CJR soothes staff after ousting CEO; Discord changes leadership ahead of possible IPO

Good day, fellow communicators! As the business community experiences uncertainty in a trying political and economical climate, here’s a look at the latest stories affecting internal comms and the biggest takeaways this week.

1. Columbia Journalism Review moves to reassure staff after abrupt firing.

In a swift move last week, prestigious media publication the Columbia Journalism Review ousted its editor Sewell Chan for internal claims of “unprofessional or abusive behavior,” after less than a year in the role, according to the New York Times on April 23.

From the New York Times:

“Mr. Chan’s tenure atop CJR ended after an hourlong meeting Thursday between [Columbia Journalism School Dean Jelani Cobb] and the magazine’s editorial staff. During the meeting, roughly 10 people aired concerns about Mr. Chan’s behavior, describing insults, threats to ruin their reputations, and an atmosphere of fear and hostility, according to two people with knowledge of the discussion who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Several participants cried.

Mr. Cobb announced Mr. Chan’s departure in an email to CJR staff members the next day, and thanked them for their “resilience and dedication.”

In a statement posted to LinkedIn, Mr. Chan called his dismissal “hasty, ill-considered and quite frankly baffling,” and described three “pointed conversations” with staff members at the publication. He called them “normal workplace interactions” and said his leadership approach at CJR had been similar to his approach at previous jobs.

In a period where media outlets are being outwardly scrutinized for their practices and employees face intense pressure to succeed, it’s crucial for internal communications teams to form a plan with leadership that ensures a safe culture where ideas can flow freely.

As CJR moves forward, they should do so with a strategic message to its team that addresses the concerns of employees who might be left feeling overwhelmed, uncertain and dejected.

Interim Editor Betsy Morais will be stepping in to bridge the gap as fundraising efforts are placed on hold so the publication can pause and focus on next moves, the Times reported.

“CJR is a crucial outlet, particularly at a time when journalism is being attacked from multiple directions,” Mr. Cobb said in a statement to the New York Times. “Like many media organizations, we’re navigating real challenges, but we’ve developed a thoughtful, forward-looking strategy for CJR’s long-term viability.”

Cobb did not outwardly address the fundamentals of that plan.

2. Former Discord CEO ensures employees prepped for future moves after departure.

Popular social app Discord’s co-founder and CEO Jason Citron announced Wednesday via company memo that he is stepping down from the role and taking a backseat so the company to strategically grow, according to CNBC.

The move comes ahead of a planned IPO and Citron is potentially laying the groundwork for this next step in the company.

In the immediate future, Citron will remain on the company’s board and act as an advisor to incoming CEO Humam Sakhnini.

From the memo, Citron wrote:

“Hi everyone — I have some big news to share, so I’ll cut right to the chase: We have hired a new CEO to lead Discord through our next chapter of growth and someday becoming a public company. I am thrilled to share that Humam Sakhnini will take on this role, and I will continue as a member of our Board of Directors and Advisor to the CEO. Read on for the details.

Later in the letter, he wrote:

“As we enter our next phase, I’ve been reflecting on how I can best contribute to Discord’s long-term success. The job of a CEO is constantly evolving, and over the years I have continuously “hired myself out of a job.” Usually that means delegating work and then taking on different leadership challenges. However, as I look at what is needed of Discord’s CEO over the next few years, I realize that it’s time for me to literally “hire myself out of a job.”

The move lends itself to a couple of positives from an internal comms viewpoint, including transparency from leadership as well as keeping staff abreast of reasons for the change at this critical point before initiating an IPO. This kind of communication also instills confidence in the future mission of the company and lets employees know what the immediate next steps will be and how they will be carried out.

3. Workshop study offers six key takeaways for internal communicators.

A study from internal communications platform Workshop about the 2025 Top Internal Communications Trends showed that employees have six main concerns heading into Q2 2025.

Among the top concerns are, according to the study:

• The No. 1 challenge for internal communicators is measuring results.
• Email is still the most effective way to communicate on a team, 85% of survey respondents said.
• More teams are adopting video communications or in-person events.
• AI is a crucial element of internal communications, but leaders are still figuring out where and how to use it.
• Employee feedback is crucial through surveys or other channels and internal communicators are encouraged to gather feedback more frequently.

It’s pretty clear that email is a useful, quick and preferable method of communication from employees. The report indicates that email is efficient in:

• Delivering messages to employees in different time zones.
• Emails can be sent to various team members and leaders within the organization in a fast, direct manner.
• Emails are consistent and reliable for everyone.

How are you incorporating email into your channel mix – and how valuable are employees finding it?

Courtney Blackann is a communications reporter. Connect with her on LinkedIn or reach her at courtneyb@ragan.com.