Deadspin supervisor leaving, too, after staff quits

NEW YORK – Days after the entire staff of the popular website Deadspin quit in a revolt, the manager who prompted the exodus said Tuesday that he’s leaving, too.

Paul Maidment, editorial director of G/O Media said it was “the right moment for me to leave to pursue an entrepreneurial opportunity.”

Sixteen staff writers and editors, along with two weekend contributors, quit in protest of G/O Media’s edict that the website stick to covering sports and cast aside stories on politics, popular culture and the media.

The site’s former editor in chief, Megan Greenwell, had quit in August after complaining about management. A deputy editor, Barry Petchesky, said last week that he had been fired for refusing the order to “stick to sports.”

Maidment also supervised sister websites like Gizmodo, The Root and Jezebel that were bought earlier this year by the financial equity firm Great Hills Partners. Several of the sites were part of Gawker Media, which had declared bankruptcy and shut down.

Maidment said in a statement that “I am certain that the sites will grow and thrive in the future.”

On Tuesday afternoon, the last posting on Deadspin — a story about former NFL tight end Kellen Winslow’s plea deal — had been there since the night before.