Staci D. Kramer, editor and senior writer at paidContent, announced Thursday that she is leaving after eight years to pursue new ventures.
The longtime reporter, who also served as executive vice president of parent company ContentNext Media, joined paidContent in 2004 to help founder Rafat Ali grow the site, which covers the digital media business. She announced her departure in a post on the site.
Kramer told TheWrap she is ready to take a breather and figure out her next move.
"I will miss it, I do miss it — it's very hard for me," Kramer told TheWrap Thursday. "But will it be less stress? Yeah."
Just before paidContent was sold by its British owners Guardian News and Media to the tech site GigaOM in February, Kramer's mother died suddenly. But through it all, the reporter maintained her 24/7 work pace.
Also read: GigaOm Buys PaidContent
"A lot of people who knew me well know it's been an intense time for me personally and professionally," she said. "I think that's part of the backdrop for me."
She added, "It may take a while for some people to get used to the idea that I might not be up 23 hours a day."
Now, she plans to revive her long-dormant blog, Trust But Verify, and decide what beat to adopt next.
"I might be able to cover sports again in a different way," she said. "I might be able to write the kinds of stories I didn't get to do while I was at paidContent."
For more than a decade, Kramer has focused on media reporting, with reports ranging from the Stanley Cup to kidnappings to the cable industry.
Also read: Rafat Ali to Exit PaidContent
"I didn't give up having an expertise in cable because I went to paidContent, I took that with me," she said. "I've always been about taking all the bits and pieces and bringing them together — and that doesn't stop."
GigaOM and paidContent together had 5.5 million unique viewers last month, a spokeswoman for the company told TheWrap.
"Part of stepping back and stepping away is knowing that it's other people's time to do things," she said. "Building something that continues without you is an achievement."