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Danielle Belton Stepping Down at HuffPost

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Editor Says She Wants to Spare Others’ Layoffs
. . . . Meanwhile, Memo Stuns Staffers at The Root
Covering L.A Fires: ‘Harrowing Ride Through Chaos’

From 1/4: Cuba’s U.N. Correspondent Seeks Refuge in U.S.

Stevon Cook, a writer, strategic advising consultant and former president of the San Francisco Board of Education, interviews Danielle Belton on living in Harlem and gentrification for his “Monday Morning Podcast” in 2020. (Credit: YouTube)

Editor Says She Wants to Spare Others’ Layoffs

Danielle Belton, since 2021 editor of HuffPost and the first Black journalist in the role, told staffers Thursday that she is resigning as upwards of 30 layoffs loom at the online publication.

Belton announced her decision via staff memo, writing, “I could not, in good faith, ask others to make this difficult decision without doing the same.” Her last day is to be Jan. 31.

Max Tani of Semafor posted the memo on X, and Belton confirmed its authenticity to Journal-isms.

Belton will not be the first top editor to leave to spare the severity of layoffs affecting the rest of the staff.

In 2022, Peter Bhatia, then top editor of the Detroit Free Press, said he was leaving the Gannett-owned publication in the hope of saving jobs from coming companywide layoffs. Bhatia is now CEO of Houston Landing, a startup launched with $20 million in foundation funding.

Last October, Sheila Rayam, the first African American editor at the Buffalo News, left the News amidst companywide layoffs at Lee Enterprises, the paper’s owner.

Belton was hired to lead HuffPost while she was editor-in-chief of the unashamedly Black website The Root.

BuzzFeed founder and CEO Jonah Peretti said in an internal memo then, “I expressed to Danielle a commitment to immediately increasing the representation of Black and Latinx employees in the HuffPost newsroom during our journey to profitability, and under her leadership we will pursue this from Day 1 to ensure we are representing and reaching the most diverse audience.”

Belton told Journal-isms Thursday, “Diversity did improve under me. And I did come in with that mission.”

She added that she is continuing to write her memoir about living with bipolar disorder.

Danielle Belton’s memos Tuesday, at top, and Thursday to the HuffPost staff. (Credit: X)

“Her memo added that executive editors Kate Palmer and Whitney Snyder will take over as newsroom leads while the company figures out its ‘next steps with the editor-in-chief role,” Benjamin Lindsay reported for The Wrap.

“At my core, I am a very sensitive and emotional person, which is why I haven’t been as communicative in the last few days,” Belton wrote. “I’ve been a part of the HuffPost for almost four years and wanted to see us through our 20th anniversary, something I was looking forward to. I am also very passionate about you all and the work that we do.

“I never saw myself as a traditional leader, but as the newsroom’s leading supporter meant to help grow and protect our team so you all could focus on your work in serving our readers,” Belton continued. “And this decision was hard in the sense that I do feel so strongly about you all — both for those who will be departing the company and for those who will remain — and have been so proud to lead this newsroom. I did not want us to get to this place where we would face saying goodbye, yet despite my best efforts, this is where we find ourselves.”

. . . . Meanwhile, Memo Stuns Staffers at The Root

“The staff of The Root spent the beginning of 2025 mourning the death of a colleague, Stephanie Holland, “a gem, a wonderful collaborator and an all-around good person,” as her colleague wrote after the writer died December 31,” Max Tani reported Wednesday for Semafor.

“A few days later, the deputy editor of The Root invoked Holland’s death in an email imploring the remaining writers to produce more content on behalf of G/O media, the private equity-backed firm that has been selling off the remnants of the Gawker empire for parts.

“ ‘We need each of you to write four trending stories daily. This will bring us closer to standards expected of daily writers across the industry, as well as help us offset the tragic loss of Stephanie,’ The Root’s deputy editor Dustin Seibert (pictured) wrote in a memo to staff. ‘If you are working on a slideshow, you are still only expected to provide two more trending stories that day.’

“Seibert’s instruction came in the course of a memo outlining ‘some new approaches to our workflow in the interest of maintaining both the quality of work that our readers are used to as well as achieving the metrics that our superiors expect from us.’

“The mandate and its explanation stunned some staff, one of whom sarcastically remarked to Semafor that it was just more ‘fun times at G/O,’ which has limped along as it attempted to sell off its media properties, reduce costs through staff cuts, and generate web traffic.

“A company spokesperson said in an email that the comment is ‘out of context’ and that the memo ‘included reasonable, industry standard goals that had been already communicated to the staff weeks ago’ . . .”

According to the obituary posted by the Hemet Valley Mortuary in Hemet, Calif., Holland (pictured) died Dec. 31 at 47. No cause of death was listed and the family has not responded to an inquiry.

“She honed her craft at several publications before landing at the Root as a Senior Staff Writer authoring over 2000 articles on African-American culture and entertainment,” the funeral notice said.

