2023 was a brutal year for the journalism industry, with at least 8,000 job cuts in the UK, US and Canada, according to Press Gazette’s analysis.
The tide continued in 2024, with around 1,000 people affected by closures and rounds of redundancies in January alone.
August saw several publishers making layoffs including Gannett, Time, Axios, Tampa Bay Times, NYPR and Hollywood Reporter.
As of 27 September, Press Gazette estimates there have been at least 2,500 jobs cut in the UK and US media this year so far.
Related
All types of publisher features on the below list: from legacy newspaper brands to digital natives, and from commercial operations to non-profit newsrooms.
Many of the cutbacks at the start of this year have affected US media outlets but April saw a ramp up in the UK with GB News, Open Democracy, the Mail and The Times all facing redundancies of various numbers alongside The Wall Street Journal stateside.
Other UK job losses have come at Pink News, i-D Magazine and Design Week, and as part of international cuts to the likes of Vice and Business Insider.
Press Gazette will keep this page updated, with the latest additions at the top, as the definitive guide to job announced media job cuts made throughout 2024.
The list excludes any job cuts announced in 2023, which featured in our round-up of last year’s redundancies.
We will also add any significant hiring rounds to this page.
Journalism job cuts in 2024: Up-to-date list
November 2024
Associated Press – 8% of total staff
The Associated Press is planning to make cuts affecting 8% of staff, of which less than half would impact news staff, Press Gazette understands. Most of those affected are expected to be in the US.
As part of this, the AP has reached a tentative agreement with the News Media Guild to extend a voluntary buyout offer to some union staff in the US. According to a note from the AP News Guild first reported by New York Times media reporter Ben Mullin, this offer applies to 121 staff aged 54.5 and over.
The Guild note said: “The company said a decline in revenue necessitated cuts company-wide among guild-covered, administrative and international staff. For Guild staff, the company said reductions could be fully achieved by offering voluntary buyouts.”
It added: “The company maintains that the buyouts are necessary to avoid layoffs and have told the Guild that reductions will be made throughout AP’s global bureaus administrative staff.”
An AP spokesperson told Press Gazette: “The Associated Press has informed the world through accurate, nonpartisan journalism for nearly two centuries – enduring not by chance, but by being intentional about adapting to industry changes. We are taking proactive steps, including making some staff reductions, as we focus on meeting the evolving needs of our customers.
“This is about ensuring AP’s important role as the only truly independent news organization at scale during a period of transformation in the media industry.”
Dotdash Meredith – 53 people
Dotdash Meredith is laying off 53 people or about 1.5% of its staff, mostly affecting those working on print products.
As reported by Axios, chief executive Neil Vogel told staff: “While we are incredibly proud of our print products and our subscriber bases are stable (or in some cases even growing), the print advertising business remains challenged. Today’s actions are directly in response to this.”
He added: “We are not closing any print magazines, nor do we anticipate doing so, and we will continue to invest in our print assets.”
G/O Media – Two people
Two writers were laid off from G/O Media’s gaming website Kotaku on 7 November, according to Aftermath.
Managing editor Carolyn Petit wrote on Bluesky: “G/O Media’s management is once again punishing workers for its own bad decisions. Management mandated that some writers stick to ‘service’ posts, and now that the numbers aren’t panning out (surprise, surprise!), two of those writers have been laid off. Cruel and misguided.”
National World – Nine people
UK regional publisher National World plans to cut nine journalist jobs in Sunderland and Manchester, according to the NUJ, although two other roles will be created.
It said two of five journalists’ roles in Sunderland would be cut under current proposals, along with one of two reporter roles in Manchester.
In addition six editor roles across eight websites would be cut, the NUJ said. Two new Metro editor roles would be created for the sites which cover Blackpool, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Preston, South Shields and Sunderland.
Chris Morley, NUJ Northern and Midlands Senior Organiser said: “Journalists at the titles are already overstretched due to inadequate staffing levels, and these proposed cuts in Sunderland and Manchester would place intolerable strain on those that remain.
“National World has justified these severe cuts by saying that page views are down, but without saying how fewer overworked journalists with less time and more stress are expected to produce more of the quality local journalism that these communities want to read.
“The proposed cutback in the number of editors who serve National World websites throughout the North of England would inevitably reduce responsiveness to local issues and concerns.
“We will be strongly supporting our members through this process and call on the company to immediately rethink the insufficient time for consultation that has been given.”
The National World group chapel passed a motion on Thursday 7 November which stated: “This chapel is dismayed at proposals by National World to cut reporting roles in Sunderland by 40%, cutting reporters in Manchester by 50%, and the effect it will have on local reporting. It also notes with concern proposals to reduce local editors, and the effect of stress on already overworked journalists at the titles producing local journalism.
“This has been exacerbated by inadequate time for consultation. The chapel calls upon the company to rethink the proposals and the effect on quality local journalism and calls for proper consultation with the NUJ and local staff about the effects of these cuts.”
City AM – ‘Small number’ of people
Free London business newspaper City AM is proposing axing its Monday print edition and putting a small number of staff at risk of redundancy.
