By Kat Stoeffel 3/01/12 12:22pm

Annals of Sent Mail

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Patch Employee to Business Insider: ‘Screw BI and Go PATCH!’

We can’t say we envy whoever’s behind the wheel of Patch, AOL’s network of hyperlocal news sites. With a torrent of bad press; a prettier, more popular sister in The Huffington Post, and executives resorting to (allegedly) defending the company in the Business Insider comments section, it’s likely Team Patch in need of a morale boost. But it’s hard to know how to make a generous statement of your confidence in the company without awakening some sales exec’s dormant inner frat boy. Read More

By Kat Stoeffel 2/24/12 11:30am

Q&As

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Arianna Huffington Hung Up on New York Times Writer Andrew Goldman

New York Times Magazine writer Andrew Goldman kicked off his “Talk” with AOL CEO Tim Armstrong by revealing that Arianna Huffington, editor in chief of the AOL-owned Huffington Post, was not very pleased with her own turn in the Q&A column.

AG: After AOL purchased The Huffington Post last year, I interviewed Arianna Huffington. She hung up on me and complained to my editors. So I was pleasantly surprised that you agreed to this interview.

TA: I read the interview when it came out, and it looked like it was rough. We don’t hold grudges around here.

Back in April, Mr. Goldman and Ms. Huffington got into it over the alleged red shift that had struck the news site, once known as the liberal’s Drudge Report, since its merger with AOL. Read More

By Foster Kamer 3:52pm

IMPRESSIVE DISPLAYS OF CHUTZPAH

Ms. Tsotsis, Freedom Fighter (or something like it).

TechCrunch Writer, Blogging on TechCrunch: ‘I’m Beginning to Feel Stupid for Still Being Here’

Alexia Tsotsis was a well-liked and popular tech blogger before she was at TechCrunch, back when she was at SF Weekly. She became even more well-liked and popular when Michael Arrington corralled her into going to TechCrunch, which was shortly before AOL bought the site out and promised Michael Arrington the full editorial autonomy to be as combative and belligerent with his new ownership as he had been with anyone with the past. Not long after, AOL chief content capo Arianna Huffington pushed Michael Arrington out to show him just how much autonomy the irascible feeding-hand-biting blogging mogul had. Because TechCrunch’s chief Kool-Aid mixer, Mr. Arrington, was out of the picture, some of the best TechCrunch writers on staff started quitting. Ms. Tsotsis has held out.

It is now safe to say she appears tired of holding out. Read More