Lots of Potential - Staff Writer Red Blue Media Employee Review

4.0
Apr 29, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The work environment is stellar. The team of writers I get to work with are diverse, extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and very fun. It is a great creative workspace to bounce ideas off of each other and I feel it is also a safe space to discuss articles and issues important to us and our readers.

Cons

Content and pay. As a writer, it can be difficult when an original piece about technology or social issues gets shelved so you can write 23 Epic Fails or 12 Memes That'll Make You LOL. These posts may get shares but they don't actually contribute to the validity of the site. The staff themselves are made up of some of the most talented writers and comics. Some who have taught classes at UCB, written for shows on Cartoon Network, performed stand-up on late night TV, etc, but their talent is not always properly showcased because they are limited on subjects they can write about. That's why there is an option to essentially "hide your name" when you have to write a montage like "are these hot dogs or legs?" or "epic selfie fails" or whatever. Also, due to partnerships, writers are sometimes unable to talk about brands or celebrities. This is by no means a news site like CNN or Time, but if Guff wants to be relevant and a "one-stop-shop" for readers to get their daily trending stories and humor, they need to be able to talk, dissect, and comment on all trending topics. Another con: pay. I have no idea how anyone is surviving here. Several writers have talked about freelancing with other publications because they simply cannot live on this paycheck and one of the managers mentioned in a meeting about people living paycheck to paycheck. I think the office environment, benefits, and resources are great, but maybe they could move things around to allow more money to be allotted towards the stellar staff.

Explore other reviews about Red Blue Media

5.0
Mar 12, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Company loves to test ideas and is willing to invest and try new things

Cons

Coaching and guidance is not well established for everyone on the team. You need to be a self starter.

1.0
Nov 13, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The content team was an excellent group of people — this cannot be overstated. After a massive round of layoffs, the majority of that team no longer exists, but the good part about this company is still everyone working at creating great content. If they ever hire again, you will likely be in line for a number of promotions, because there is a lot of work to be done.

Cons

Note: This company also goes by the name of Guff Media. This company has gone through three rounds of layoffs in the past year. They will likely be posting freelance ads soon; I would recommend you look elsewhere for employment. They do not prioritize paying their freelancers and in fact did not pay them at all for three months. While the lower management is fine, the executives of this company are wholly incompetent and reactionary. They have tantrums whenever something doesn't go their way. They also have virtually no contact whatsoever with the people who create content for them but claim to want complete transparency. They smoke hookah in the office (or have in the past, at any rate). If you work here (and drastic improvements have not been made to the work environment), you will feel on-edge and as though everything is very precarious, but be told repeatedly that the worst is over and you're worrying about nothing. Most likely, your worries will be completely valid.

3
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