A City AM spokesperson said: “We will continue to build the City AM brand through digital and social channels, not least through the new City AM Studios in London, while focusing print publication on the midweek days which attract the greatest footfall amongst our target audience.”
October 2024
Fandom – Unspecified number
A round of layoffs has taken place at digital publisher Fandom, which owns brands like Metacritic, GameFAQs, Screen Junkies and TV Guide. Market changes were reportedly blamed and one staffer said they believed it was the fourth set of layoffs at the publisher since 2022.
GovExec – 16 people
Sixteen people are being let go from four divisions at GovExec media group, which owns titles including US state and local government publication Route Fifty and Government Executive.
Route Fifty reporter Dan Vock said he had been laid off, adding: “It’s a shame; I had some pretty good elections stories in the works.”
Oahu Publications – 13 people
Hawaii news group Oahu Publications, owner of the island’s biggest newsbrand the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, is cutting 13 employees, including a reported six in editorial.
Hawaii News Now reported that the cuts include the Star-Advertiser’s last two staff photographers.
The Pacific Media Workers Guild said: “These losses cut deep at our ability to continue serving communities across Hawaii.”
Oahu chief executive Dennis Francis said: “On Friday, OPI made the difficult decision to reduce the size of our workforce to strengthen the company’s financial future and better position us to continue serving our readers and advertisers. OPI employs 254 people, and out of our entire workforce, 13 team members will be departing between now and November 15.
“While job loss decisions are always difficult to make, the evolution of newspaper journalism has hit everyone in the industry hard, and OPI is no exception. For local journalism to succeed and for OPI to remain the Hawaii-produced paper our community relies on, we must maintain a resilient financial business.”
Oahu was bought by Carpenter Media Group earlier this year which has made cuts at other newspaper groups across the US soon after buying them including Pamplin Media Group and Sound Publishing.
Variety – Three people
Three journalists were laid off from Variety including longtime deputy editor Meredith Woerner.
Woerner said on 17 October: “Yesterday was my last day at Variety. I was included in a round of layoffs and… I’m heartbroken. Working at Variety for the past seven years has been a privilege and an adventure.”
She added: “I am tremendously grateful to the many Variety colleagues I’ve worked with over the years. But special attention must be paid to Variety’s web team. I’ve worked in several newsrooms nationwide, and this group stands out as the most passionate, collaborative, kind, and brilliant collection of people I’ve ever seen.”
It came two months after at least four layoffs were made at Penske sister title The Hollywood Reporter, and just over a year after a further four job cuts at Variety.
BBC – 210 people
BBC News is planning to cut 185 jobs and create 55 new roles, making a net reduction of 130 roles.
The broadcaster is proposing to end interview programme Hardtalk and “flagship” tech show Click as well as the Asian Network’s bespoke news service and the 5.30am News Briefing on Radio 4.
The cuts would also mean domestic BBC radio stations would begin airing World Service summaries between midnight and 5.30am, the merging of four “On The Day” newsdesk divisions to create a “single, story-led structure” and BBC 5 Live no longer producing its own overnight news programme.
Another 25 post closures are proposed in the media operations team which supports the production of the BBC’s news, radio and some sport services.
Read the full Press Gazette story here.
NBC News – A ‘handful’ of people
Semafor media editor Max Tani reported that there have been a “handful” of layoffs across the NBCU News Group including at CNBC.
ABC News – 75 people
About 75 people at Disney-owned ABC News in the US are being laid off, as first reported by Variety.
The layoffs are believed to be split evenly between ABC’s national newsgathering operation and its local stations but no current programming will cease as a result.
ABC News president Almin Karamehmedovic told staff in a memo: “Across the various ranks of ABC News, a limited number of our colleagues are being impacted by staff reductions. As you know, this has been happening across the broader company and the industry at large in recent weeks and months.
“For us, it means shaping a team that embraces the new media landscape and evolves along with it, which we must do to continue serving our viewers.”
September 2024
Scripps – More than 200 people
US broadcaster Scripps has told staff it plans to shut down its national linear TV news business, resulting in the loss of more than 200 jobs.
CEO and president Adam Symson told staff that Scripps News’ 24/7 national news programming will wind down from 15 November although it will continue to produce output for streaming and digital platforms with live weekday coverage.
“A core reporting team, based primarily in Washington DC, also will serve Scripps’ local stations’ news operations with national and international journalism,” he said.
Symson explained that revenue in linear TV has not followed audience growth.
“Over the last two years, Scripps News’ live anchored coverage and documentary programming have grown its linear television audience, but the prospects for the necessary revenue growth haven’t materialised, despite our sales teams’ efforts. Scripps News’ current financial position is what has led me to the decision to scale back our approach to 24-hour news and over-the-air coverage.
“Amidst an already difficult linear television advertising marketplace, many brands and agencies have decided that advertising around national news is just too risky for them given the polarised nature of this country, no matter the accolades and credentials a news organisation like Scripps receives for its objectivity. I vehemently disagree, but it is hurting Scripss News, along with every other national linear and digital news outlet.”
Symson said about 50 Scripps News staffers will remain to cover local news and produce the streaming and digital content, prioritising “field reporting, our strong political coverage, investigative reporting and our digital and social media presence”.
