In the news: How an unpopular directive pitted upper management against an editorial team.

This week, management at sports blog Deadspin ordered staff to "stick to sports." The directive did not go over well; on Tuesday, reports Kerry Flynn of CNN Business, "staffers filled Deadspin's homepage on Tuesday morning with non-sports stories that had been popular in the past, seemingly a nod to their argument that stories that are not strictly about sports have been favorites of Deadspin's regular readers."

The conflict didn't end there. Also on Tuesday, management fired interim editor-in-chief Barry Petchesky, reports Flynn. She shares a statement from Paul Maidment, editorial director of parent company G/O Media: "'We believe that Deadspin reporters and editors should go after every conceivable story, as long as it has something to do with sports. We are sorry that some on the Deadspin staff don't agree with that editorial direction and refuse to work within that incredibly broad mandate.'" Also on Tuesday, per the Guardian, reporter Diana Moskovitz announced her resignation from Deadspin.

Read more about the directive, and the ensuing fallout, here and here.

Also Notable

TikTok: Social Media Fad or Publisher Opportunity?

Social media app TikTok, which features short videos, has fast become popular among teens and twentysomethings. But could it be the next social media frontier for publishers as well? Steve Smith of Foliomag.com examines the platform and the possibilities it presents to publishers. "Unlike just about every other social network, there some aspects of the experience is being shaped by an editorial hand," he writes. "TikTok programmers surface popular song tracks and pose karaoke and dance challenges to users. Rather than random, the experience is also powered by AI that deftly reads and feeds clips that hook people into hours of scrolling." Influencers have already taken to the platform, but publishing partnerships are still in the hypothetical stage, Smith says. Read more here.

The AP Stylebook Guide to Impeachment

The AP has updated its Stylebook to include conventions for coverage of the House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump. The guide includes important facts about the impeachment process and the current inquiry, as well as a list of key individuals, groups, and places associated with the inquiry. Read the guide here. [Note: Our cursory reading of the Guide found numerous errors and political biases. For instance it recommends an incorrect spelling of the Ukrainian president's surname and indeed spells the name inconsistently in the Guide itself. We advised AP of this and requested their response, but received none by deadline time.]

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