By Adam Pagnucco.
The local media world is buzzing tonight that WAMU 88.5, the NPR station based at American University, could be in big trouble. An email allegedly written by WAMU’s general manager that is being circulated by a Washington Post reporter states that WAMU’s office will be closed tomorrow and staff will learn their fate starting at 9 AM tomorrow morning.
Washington Post media reporter Elahe Izadi published the tweet below tonight.
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Izadi: Ominous email sent to WAMU staff this afternoon about a “new strategic framework” to be announced Friday morning. Their offices will be closed to have the “time and space” to have these convos– WAMU won’t publish anything online, and they’re automating starting 8pm.
Email:
Dear Team,
Tomorrow, we will announce WAMU’s new strategic framework during a virtual all-staff Zoom meeting at 9 a.m., followed later in the day by virtual team meetings to discuss next steps.
To provide the time and space to have these conversations, our office will be closed tomorrow, Friday, February 23 and any scheduled meetings or activities should be postponed. As of now, our social and digital platforms will not publish and WAMU has taken the steps necessary to temporarily automate beginning at 8 p.m. tonight. Access to some of our systems has been temporarily frozen for all staff. We ask that our entire staff, including those deemed essential, stay home as we spend time meeting with teams across WAMU.
Please use the Zoom link below to join the mandatory staff meeting tomorrow, Friday, February 23 at 9 a.m.
I appreciate the journey we have taken together and thank you for your patience as we have diligently and deliberately approached this process to move WAMU into the future.
Best, Erika
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“Erika” may refer to Erika Pulley-Hayes, who is WAMU’s general manager.
The tweet was retweeted by Washington Post reporter Rachel Kurzius, who used to work at WAMU. Kurzius added, “Sending solidarity to my former colleagues, who have continued to shed light on the D.C. region despite dwindling resources and staff. We will know less about our neighbors and communities if the menace in this email bears out… WAMU acquired DCist in 2018, after the owner shuttered the site without notice. It was my honor to breathe new life into the site at WAMU. We were so hopeful! A bright spot in the onslaught of bad news about the news. Tomorrow DCist goes silent, along with all WAMU platforms.”
Izadi’s tweet has been retweeted by dozens of local and national journalists. Among the most interesting retweets are those from former WAMU staffers like Julie Depenbrock, Aja Drain, Colleen Grablick and Matt McCleskey. Presumably at least some of these WAMU alums are still in contact with current employees of the outlet. It was even retweeted by the venerable Tom Sherwood, who is the analyst on The Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi, perhaps WAMU’s most famous show.
Let’s see what happens tomorrow morning. Given the intense interest of the local press, whatever occurs won’t take long to circulate through Twitter and beyond.