The national Scripps News network was launched in January 2023 through a relaunch of Newsy, which the company acquired in 2014 and later took it through several evolutions including a streaming network and a free 24/7 linear network.
Gamurs Group – 30 people
Gaming media publisher Gamurs Group has cut 30 staff, blaming “unprecedented shifts” in the industry and in particular “the release of Google’s helpful content update and the decline in Google search and Discover traffic across all websites”.
Read the full Press Gazette story here.
Lee Enterprises – Around 20 people
US local news publisher Lee Enterprises is cutting ten roles from The Buffalo News, which has a newsroom of 55, according to the Investigative Post. The cuts include five buyouts or layoffs, and five vacant positions being eliminated.
Not long before that, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch laid off six members of staff while the managing editor and enterprise editor of the Missoulian was laid off and the Richmond Times-Dispatch cut two veteran sports writers.
Future – Unknown number
Job losses are undergoing a consultation process at Future plc amid the closure of titles including iMore, 3D World, All About Space and Total 911.
The titles, plus some events and Future’s external video production unit, were deemed “low to no growth assets”.
Read the full Press Gazette story here.
Daily Mail US – Up to 20 people
Up to 10% of the more than 200 editorial staff based at Mail Online in the US have been cut, with the publisher calling the redundancies “difficult but necessary”.
The publisher said it would “enable us to continue to invest in areas where we can grow our audience”.
The Sun US – Unknown number
A number of editorial staff at The Sun US have been cut. The number of jobs affected was not confirmed but Press Gazette understands more people were laid off than in the Daily Mail US cuts made on the same day (above).
The publisher, which launched its dedicated US website for The Sun in late 2019, said it needed to “reset the strategy and resize the team to secure the long term, sustainable future for The Sun’s business in the US”.
News Corp’s recent financial results cited “lower digital advertising mainly driven by a decline in traffic at some mastheads due to platform-related changes”, although this was not referring to The Sun alone.
BBC – 115 people
The BBC is planning to cut up to 115 editorial and production jobs in the Nations and Regions.
The cuts affect 40 to 45 jobs at BBC Local in England, about 25 to 30 each in Wales and Scotland, and ten to 12 in Northern Ireland.
Read the full Press Gazette story here.
August 2024
Gannett – 74 people
Gannett announced on 26 August it planned to shut down its product reviews site Reviewed.
State filings later revealed by Mass Live showed the company intends to lay off 74 employees based in Cambridge, Massachusetts – where Reviewed is headquartered – by 14 November.
A spokesperson for Reviewed told The Verge: “After careful consideration and evaluation of our Reviewed business, we have decided to close the operation. We extend our sincere gratitude to our employees who have provided consumers with trusted product reviews.”
They added: “The closure is a business decision influenced significantly by the fact that Reviewed relies heavily on search traffic and Google’s constant algorithm changes have degraded our current business model.”
Time – 22 people
Time is cutting 22 jobs across editorial, technology, sales, marketing and Time Studios, chief executive Jessica Sibley told staff on 20 August.
In an email first shared by Semafor media editor Max Tani, Sibley said: “This decision was not made lightly, but it is necessary to build a sustainable company in order to further Time’s mission.”
She said Time is facing “significant challenges from heightened competition for decreased advertising budgets to drastic shifts in consumer behaviour, changes to search and social algorithms, and overall economic uncertainty”.
Sibley said Time will put more focus on the climate, AI and health “areas of leadership where we are having success today”.
Meanwhile it is transitioning to a B2B revenue strategy with a focus on direct-sold advertising sponsorships and strategic partnerships as well as events.
The Hollywood Reporter – At least four people
The Hollywood Reporter laid off four people on Friday 16 August: executive managing editor Sudie Redmond, deputy editor Degen Pener, copy editor and film critic Sheri Linden and video editor Colin Burgess, according to The Wrap.
It follows a “small number” of editorial layoffs made in June (see below).
All Your Screens reported in July that at that point The Hollywood Reporter had “lost 11 full and part-time employees since September 2023,” many of whom were long-term employees, “while adding 15 full and part-time employees over the same period”.
The TV website claimed The Hollywood Reporter is considering changing direction from covering the industry to a “more entertainment lifestyle direction”.
There have also reportedly been an unspecified number of layoffs on parent company Penske Media Group’s product and business development side.
New York Public Radio – Around 30 people
New York Public Radio, which owns local news website Gothamist and public radio station WNYC, is aiming to lay off at least 8% of staff to help with a forthcoming $10m budget deficit, staff were told on Wednesday 14 August.
This is estimated to mean around 30 people, and staff are being asked to come forward as volunteers for layoffs before compulsory ones come into play.
It comes less than a year since New York Public Radio cut about 20 jobs and cancelled two podcasts.
NYPR president and chief executive LaFontaine Oliver told staff in a memo, reported by NYC news site Hell Gate, that: “While we have continued to control what we can control to avoid this moment—including the staff cuts in the fall of 2023, re-introducing a hiring hold, eliminating senior executive roles, forgoing annual increases in 2023, and keeping our paid internship program on hold—it hasn’t been enough to outpace increased expenses and declines in revenue.