Her Root colleague Shanelle Genai wrote Jan. 2, “As a staff writer, Holland, a California native, covered all things entertainment including but not limited to all the best in Black TV, music and film. But it was her niche knowledge about topics like wrestling, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), ‘Star Wars,’ women’s basketball and more that made her such a unique and well-rounded addition to the team.”

“I’m holding my breath, feeling the heat from inside the car as I watch the embers fly across the windshield. It was not ideal.,” recalls Natasha Chen. (Credit: CNN)

Covering L.A Fires: ‘Harrowing Ride Through Chaos’

“CNN national correspondent Natasha Chen and her team were wrapping up a long day of reporting on the devastating wildfires racing through the Los Angeles area on Tuesday, as the sun set over the scorched landscape,” Hanna Park reported Wednesday for CNN.

“But what began as a routine assignment quickly escalated into a dangerous ordeal, as flames threatened homes and prompted the evacuation of thousands of residents.

“ ‘We were there from about noon until just after 6 p.m. local time when we had just finished our last live shot,’ Chen recounted to CNN’s Rosemary Church. ‘What we hadn’t quite surmised was exactly how bad it had gotten south of us on the Pacific Coast Highway. We had heard reports that the flames jumped the highway, but we hadn’t seen with our own eyes just what that meant.’

“After finishing their broadcast in Pacific Palisades, Chen and her crew approached a firefighter for guidance on how to safely exit the area. ‘We pulled up to a fire truck and waved at a firefighter, asking, “Where do you think is the best way to get out of here?” He shook his head and said, ‘Well, I guess if you go south.’ So that’s what we did.’

“As they drove south, the situation was far worse than what they were prepared for.

“ ‘Pretty quickly, we realized there were flames on both sides of the highway. Embers were flying over the road. I spotted an emergency vehicle and decided our best bet was to follow that car as closely as possible. If he’s driving, then he probably knows the best way out,’ Chen said.

“What followed was a harrowing ride through chaos captured on video from inside their vehicle showing flames and dancing embers all around.

“ ‘I’m hearing an explosion on my right, houses on fire right up against the road on the left,’ Chen described. ‘I’m holding my breath, feeling the heat from inside the car as I watch the embers fly across the windshield. It was not ideal.’

“ ‘We felt a concussion while driving past the homes on fire – an explosion that felt like it hit the car, but it was just the wavelengths of energy that hit us,’ said CNN producer Kat Jaeger, who was with Chen. ‘There was no damage to our car. I’ve never felt anything like it.” CNN photojournalist Tom Larson noted it felt like what he had encountered in war zones, Jaeger said.

“ ‘We get put on a lot of risky assignments, and we had to make a calculated risk for the best way to leave. Thankfully, we got out of there,’ Chen said.

“Yet, the destruction Chen witnessed left a haunting impression.

“ ‘We got a real look at just the level of destruction – and the fear that a lot of those residents might be feeling. I can’t imagine. They’re wondering if their house is the next one on fire and if they have anything to go home to,’ she said.

“By the end of the day, the fire had engulfed at least 2,000 acres, a huge escalation from initial reports of a mere 20 acres. . . .”

Cuba’s U.N. Correspondent Seeks Refuge in U.S.

Jan. 4, 2025

2nd Reporter, Exiled, Says Torture Forced Him Out

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“Throughout its history, Prensa Latina’s offices have been singled out as a propaganda and intelligence-gathering tool for the Cuban regime,” the website CubitaNOW reported Saturday. “This, combined with the internal crisis, has generated an environment that alienates professionals, both young and experienced.” (Credit: misiones.cubaminrex.cu)

2nd Reporter, Exiled, Says Torture Forced Him Out

The United Nations correspondent for the official Cuban news agency has decided to seek refuge in the United States, while a longtime independent journalist who had already left the island “announced his decision to go into exile, forced by constant harassment and threats from the government,” the website CiberCuba reported in separate dispatches this week.

The decision by U.N. correspondent Elizabeth Borrego (pictured), 31, who comes from a family of journalists, “adds to a growing exodus of young and talented journalists who are seeking better living conditions, as noted by another employee of the media outlet in an interview with El Vigía de Cuba,” CiberCuba reported.

“In recent years, Prensa Latina,” the Cuban news agency, “has suffered the loss of about fifty journalists, many of whom have chosen to emigrate to the United States or other countries in search of better opportunities.”

A second journalist, José Luis Tan Estrada, who led humanitarian aid campaigns and denounced the abuses of the Cuban regime on social networks, said during a live video broadcast by Martí Noticias that he left Cuba facing “extremely difficult conditions.”

“Tan said he was imprisoned in Villa Marista, where he spent a week in a torture cell. During that time, due to poor diet, he lost two teeth, as he ‘chewed on a piece of salt as if it were stone in the rice.’ . . .

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” ‘I came out with my eyes closed and putting my chest out,’ confessed Tan, who in the past suffered multiple episodes of harassment by the regime.

