Pay is terrible for freelancers and editors alike. (Articles are paid the same rate even when requiring original photography, travel to pick up supplies, etc.) More work is piled onto editors as new brands are bought and existing brands attempt rapid expansion without regard to how that takes focus away from day-to-day production. Ask editors to work full-time 9-5 as contractors w/out benefits. Focus on speed instead of accuracy and limit communication that could avoid the same mistakes being repeated. Junior editors and writers aren't trained thoroughly; instead, new hires are given a general style guide to read on their own that is missing common spelling/grammar/quoting guides that apply to each website. Upper management creates a culture of panic instead of looking for solutions and why issues arise in the first place. Initiatives are always delivered as a fire drill from finding writers to take on articles (which often languish for weeks once assigned) and not telling all editors when a hiring push happens (or is abruptly stopped), then changing focus week to week, such as hiring dozens of new freelancers, then deciding to shift new hires to a sister website within a week. Will also let freelancers go without warning, then brag that the media company doesn't have layoffs—but this is because so few of its workers are "employees" versus independent contractors.