“Our deficit continues to climb, and with our Q4 reconciliation complete and the books closed on FY24, we are now projecting a deficit for FY25 that is on course to once again reach more than $10 million by the end of the year.”
Oliver made the point that NYPR is not alone in this difficulty, saying: “For profit, nonprofit, and public media outlets alike are continuing to sustain losses wrought by declines in advertising, shifting audience behaviors, disruptions in the tech space, stubbornly high interest rates, and overall uncertainty in the markets.”
He said advertising at WNYC and classical music station WQXR has seen a “rapid decline” while “competition for philanthropic support is stiff, not only from our peers in nonprofit news outlets who are accelerating their pursuit of these same dollars in the face of increased challenges. Membership, long the hallmark of the public media model, is being strongly impacted by shifts from legacy media to digital platforms.”
Axios – About 50 people
Axios is planning to lay off about 50 people, or 10% of the company, it told staff on Tuesday 6 August.
In a memo leaked to The New York Times, chief executive Jim VandeHei said: “We’re making some difficult changes to adapt fast to a rapidly changing media landscape.”
He broke the news of the 50 positions being cut in an Axios smart brevity style “why it matters” section, explaining it was “to get ahead of tectonic shifts in the media, technology and reader needs/habits.
“This is a painful but necessary move to tighten our strategic focus and shift investment to our core growth areas.”
VandeHei said Axios will grow revenue and audience year-on-year in 2024 but “we need to stay steps ahead of changes unfolding fast across American media”.
VandeHei took full responsibility for the move, saying: “This decision is mine. It’s difficult to make, but exponentially more difficult for our departing colleagues. This isn’t a reflection on anyone’s work – it’s because of changes in the media business. If you’re understandably upset by the decision, please direct your frustration at me.”
He also described now as “the most difficult moment for media in our lifetime,” pointing to “shifting reader attention and behaviour” across platforms.
He added: “AI is pushing us to a technological inflection point where models can summarise news, at the same time Facebook, X and search are faltering as reliable traffic standbys.”
VandeHei promised “thoughtful severance packages” and said the last day for most laid-off employees would be Friday 9 August.
Tampa Bay Times – 20% of payroll (potentially up to 50 people)
Tampa Bay Times, a for-profit news title owned by the non-profit Poynter Institute that has won 14 Pulitzer Prizes, has told staff it wants to reduce its payroll by 20% and is offering buyouts.
The newsbrand has about 270 full-time employees, of whom 100 are in the newsroom. They were told layoffs will follow later in August if targets for savings are not met.
Chairman and CEO Conan Gallaty told staff he is cutting his pay by 20% until the end of the year while other senior executives are taking temporary pay cuts of 10%.
He added: “While sharing this news as we mark our 140th anniversary is disappointing, we are committed to ensuring the Times can continue its dedication to robust local journalism.
“I am confident we will emerge from this challenging period as a more focused and sustainable company.”
National World – Five people
Five jobs are expected to be cut at The Scotsman: three specialist writers, a feature writer and a business reporter.
A National Union of Journalists organiser said: “National World management claim they are trying to turn the company into a ‘premium content business’, but these job cuts fall on those same talented, award-winning journalists who consistently produce excellent Scottish journalism.”
July 2024
Newsquest – Two people
Two journalists have been made redundant from We Are Sunderland, a dedicated site for news and analysis about Sunderland FC launched by Newsquest’s The Northern Echo in January.
One of the two journalists affected, Matty Hewitt, wrote on X: “Bitterly disappointed to say I’ll no longer be working for @WeAreSunlun after being made redundant… We’ve given it our all since launching back in January and covering #SAFC again has been a blast. It’s never dull.”
Newsquest told Hold The Front Page the site was not closing but did not share details about how it would operate going forward.
On Thursday 25 July, the day after Hewitt’s post, the We Are Sunderland X account told users: “Make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel for free to stay up to date with all the latest #SAFC news and podcasts.”
Newsquest previously launched two other dedicated club websites, Rangers Review and The Celtic Way both in Glasgow, which have seen success and built subscriber bases.
Portland Tribune – Unknown number
Carpenter Media Group laid off an unknown number of staff at former Pamplin Media Group titles in Oregon which it bought a month earlier. The titles included the Portland Tribune and about two dozen other newspapers.
BDG – Nine staff
Bustle Digital Group (BDG) is laying off nine people, Adweek reported on 12 July.
The editors in chief of Romper and The Zoe Report were reportedly among those affected amid a consolidation of BDG’s parenting and lifestyle units.
More layoffs are expected to follow in the commercial teams.
LAist – 21 staff
LAist, a nonprofit newsroom that also houses Los Angeles radio station KPCC-FM, has cut 21 staff through layoffs and buyouts, The Wrap reported on 11 July.
The organisation’s chief content officer Kristen Muller told staff in a note in May that the cuts were aimed at lessening a $4-5m budget shortfall predicted for the next two years.
“Our efforts to reach and engage people on digital channels are succeeding. But the revenue is not following pace,” Muller wrote.
