Other writers were busted for outright plagiarism, which is an automatic fireable offense that we take seriously.
Regardless of the circumstances that led to NEWSREP parting ways with a writer over the years, some left on good terms and others left with grudges. As an editorial team, we can’t control either of those outcomes. We have a business to run and due to all of the reasons I listed—among others—we regularly have to make tough decisions about staff changes. Our editorial standards are high, and there’s a reason we’ve been around for as long as we have, despite all the backlash that we often receive from some members within the veteran community.
Q: Why don’t you guys tell us why a writer leaves? We just figure it out when we notice they aren’t publishing new articles.
A: Truthfully, the primary reason NEWSREP doesn’t do this is because it’s the writer’s personal business to share if they see fit. Whether they left on good terms or bad, we never initiate the public airing of their personal business. If you want to know why a former writer is no longer with us, you should ask them directly. Just keep in mind that you’re getting their side of the story. Maybe it’s true, maybe it isn’t. Regardless, it’s not our place to air their laundry.
That being said, a select few former “fan favorite” writers have an open invitation to contribute with us if they’re ever inclined to do so and we have room within our hiring budget. They know who they are.
Q: Why are you guys only publishing a fraction of the content that you had until last month?
A: NEWSREP pays writers for content. There are some pro bono articles that guest contributors provide from time-to-time, but we rely largely on a small staff of paid freelance writers and prefer quality over quantity. When we re-organize our staff, the volume of articles fluctuates.
That being said, as we complete this latest reorganization in the coming weeks, the level of content will increase.
When the site first started, we published far fewer articles per week than we currently do. The perception of the amount of content available is all predicated on how long you’ve been on the site. Anyone who’s been around for longer than a year knows how the publishing schedule fluctuates. We try to target five to six articles per day (more whenever possible), and we’re back on track to reach those numbers.
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To conclude, I’ve been with Hurricane Group in some capacity since 2016. I was a full-time writer for then-SOFREP (before the name change), then a pro bono freelancer, a paid part-time freelancer, managing editor for NEWSREP, and now editor-in-chief for all editorial sites within the company. Although the changes have sometimes been difficult, I can attest to the fact that I’ve never been mistreated—unlike some of the accusations from others on social media.
The truth hurts. In reality, the people out there shouting the loudest about how much they hate Brandon Webb and “the company” are generally the ones who were fired for not performing, to put it mildly. It seems to be difficult to accept that they’re no longer with the company because they didn’t do a good job. Now they’re looking to blame someone because it just can’t be their own fault. The ones who are quiet and go about their business generally left on mutually good terms, and have no fight to pick.
When you see bitter people—some never even employed by us—bashing our team of writers, our readership community, and the future of our site, ask yourself what their motive and personal track record is. If they used to write for us, ask why they’re no longer with the company. There’s a reason.
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