James Watkins

@J_Watkins1

Content marketing professional. Five-year veteran of the war zone, trying to forget it ever happened. Proud Brit transplanted to the Midwest.

Chicago, IL
Joined June 2013
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  1. Retweeted
    10 hours ago

    Really do feel awful for these Ozy employees. One week ago, they had jobs and the belief that their stock options could eventually have value. Many of those options were fully vested. Today, that's all gone.

    9 replies 12 retweets 127 likes
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  2. 4 hours ago

    The joke’s on Charu because for all the love he’s dishing out to other OZY survivors, he’s almost certainly the nicest person on this planet. HE WINS. I challenge anyone to prove that I’m wrong.

    So this is how it ended — OZY, an idea/company many of us journalists have given our heart and soul to, our lives to, shut down without giving us a chance to save our contacts and work, without a chance to say goodbyes to everyone we've been in the trenches with. (THREAD) 👇
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    1 reply 3 retweets 9 likes
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  3. Retweeted
    13 hours ago

    I know a lot of folks are enjoying the coverage of Ozy's demise but it's important to remember that these dysfunctional media companies can really hurt well meaning employees.

    15 replies 43 retweets 385 likes
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  4. Retweeted
    10 hours ago

    Flagging again that ~75 people worked at Ozy. I've been on the phone w lots of them. They're reading all of the stories & tweets. This is very hard for them. A lot of them did great work. It's unfair to say Ozy was a "sham." The correct framing is that it was woefully mismanaged.

    Ozy Media is shutting down, amid fraud allegations Ozy told Axios earlier this year that it had 75 full-time employees, all of whom now seem to be out of a job.
    22 replies 73 retweets 372 likes
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  5. Retweeted
    5 hours ago

    I'm devastated, angry and feel betrayed by the top leadership. They let a top quality bunch of journalists and a very special vision down in the most horrendous and indefensible way.

    1 reply 5 retweets 15 likes
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  6. 8 hours ago

    So many current and former colleagues have just seen months or years of blood, sweat and tears go up in smoke. My lesson from this whole nightmare: be skeptical, and be empathetic. If you can’t get enough news, Brian Morrissey still has my vote for the best piece of the week

    New edition of The Rebooting is about how Ozy is an inevitable result of the media industry’s high tolerance for complete bullshit at every possible level.
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    1 reply 3 likes
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  7. Retweeted
    Sep 26

    OZY blaming attempted fraud on fake mental health issues while causing their employees to have actual mental breakdowns ……. yeah that tracks

    4 replies 14 retweets 59 likes
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  8. Retweeted
    Sep 29

    There are too many people and pieces to mention. OZY was plagued by unethical leadership, yet somehow its staff produced meaningful journalism from across the globe, about people and places many outlets glossed over. I am incredibly grateful for my colleagues' work under duress.

    1 reply 4 retweets 16 likes
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  9. Retweeted
    Sep 29

    There should be an After the Rose special, but just ex-OZY folks after all this ends.

    3 replies 1 retweet 17 likes
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  10. Retweeted
    Sep 30

    When I read that they decided to chalk up the impersonation incident to mental health I was absolutely appalled knowing that many of my former colleagues suffered mental health implications from working FOR THEM.

    2 replies 5 retweets 38 likes
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  11. Retweeted
    Sep 30

    Many of us have stories like this, but have been afraid to speak up. It's important to me that Eva, who has been incredibly brave, not stand alone. I left OZY in June after 6 years, after coming down with shingles while working 12-15 hours/day for a month with very little sleep

    When I read that they decided to chalk up the impersonation incident to mental health I was absolutely appalled knowing that many of my former colleagues suffered mental health implications from working FOR THEM.
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    3 replies 20 retweets 72 likes
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  12. 9 hours ago

    Pretty accurate honestly.

    So and I spent a while this week going through years worth of social analytics for Ozy. You can listen to that journey here: But today's Garbage Day is full write up of what we learned. Let's dive in shall we?
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    1 like
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  13. Retweeted
    9 hours ago

    BONKERS. Like so many others who have already spoken out, I was sold on the *idea* of OZY in 2018. The editorial team felt like we had a platform to make an impact and to push the envelope. We even succeeded at that sometimes. 1/2

    1 reply 1 retweet 8 likes
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  14. Retweeted
    Sep 29

    I am trying to stay out of the fray this week but just want to say that regardless of some decisions at the top, the journalism pulled off there was real, and often good. (1/7)

    1 reply 19 retweets 60 likes
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  15. Retweeted
    Sep 27

    Thinking of all the OZY journalists, some of the most hardworking, passionate and ethical people I know, whose talent was so often used and abused until they burnt out and left. If today's news is somehow held against them, it will be stacking one injustice upon another.

    12 retweets 89 likes
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  16. Retweeted
    Sep 15

    Photo of the Day: A comma butterfly in Cumbria, England, UK, by If you would like your photo to be considered for Photo of the Day, use the hashtag . Find out more on our website:

    3 replies 15 retweets 88 likes
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  17. Retweeted
    Jun 18

    is live! Tune in now for discussions around the country's reinvigorated racial reckoning, acknowledging America’s history of injustice and what the path forward should look like.

    1 reply 5 retweets 5 likes
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  18. Retweeted
    Jun 4

    welcome to the internet

    1,098 replies 9,387 retweets 90,442 likes
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  19. Retweeted
    May 26

    Excited and honored to join the family. Thank you all for lovely welcome.

    We are honored to welcome to the OZY Family. She brings with her decades of global experience and meaningful work with our friends at the BBC that represent OZY's values. It's a privilege to have her on the team!
    9 replies 9 retweets 71 likes
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  20. Retweeted
    May 26

    We are honored to welcome to the OZY Family. She brings with her decades of global experience and meaningful work with our friends at the BBC that represent OZY's values. It's a privilege to have her on the team!

    22 replies 41 retweets 367 likes
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