“He also stressed that the government’s constant repression, evidenced by internet shutdowns, surveillance, persecution and subpoenas, ended up forcing him to leave his country,” CubaNet reported.

” ‘For more than two years I have been receiving constant repression from State Security,’ Tan told Martí Noticias, denouncing his expulsion from the University of Camagüey and a smear campaign organized by the government and the local party, turning people against him. . . .”

Tan spoke from the Caribbean country of Guyana and posted on Facebook. “Tan directly blamed the Cuban regime for his exile, noting that ‘my journalism, my social media posts and my denunciations have hit [the regime’s] Achilles’ heel.’ He denounced the repressive methods of State Security, whom he blamed for forcing him to leave the island ‘in extreme situations and under threats.’

“Despite the adversities, the journalist reaffirmed his commitment to his work and his country. ‘To the henchmen of State Security I say that I will continue to do journalism, that I will continue to advocate for the freedom of political prisoners and for the freedom of #Cuba without ceasing,’ he wrote, assuring that neither distance nor exile will silence his voice in the struggle for justice and freedom.”

The past week also saw other developments in Cuba involving free expression and freedom of the press.

The caption in this Spanish-language video reads, “In each stroke, freedom rises like a silent cry on the walls. Nando OBDC dedicates his work ‘Mamá yo soy libre’ to political prisoners, and uses it as a tool of struggle.” (Credit: YouTube)

“Rapper and plastic artist Fernando Almenares Rivera, arrested in the early hours of December 31 in Havana by two State Security officers dressed in civilian clothes, is serving three days under arrest,” Diario de Cuba reported Friday. “According to DIARIO DE CUBA Adrianna Machado, the wife of the Cuban artist, who is known as Nando Obdc, this Thursday the political police carried out a search of the artist’s home, in the presence of his relatives.”

Into the “mother’s home came the State Security with six cars and even a Criminalistics team. They checked everything looking for a computer or if he had any hidden memory or information. They found nothing, but they threw away many photos of the paintings he made on the walls and took a Cuban flag that he had. They say they will return it when the process is over, if it has nothing to do with what they are investigating. On Tuesday he has a visitor, they say that Nando has ties to people living in the United States who want to commit violent acts in Cuba, Machado said.”

In addition, “On the morning of Thursday, December 26, the Cuban regime released independent journalist Henry Constantín, who was being arbitrarily held at the El Vivac detention center, located in the capital municipality of Arroyo Naranjo.

“Constantín (pictured), director of the digital media outlet La Hora de Cuba and regional vice president for Cuba of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), was released without having been transferred to the oral hearing scheduled in the Provincial Court of Havana, in response to a habeas corpus appeal.

“The information was confirmed by the journalist himself, who made a phone call from the outskirts of El Vivac after regaining his freedom.

“Constantín had been arrested on December 19 by two State Security agents on charges of violating an alleged legal control that restricted his stay in Havana, according to the media outlet he directs.”

CibaCuba wrote of Prensa Latina, the Cuban news agency, “The agency is facing severe financial difficulties, with several of its international offices unable to meet rent and salary payments. Added to this is the lack of leadership, since the agency has not had a president since Luis Enrique González, who has served as its president since 2010, was sent as ambassador to an African country.

“The agency maintains, although in crisis, 36 branches in key cities around the world, including the Washington correspondent office, which remains active with correspondent Deisy Francis Mexidor, who has been linked to Cuban intelligence.”

The website CubitaNOW reported Saturday, “A colleague of Borrego’s commented on condition of anonymity: ‘She is an excellent professional, but like many young people, she dreams of a dignified life, and that is impossible in Cuba.’

“Throughout its history, Prensa Latina’s offices have been singled out as a propaganda and intelligence-gathering tool for the Cuban regime. This, combined with the internal crisis, has generated an environment that alienates professionals, both young and experienced.

“Borrego’s departure reflects not only a personal aspiration, but also the structural limitations faced by Cuban journalists. The recent emigration of renowned professionals such as Miguel Lozano, a former correspondent in Madrid, and Sergio Ortega, a sports commentator, underlines the magnitude of this brain drain.”

Ortega is the son of Manolo Ortega, a pioneer of Cuban broadcasting on television in the 1950s and for many years after the success of the Cuban revolution.

“Meanwhile, the Washington [correspondents’] office is still active under the direction of [Deisy] Francis Texidor, a journalist with previous ties to Cuban intelligence, according to sources cited by the website El Vigía de Cuba.

“The decision by Borrego and other journalists to disassociate themselves from the regime highlights the deep economic and social crises that the island is going through, leaving the future of the official media and the scope of their propaganda narrative up in the air.”

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Richard Prince’s Journal-isms originates from Washington. It began in print before most of us knew what the internet was, and it would like to be referred to as a “column.” Any views expressed in the column are those of the person or organization quoted and not those of any other entity. Send tips, comments and concerns to Richard Prince at journal-isms+owner@groups.io

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