Gawker: valleywag, brad williams

Yahoo PR latest backstabbing target

Nicholas Carlson — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:40:00 EDT

It can't be any fun fielding press queries about layoffs, reorgs, and hostile takeover three times a day. Add to Yahoo PR woes: Bitchy coworkers. Last night, a tipster sent us an account of a few "chatty Cathys" from Yahoo PR who, after a few drinks, were only too pleased tell anyone who would listen that "heads on the PR team need to roll." Yes, they named names — including the hapless Brad Williams, the target of an accusation in August that he was sleeping on the job at the company's annual meeting, a charge Williams strenuously denied.

A few Yahoos felt pretty strongly that "as a starting point" heads on the PR team need to roll: Jill "lightweight" Nash, Bradford "asleep on the job dude" Williams and [someone they called] "the ninny." They've been text book amateur hour and according to these Chatty Cathys. [They] don't understand their businesses.

These same unhappy employees also let slip [that[ these flacks are not well-liked or trusted by quite a few people, including senior management. Word is they had fine people who were well-liked, smart and getting the job done in Jan/Feb then were reoganized out to a business unit. Oh right. C players surround themselves with idiots to look good. Maybe Bain can show Yahoo what to do with A players. With this kind of leadership (not), it's no surprise that good people like Kiersten Hollars continue to depart (congrats Digg).

Yahoo's Brad Williams denies napping on the job

Jackson West — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:40:00 EDT

A tipster wrote in to say that they caught Yahoo flack Bradford Williams sleeping during a webcast of the annual shareholder meeting, which couldn't be farther from the truth, says Williams:

Dude, you’re dead wrong. I haven’t seen the video — but your assertion is not only inaccurate and unsubstantiated, it’s mean-spirited. Someone’s got an axe to grind, and they made you their tool. This further extends the already long odds of your being mistaken for a journalist.

Maybe I can get work making inaccurate and unsubstantiated claims about shareholder support for Yahoo's management? Couldn't possibly pay worse than journalism.

New Yahoo flack Brad Williams sleeping on the job

Jackson West — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:20:00 EDT

A Yahoo tipster who sat through a webcast of the company's annual meeting lets us know that Brad Williams, Yahoo's vice president of corporate communications, was actually caught on video sleeping during the shareholder powwow. Hey, look, all those open letters from CEO Jerry Yang and chairman Roy Bostock don't write themselves, and now that barbarian shareholder Carl Icahn has been mostly placated with a board seat bribe, let the man catch a few winks, kay? Anyone who sends us a copy of the footage wins some kind of prize — such as not having to report to Williams or communications chief Jill Nash ever again. Full account of the continuing reorg and napping spokesmonkey after the jump.

Speaking of endless reorgs ... hallway chatter is that the PR team is undergoing a reorg that has already sent one to another business unit ... and the replacement is a ninny.

Jerry, when are you going to get rid of Jill Nash and the new flack Bradford Williams? Did I mention that Bradford Williams was shown SLEEPING during the annual meeting? He should be FIRED. A group of us tuned in to the webcast couldn't believe it, and we know it's him because he's in Kara's video post where she calls him out by name.

Props to VW if you can find the footage, since someone out there must have taped it...

And you wonder what's wrong with Yahoo?!!!!!