the amount of money he invested to purchase the company. 

“This whole thing that he’s the icon of free speech, I don’t know if that’s true,” added Burguiere. 

Musk announced recently that conspiracy theorist Alex Jones received a permanent ban on Twitter for his involvement in denying that the Sandy Hook massacre took place.

“He (Musk) has been a hard no on Alex no matter what,” said Fisher. 

“He has apologized for it,” Burguiere said. “He’s also been sued for billions of dollars over it.” 

“The thing about Alex Jones is that some of us don’t like what he said,” Gray remarked. “But, who cares, that’s what you call free speech.”

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