TMI staff leave to start new venture
(fz.com) – Nearly 26 staff, including managing editor Joan Lau and executive editor Leslie Lau have left The Malaysian Insider (TMI), Marketing-Interactive.com’s Advertising and Marketing (A+M) portal reported today.
This confirmed a report by fz.com on June 12 that TMI staff were walking out on the five-year-old news website to start a company that will run the rival web portal of The Malay Mail newspaper.
Sources had told fz.com then that the move, was triggered by increasing differences between the TMI editorial team and its financiers on its editorial direction, especially during the run up to the May 5 general election.
This, combined with very persistent wooing by the people behind The Malay Mail group, finally led to the collective decision to leave. The news was first reported by www.fz.com on April 23.
When contacted by A+M, TMI editor and CEO Jahabar Sadiq confirmed the departures.
“They left to pursue better opportunities and TMI is in the process of finding replacements. The editorial direction however remains the same,” he said.
Joan, who served her last day on June 14, told A+M: “We had different editorial opinions and direction. Rest assured we’ll remain non-partisan in news reporting.”
Leslie, commented about the departure on Twitter saying, “All the editors of @tm_insider had planned our departure but one decided to stay at the last moment. I wish him all the best.”
Joan then explained about the company she has set up with her brother Leslie.
“Leslie and I set up an independent company called the Trinity Diligent and we secured an outsource contract to manage and provide editorial content for The Malay Mail online. My team (other 25 staff and three freelancers) will be working on that from now on,” said Joan.
She also denied the speculation that the staff walked out on their last day.
“I wouldn’t call it walking out as Friday was already our last day,” added Joan, who started her career at TMI when the commenced operations in February 2008, just before the 12th Malaysian general election.
Joan said operations in The Malay Mail online would kick off June 17.
Meanwhile, TMI is left with one sales person and five staff in editorial.
