The founder of Craigslist and other donors will 'reassess' their support for the Markup following the controversial firing of its editor-in-chief

craig newmark

Craigslist founder Craig Newmark and other donors said they are taking "very seriously" the firing of the editor-in-chief of a new publication called the Markup.
Julia Angwin, the editor-and-chief and cofounder of the Markup, was fired Monday over what she characterized as an editorial conflict over the publication's stated mission to investigate tech companies.
Newmark donated $20 million of the publication's $22 million-plus in funding, as of late 2018.
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On Wednesday, the major backers of the Markup suggested that its support for the yet-to-launch tech publication is in question, following the controversial firing of editor-in-chief Julia Angwin.

Craig Newmark, best known as the founder of Craigslist, donated $20 million to the Markup late last year to fund its mission of taking a data-driven approach to covering tech companies. Newmark is the largest backer of the Markup, but it has also received $2 million from other donors.

In a tweet Wednesday, Newmark and those other donors issued a joint statement via Twitter saying they are "taking steps" to reassess their support for the publication. "I am taking this very seriously," Newmark said in a tweet, and pledged that there is "more to come."

I am taking this very seriously. More to come... pic.twitter.com/dXQ6L7BffD
— craig newmark (@craignewmark) April 24, 2019

Angwin, a renowned investigative reporter, was fired from the Markup on Monday over what she described as editorial differences between her and executive director Sue Gardner, another co-founder.

Five out of the Markup's seven editorial staffers resigned on Tuesday in protest of Angwin's departure. The Markup says that it expects to officially launch later this year.

The publication's new editor-in-chief, a third co-founder named Jeff Larson, confirmed Angwin's firing on Wednesday, though said it was related tp delays in hiring, recruitment and a lack of editorial process ahead of planned launch among other "management and leadership issues."

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