HuffPo closes down its contributors platform

THE Huffington Post is closing down its contributors platform in the US, acknowledging that its once ground-breaking gateway to the Web has been overtaken by “noise” — as well as by the sheer volume of commentary across newer social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter.

HuffPo sent an e-mail to many of its contributors on Thursday.

In a note to staffers, Editor-inChief Lydia Polgreen said HuffPo will introduce two new sections, Opinion and Personal. Writers for those sections will be selected and assigned stories — and be paid.

HuffPo was criticized by writers’ groups because many of the contributors who helped the Web site get its footing in the early days weren’t being paid.

“As we roll out these changes, we are ending the HuffPost contributor platform,” Polgreen said. “The platform, which launched in May 2005, was a revolutionary idea at the time: Give a megaphone to lots of people, some famous, some completely unknown to tell their stories.”

At that time, social networks barely existed, she noted.

In an e-mail to past contributors, HuffPo said it has had more than 100,000 contributors to its site since 2005.

“The quantity and volume of noise means truly being heard is harder than ever,” said an e-mail to contributors. “Those who are willing to shout the loudest often drown out new, more-deserving voices. The same has proven to be true on our own platform.”

Ross probed

Tronc is investigating Los Angeles Times Publisher Ross Levinsohn after he was accused of encouraging a “frat boy” atmosphere” in past jobs over two decades.

Among the accusations in a story by David Folkenflik, a media writer for NPR, is that Levinsohn was a defendant in two sexual harassment lawsuits over a two-decade career that included stops at Yahoo, News Corp. [which owns The Post], AltaVista and other internet-related ventures.

“This week, we became aware of allegations that Ross Levinsohn acted inappropriately. We are immediately launching an investigation so that we have a better understanding of what’s occurred,” the Tronc statement read.

“At Tronc, we expect all employees to act in a way that supports a culture of diversity and inclusion. We will take appropriate action to address any behavior that falls short of these expectations.”

The story comes at a delicate time for the LA Times, which has been covering some of the explosive sexual-harassment scandals that have rocked Hollywood in recent months.

A spokesman for Levinsohn declined to comment — but in the NPR piece, Levinsohn called allegations “lies.”

Ralph’s Ben out

Ralph Lauren Corp. has acknowledged that a executive who was in- volved in styling photo shoots and models for the company’s ads, has left the company.

Ben Eskridge was VP, creative director of men’s advertising, and had 27 years at the company.

“He is no longer with the company,” a spokeswoman confirmed Thursday.

Eskridge did not return calls or e-mails seeking comment.

Capt. Kirk

Here come the carpetbaggers. Tronc is bringing in an editor from Chicago to serve as acting editor-in-chief of its beleaguered Daily News — while it continues its search for a permanent replacement.

Jim Kirk, the former editor and publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times, on Thursday was named the acting editor-inchief of the News, which has been without a top editor or publisher since Arthur Browne retired on Dec. 31.

The Post fingered Kirk as the likely new editor in a column in November.

Kirk joined Tronc in August when the Sun-Times was sold and was immediately dispatched to be the interim executive editor of the Los Angeles Times — before that paper named Forbes’ Lewis D’Vorkin as its top editor. Tronc took over the moneybleeding News from Mort Zuckerman in September for $1 — and at that time, Browne said he intended to make his own exit at year’s end. The News lost about $13 million in the first six months of 2017, according to regulatory filings. Its paid daily circulation is down to only 187,000. Tronc CEO Justin Dearborn did not name a publisher. Browne hhad added that job during the last three months of his employment. Tronc has filled both jobs with a single person on most of the newspapers in its chain. Dearborn said that Kirk will work with senior company officials to try to find a person who can fill the dual job. One inside person, Grant Whitmore, was named Tronc’s general manager and executive VP of East Coast media.