Are Traditional Media Silos Hurting Time Inc.?

Like an ancient mythological motif woven into a dramatic tale, one of the secondary themes running through much of the coverage of Time Inc. CEO Jack Griffin’s abrupt firing on Feb. 17 was perhaps publishing’s oldest: friction between editorial and advertising camps. In this analysis, editorial (or content) focused folks—like Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, who is reported to have said his (Bewkes’) many years at HBO left him unqualified to weigh in on advertising matters; and the interim reigning triumvirate of top editor John Huey, CFO Howard Averill and General Counsel Maurice Edelson—felt threatened by, or otherwise could not abide, the ad-focused perspective of Griffin.