Univision ‘crumbling’ with more layoffs, Tim Pool cites history of ‘hyperpartisanship’ and experiences
The Forbes new article on the layoffs at Univision begins by stating that “Univision’s empire seems to be crumbling” and the biased efforts to reach a multicultural millennial audience hasn’t worked.” Tim Pool aired a podcast on the topic, recounting his personal experiences with Fusion and how the focus was on delivering what the “progressive” audience wanted to hear…not the news.
Forbes chronicles that “expensive and failed joint-venture with ABC, the $135 million acquisition of the Gawker digital sites and another $27.1 million for a 40.5% controlling stake in The Onion” and how this “forward-thinking strategy to embrace and grow digital to reach a multicultural millennial audience hasn’t worked. At least, not fast enough.”
Now 150 employees losing their jobs, most are from Univision Digital, although Fusion and the Sports divisions were impacted.
From a source to Forbes:
“Our newsroom is in chaos. Every week we all walk in wondering if this is it,” says a staffer, who is already preparing for a “plan B” in case of more firings. “For now, we are all freaking out here waiting for the guillotine to fall.”
photo/ Gerd Altmann
Pool details his experiences over the last few years which ended with exit in 2016.
“Young people are progressive and we want to side with the audience,” Pool said was the response at Fusion when he asked about the direction of the brand. “That is our goal,” Pool says was the message.
Pool openly talks about what he allegedly told these execs, but was told “that’s not what they are going to do” with regards to a more neutral main direction with a subcategory with the bias, citing the company’s marketing department’s findings which drove the company’s vision.
“If you break it down….the company’s intentions were to tell the audience whatever they wanted to hear.”
Pool then references some experiences in meetings, noting that he was told a “factual news story which would be offensive” to the audience would not be reported on – he was told that is correct.
Check out the full clip below.
The company’s lack of “core value” is driving their failure, if you pull out what Pool is explaining. Pandering to this “progressive” audience and a company which does “not understand who they are talking to.”
Pool drops a shocking story about being refused participation in an event because he looks white, “excluded because of my skin color” trying to play to some “narrative” and “excluded me” due to the perceived skin color.
