Has the TechCrunch mutiny arrived?
Paul Carr, a prominent tech writer and TechCrunch columnist, has resigned from his post in a note posted on the site, marking the first of what could be many departures.
Ever since Carr and a few other TechCrunch employees made their displeasure with Arrington’s imminent ouster clear, there were questions about what the staff would do when the site’s editorial future was settled.
Also read: TechCrunch-AOL-Michael Arrington Dispute Comes Down to the Staff
Readers now have their first answer since the AOL Huffington Post Media Group named Erick Shonfeld the site’s interim editor last week.
What’s more, Carr did not just resign but laid bare many of the backroom machinations of the past few weeks.
To recap, Arrington was pushed out because of a media firestorm over conflict of interest. He is starting a venture fund that will invest in many of the tech companies his old newsroom reports on, and AOL has provided $10 million in seed money.
The prospect of Arrington's staying at TechCrunch offended many, and Arianna Huffington stepped in to quiet the storm.
Before Arrington departure was official, many TechCrunch writers, including Arrington, wrote posts demanding that the site’s editorial independence remain – as was promised when AOL bought it last year.
Also read: TechCrunch-AOL Fracas: Michael Arrington Asks AOL to Sell the Blog
Schonfeld’s promotion was supposed to demonstrate that, but Carr says that could not be further from the truth.
He writes that Schonfeld cut a deal with Huffington, undermining Arrington, CEO Heather Harde and other senior editorial staffers who were negotiating.
Carr wonders why Schonfeld did this when TechCrunch staffers supported him and both Arrington and Harde were at the very least considering him.
He also suggests that the dispute between Huffington and Arrington is almost entirely personal.
If Carr’s story is accurate, this signals that the war at TechCrunch may be far from over. AOL did not immediately respond to a Wrap request for comment.