A mass exodus of senior staff has taken place today at The New Republic after the Facebook billionaire owner vowed to create a 'digital medial company' and overhaul the vision of a magazine built over a century. Top editor Franklin Foer, and literary editor, Leon Wieseltier, who has been at the Washington D.C.-based magazine for three decades, resigned on Thursday and were quickly followed by ranks of their senior staff. The digital media editor, Hillary Kelly, resigned while on honeymoon in Africa. The exits, a total of 48 staff and contributing editors, came after a deep divide in opinion over the U-turn planned for the title by  owner Chris Hughes.
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A total of 48 senior staff members resigned this week from The New Republic including editor, Franklin Foer, and literary editor, Leon Wieseltier
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Mr Wieseltier, who has been at TNR for  31 years, told staff through tears that the magazine was 'the best thing I've done in my little life'
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Foer reportedly found out he was being replaced before he resigned
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The exits came after a deep divide in opinion over the new direction  for the title owned by Facebook billionaire Chris Hughes
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CEO Guy Vidra reportedly riled staff by his apparent lack of care for the magazine's 100-year history and his intent on 'breaking s***'
Rumblings of trouble in the @placeholder newsroom have been growing since Hughes took over in 2012.