LAist earlier cut 12% of its workforce in June 2023.
CNN – Around 100 jobs
CNN chief executive Mark Thompson told staff on Wednesday 10 July that the organisation will cut around 100 jobs, equivalent to approximately 3% of its total workforce.
As well as the layoffs, Thompson explained some of the changes he plans to make at the organisation, saying he wants a subscription offering up and running before the end of the year, that the newsroom will be reorganised to integrate CNN’s domestic and international operations, and bringing more video products to the web. The Hollywood Reporter published Thompson’s letter to staff in full.
The cuts come a year and a half after the last round of major cuts at CNN under the tenure of previous chief executive Chris Licht.
Carpenter Media Group – 62 people
Carpenter Media Group has laid off a reported 62 people across local news publisher Sound Publishing, which it bought months earlier.
Reports from March indicated Sound Publishing parent Black Press had about 1,200 employees in the US and Canada. The acquisition represented Carpenter’s first move outside of the South East US and Texas.
The Everett Post, a rival to Everett Herald which was one of the affected newspapers, reported on 5 August Herald staff went on a two-day strike and while the company “refused to spare any jobs” they secured ” optional buyouts, increased severance packages and raises for remaining staff”. Ultimately 12 positions at the newspaper were cut, described as roughly half the newsroom.
The cutbacks reportedly amounted to 25% of staff in Washington State, a stronghold of Sound Publishing.
June 2024
The Daily Beast – At least 25 people
The Daily Beast has implemented voluntary buyouts accepted by 25 unionised staffers, or almost 75% of union members in the newsroom.
According to The Wrap those taking buyouts include media reporter Justin Baragona, political investigations reporter Jose Pagliery, senior national reporter Pilar Melendez and senior reporter Emily Shugerman. The outlet reported that senior staffers are heavily represented in the departures.
A further round of layoffs for non-unionised journalists is expected to follow.
A Daily Beast spokesperson said: “With such a generous severance offer, we anticipated a large number of employees would take the voluntary buyout. We are not at all surprised.
“These numbers allow us to move forward with our plan to secure the financial future of the Beast and rebuild a newsroom that will thrive in the current landscape. It’s always difficult when dedicated employees choose to step away. We thank them and wish them the best in their future endeavors.”
Evening Standard – 150 jobs
About 150 jobs are expected to be cut as a result of the Evening Standard’s planned closure of its daily newspaper edition and relaunch as a weekly title. A date for the changes and end to the daily paper has not yet been set.
The proposed redundancies reportedly include 70 editorial roles. The Standard newsroom is currently made up of around 120 full-time journalists, meaning it would be more than halved.
The cuts are also expected to affect more than 40 back office jobs and around 45 roles in its printing and distribution operations, according to The Telegraph.
The Hollywood Reporter – ‘Small number’
A “small number” of editorial layoffs were made at The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday 13 June, according to The Wrap.
Those affected included longtime TV editor Lesley Goldberg and senior editor of diversity and inclusion Rebecca Sun.
Goldberg said on X: “To the next generation of THR ‘legacies’, continue to know your worth and do your best to find work-life balance and listen to the words of wisdom of those you respect most. As for me, I’m holding onto two of the most valuable things I’ve learned in my time at THR: good things will always follow bad situations, and Henry Winkler really is as wonderful as everyone who has ever met him says he is.”
Informa Tech – Unknown number
Informa has closed two long-running B2B titles: Digital TV Europe and Television Business International.
Informa would not confirm the number of jobs affected but a farewell message from TBI editor Richard Middleton referenced several staff members including a deputy editor, senior sales manager, marketing chief art director and product manager.
Digital TV Europe staff at the time of the closure appeared to include an associate editor and a strategic account manager.
EO Media Group – 28 people
EO Media Group, an Oregon-based publisher of 15 newspapers and two magazines, said it planned to cut back the publication of several titles in July and lay off 28 employees.
It also planned to cut the hours of 19 other staff members, Oregon Live reported.
May 2024
Wall Street Journal – At least 8 people
At least eight journalists have been laid off amid further cuts at the Wall Street Journal amid a change in how it covers US news “and how we write about the big subjects that grip America”.
US news will no longer be a standalone coverage area and the East Coast, mid-US and West Coast regional bureaux are closing.
“Many” of the US news reporters are moving into other teams in the newsroom “in which they are natural fits: real estate moves to finance and economics; reporters covering state and local politics join the politics team; education moves to life and work. And some reporters will move to a new National Affairs team that will take on big topics – abortion, immigration, land use, guns, race,” editor Emma Tucker told staff.
The “speed and trending” desk is converting into a new breaking news desk and the layoffs come from this team as well as the US news team. NPR reported that at least eight people’s jobs are affected.
Journalists stuck post-it notes on the windows of Tucker’s office in protest at the job cuts.
A WSJ spokesperson said: “Our editor-in-chief is reshaping our newsroom with an eye towards digital growth, subscription growth and high-quality journalism. While we recognise change can be difficult, it is necessary to ensure we have the right structure in place to support our objectives.”
