Staffers at the now-defunct gay newspaper Washington Blade say they will regroup and try to continue with a new venture after being unceremoniously fired today.
Earlier, Politico reported that Blade editor Kevin Naff said he and others would meet tomorrow about starting a “new venture.”
He also spoke to reporters at the Blade‘s newsroom, while staffers cleared out their desks, according to the Washington City Paper.
“We’re going to take a day off to pack, and then dust ourselves off and get back to work,” he said.
Naff told the Washington Post that the yet-to-be-named venture will be “employee-owned.”
The paper’s publisher, Lynne Brown, confirmed the meeting to The Advocate, saying she plans to meet with Naff and reporter Lou Chibbaro Jr.
“I invited people out for coffee on Tuesday morning,” said Brown. “I’m incredibly bullish. Kevin is a brilliant editor and Lou is an award-winning reporter. We are the people who’ve brought you the Washington Blade for the last 20 years. We are alive and well,” she told The Advocate.
Chibbaro wouldn’t comment to the Paper about whether he’s on board yet.
“We’re interested in keeping the best of what we had going. But I can’t comment on what’s going on right now,” he said.
Window Media, which owns Blade and a handful of other gay publications, closed its doors this morning.
The Washington City Paper reports Blade staffers got the news in person from Window COO Michael Kitchens and CFO Steve Myers. That’s better than the fate of employees of the Southern Voice and David, Window’s two Atlanta-based publications, who came to work this morning to find the locks changed and a note on the door.