April 2024
Reader’s Digest – Unknown number
Reader’s Digest magazine has closed in the UK, its editor-in-chief of six years announced on 29 April.
Eva Mackevic said: “Unfortunately, the company just couldn’t withstand the financial pressures of today’s unforgiving magazine publishing landscape and has ceased to trade.”
The number of full-time jobs affected has not been confirmed. Mackevic told freelance writers waiting to be paid that they should be hearing from insolvency practitioners.
GB News – More than 40 people
GB News is aiming to cut 40 roles, initially via voluntary redundancies. Staff are being offered up to two months’ salary and possible payment in lieu of notice to entice them at the initial stage.
Wall Street Journal – At least 11 people
At least 11 people have been affected in the second round of layoffs at The Wall Street Journal so far this year, including four producers on the visuals desk, two social media editors, two video journalists, a senior video journalist, a video producer, and one reporter, according to The Daily Beast.
It was reported that some of the video employees were laid off as a result of the end to a Google partnership that funded the development of Youtube channels based around individual journalists or subject matters.
Open Democracy – Around 10 people
Several Open Democracy journalists announced on 10 April that they were being made redundant – including its head of news, news editor, political correspondent and two reporters.
Press Gazette understands the cuts are also affecting the commercial side of the non-profit organisation.
Chief executive Satbir Singh and editor-in-chief Aman Sethi said Open Democracy has been hit by “wider industry trends that include rising inflation and an uncertain funding environment” and which have been exacerbated by the end to some of its funding.
The business expects to return to a break even position once the redundancy round is complete.
Mail Sport – Up to 15
Mail Sport journalists were told on 10 April of an upcoming “significant restructuring” as the brand’s transition to prioritising digital continues.
Mail Newspapers global publisher of sport Lee Clayton told staff, in a memo seen by Press Gazette, that there need to be “changes in how we are set up as a desk with a digital team leading the commissioning process, supported by newspaper experts who can publish print editions to tight deadlines.
“With that in mind, we will be embarking on a significant restructuring of the department over the coming weeks.”
Press Gazette subsequently reported that the restructuring was believed to affect up to 15 sports staff including cricket correspondent Paul Newman, racing correspondent Marcus Townend, Spanish football reporter Pete Jenson and chief sports reporter Matt Hughes, as well as several production staff.
The Times – At least one person
Times chief football writer of eight years Henry Winter announced on 10 April he has been made redundant.
At the time of writing Press Gazette has not yet been able to confirm if Winter was the only person affected or if other roles have been made redundant at the same time.
March 2024
i-D Magazine – 8 people
Redundancies have been made in the UK at fashion title i-D magazine, which was saved from a struggling Vice Media by model and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss in November.
Eight staff in editorial or social media were let go, as first reported by Puck News fashion correspondent Lauren Sherman and confirmed by Press Gazette.
The magazine is said to be moving towards a reliance on contributors and five of those eight people have accepted a contributor role, Press Gazette understands.
Around 19 people remain on staff in the UK, including about eight in editorial and social plus the publishing director. There are plans for i-D to return to print in the autumn.
Kloss formed Bedford Media to run i-D. Bedford Media announced on 28 March it is also relaunching Life magazine under an agreement with Dotdash Meredith on a regular, but unspecified, schedule.
Deadspin – Around 11 people
G/O Media has sold sports blog Deadspin to European start-up Lineup Publishing.
All staff have been laid off as a result of the sale as Lineup plans to go with a “different content approach”. Around 11 people are affected, according to Adweek.
A memo from G/O Media chief executive Jim Spanfeller, reported by Dailymail.com, said: “I do want to make it clear that we were not actively shopping Deadspin.
“The rationale behind the decision to sell included a variety of important factors that include the buyer’s editorial plans for the brand, tough competition in the sports journalism sector, and a valuation that reflected a sizable premium from our original purchase price for the site.”
He added: “Deadspin’s new owners have made the decision to not carry over any of the site’s existing staff and instead build a new team more in line with their editorial vision for the brand.
“While the new owners plan to be reverential to Deadspin’s unique voice, they plan to take a different content approach regarding the site’s overall sports coverage. This unfortunately means that we will be parting ways with those impacted staff members, who were notified earlier today.”
Center for Public Integrity – Around 11 people
US non-profit news organisation the Center for Public Integrity, founded in 1989, reportedly laid off staff on 8 March.
The Center’s union said 11 people were being laid off, “more than half” the union’s unit. The New York Times later said less than half the overall staff were affected.
The NYT reported about a week earlier that the newsroom fell about $2.5m short of its budget goal of around $6m in 2023 and it was considering merging with a competitor or shutting down.
TalkTV – Unknown number
An unspecified number of redundancies were expected at TalkTV as News UK pulled the plug on its linear TV format to focus on cross-platform video content.
Update: TalkTV staff later began tweeting about their redundancies with TalkTV’s last day on linear on 26 April.
February 2024
Cord Cutters News – Three people
Cord Cutters News, a US-based website centred on streaming services and devices and largely funded by affiliate links, has laid off three people.
Editor-in-chief Roger Cheng announced on 23 February he and two reporters were leaving after their positions were “eliminated amid the company’s shift in focus to Youtube”.
“I had fun learning about the ins and outs of the streaming world, and proud of some of the bigger stories I wrote,” Cheng said.
The site’s owner Luke Bouma, who launched Cord Cutters News ten years ago, wrote on the website on the same day that they plan to “give a renewed focus on helping people know all their options to save money on TV, phone, and related product and service reviews” and “focus more heavily on our YouTube channels, including our main Cord Cutters News channel and our second channel The Breakdown with Luke, where you can find reviews of a range of products”.
WAMU – 15 people
Washington DC’s NPR affiliate WAMU is laying off 15 people and shutting down local news site DCist, Axios revealed on 23 February.
Ten new positions are being added at the same time as it invests in and priorities audio.
Chief content officer Michael Tribble told Axios: “We feel like this is the best way for us to engage and build loyalty.”
Vice – ‘Several hundred’ people
Vice told staff it was “eliminating several hundred positions” on 22 February and will no longer publish content on vice.com.
Vice chief executive Bruce Dixon said in a memo it was “no longer cost-effective for us to distribute our digital content the way we have done previously” and they will instead “look to partner with established media companies to distribute our digital content, including news, on their global platforms, as we fully transition to a studio model”.
Engadget – Ten people
Yahoo-owned tech site Engadget is laying off ten people and restructuring into two teams: “news and features” focusing on traffic growth and “reviews and buying advice” reporting to commerce leaders.
Editor-in-chief Dana Wollman and managing editor Terrence O’Brien announced that they were among the departures. Wollman noted: “To its credit, Yahoo has a decent severance program.”
A spokesperson told The Verge on 22 February: “Engadget has played a vital role in tech journalism for 20 years and we’re confident that these efficiencies will support future growth and set us up for the long-term as we continue to deliver the best experience for our readers.”
Buzzfeed – 16% of staff (possibly up to 190 people)
Buzzfeed is planning to cut 16% of staff, Axios revealed on 21 February, making savings of $23m. The plan follows the sale of its entertainment brand Complex for $108.6m to livestream shopping platform NTWRK, after acquiring it for $300m in 2021.
At the end of 2022 Buzzfeed had 1,368 employees. It laid off about 180 people in April 2023 with the closure of Buzzfeed News, so these latest layoffs may have affected up to around 190 people.
Now This – At least 26 people
US-based social media news publisher Now This made redundancies on 15 February, although the total is not yet known.
The journalists laid off included Mike Madden, who led the Now This Tiktok team, senior writer PJ Evans, and senior producer Jasmine Amjad.
The Now This journalists’ union said 26, or 50% of their members, had been affected.
The Intercept – 15 people
US investigative non-profit The Intercept, which was co-founded by Glenn Greenwald, laid off 15 people on 15 February. Editor-in-chief Roger Hodge left in the changes.
A memo to staff said it was “facing significant financial challenges” like other media outlets and needs to make changes to become sustainable.
It said: “With the board’s approval, the leadership team has a plan that we believe paves the way for a more sustainable financial foundation for The Intercept so that we can continue to produce high-quality investigative journalism.
“We have also implemented other cost-saving measures, including significant salary cuts for the leadership team and the flattening of the management team, to minimise the impact as much as possible.”
CBS News – Around 20 people
Around 20 people have been laid off at CBS News in Washington DC, New York and Los Angeles as part of wider cutbacks at parent company Paramount Global affecting 800 people.
The CBS News staffers made redundant reportedly include chief national affairs and justice correspondent Jeff Pegues and senior investigative correspondent Catherine Herridge.
Bustle Digital Group – 16 people
Adweek has reported that seven editorial staff at Bustle Digital Group title Fatherly have been laid off and that the site will “significantly decrease” its output.
Adweek also revealed that nine full-time employees across the Bustle, Romper and Elite Daily brands were let go in January but this had not previously been reported.
Wall Street Journal – Around 20 people
Sixteen reporters and one columnist were let go in a shake-up of the Wall Street Journal’s Washington DC coverage on 1 February, according to the Daily Beast. An unspecified number of editors are also thought to have been affected.
Editor-in-chief Emma Tucker told staff: “The new Washington bureau will focus on politics, policy, defense, law, intelligence and national security. Damian Paletta, our new Washington coverage chief, starts next week and will focus our efforts in these areas to deliver work that serves the readers and stands out from the competition.
“This means the Business team in Washington is closing as is the Washington-based U.S.-China team. Stories covered by these groups will be driven by various teams in the newsroom. We are also changing the editing structure in the bureau and are closing the D.C. News Desk; those editing functions will be handled elsewhere in the bureau or on the news desk in New York.”
Journalism job cuts in January 2024
The Messenger – About 300 people
Jimmy Finkelstein’s digital news start-up The Messenger abruptly closed on Wednesday 31 January, with many staff finding out from New York Times, Semafor and Axios reporting rather than management.
Editor Dan Wakeford reportedly told staff he was “not in the loop” on Slack minutes before the channel shut down.
The website was wiped less than four hours later. Staff have spoken out about being left with no severance and no health insurance.
Tech Crunch – About eight people
Tech Crunch reportedly laid off about eight people on Monday 29 January, with Adweek reporting it plans to “refocus its coverage around the investors, founders and startups of Silicon Valley”.
Tech Crunch is also winding down its paid subscription product, which first launched in 2019 and was rebranded to its current guise in 2021. It aimed to provide “advice and analysis to help startups” with interviews, newsletters, weekly coaching sessions, ad-free access to Tech Crunch, and more.
Altfi – Up to 15 people
London-based fintech news website Altfi announced on Friday 26 January it was closing down after ten years.
In a farewell note, the team told readers: “Whilst our purpose, journalism and brand following has never been in doubt, we have faced severe headwinds over the last 18 months.”
The Evening Standard reported that Altfi listed 15 members of staff on its website.
Forbes – Less than 3% of staff (which could be up to 15 people)
Forbes staff were told on Thursday 25 January – the same day as union members were on their first day of a three-day walkout over contract negotiations – that it planned to reduced staff by less than 3%.
Forbes has 500 employees worldwide, according to its website, meaning the layoffs could affect up to 15 people.
Forbes Media chief executive Mike Federle told staff: “Over the past few years, we’ve continued to find ways to diversify our business and revenue streams, and we’ve seen significant growth as a result.
“As we continue to position ourselves to fully align with our 2024 business strategy, we have had to reprioritize some resources so that our organization can meet those goals. These changes have resulted in the difficult decision to reduce staff in certain areas.”
Business Insider – 8% of staff (which could be up to 70 people)
Business Insider told staff on Thursday 25 January it planned to make 8% of staff worldwide redundant.
It came less than a year after the Axel Springer-owned title, which then had a headcount of 950 worldwide, laid off 10% of staff in the US.
Chief executive Barbara Peng told staff that while Business Insider “closed out last year [2023] with a plan in place, a clear target audience and a vision”, 2024 would be about “making it happen and focusing our company”.
“Unfortunately, this also means we need to scale back in some areas of our organisation.”
Time magazine – Around 30 people
Around 30 people were laid off from Time magazine on Tuesday 23 January, including about 13, or 15%, of its union-represented editorial employees, according to CNN.
The union reported that the layoffs included the majority of staff at the publisher’s news publication for children, Time for Kids.
Time chief executive Jessica Sibley told staff: “We have worked to manage expenses in other areas of our business aggressively to minimize the impact of this decision on our employees. All of these actions have moved us considerably closer to being a profitable company, an achievement we must reach to realize Time’s full potential.
“While this was not an easy decision to make, it is the necessary step we must take in order to drive our business forward and improve our financial position as an organization.”
Pink News – Nine staff at risk
LGBTQ+ publisher Pink News put nine roles at risk of redundancy in its editorial, brand and people teams. The roles at risk include news editor, entertainment editor, weekend editor, head of brand, and marketing manager.
The UK-based publisher blamed an “unpredictable financial year… which has necessitated strategic changes to our growth priorities”. The company is leaning into video, it said.
Los Angeles Times – 115 people
The Los Angeles Times announced it was laying off at least 115 people, or more than 20% of the newsroom, on Tuesday 23 January.
The title’s owner Dr Patrick Soon-Shiong said the cuts were necessary because it could “no longer lose $30 million to $40 million a year without making progress toward building higher readership that would bring in advertising and subscriptions to sustain the organization”, the newspaper reported.
The Washington bureau, photography and sports departments and video unit were particularly hard-hit, it added.
Soon-Shiong has owned the Times for almost six years, after buying it from Tribune Publishing along with the San Diego Union-Tribune for $500m.
It came just six months after Los Angeles Times cut 74 roles in the newsroom, or about 13%.
Mediahuis Ireland – Around 50 people
Mediahuis Ireland is seeking voluntary redundancies with the aim of cutting costs by €4m annually. Compulsory redundancies could follow if there is not enough staff uptake.
The publisher of newspaper titles including the Irish Independent, Sunday World and Belfast Telegraph, as well as regionals such as The Kerryman and Wexford Times told staff on Tuesday 23 January it was seeking to reduce headcount by around 10%.
Around 549 people work for Mediahuis Ireland – 338 in journalism roles and 211 in areas like technology, HR and finance, according to the Irish Independent. Around 50 jobs are therefore expected to go, with 30 in editorial.
Chief executive Peter Vandermeersch told staff: “I am convinced that our strategy is the right one: to restructure our business to make this a leaner, more streamlined news organisation with the most efficient processes and systems possible, while continuing to produce the highest quality journalism and diversifying our revenues to build a sustainable future for our company.”
It comes less than a year after a previous round of voluntary redundancies. Its current headcount is already down by about 35% from when Mediahuis bought Irish news publisher Independent News and Media in 2019.
Sports Illustrated – Most, if not all, staff
Most, if not all, of Sports Illustrated’s staff were laid off after the publisher’s failure to pay a licensing fee saw the licence revoked.
The exact numbers of job losses are unclear but it was a heavy hit to the 70-year-old magazine. The Sports Illustrated Union said it had been told of plans to lay off “a significant number, possibly all”, of its members, who work in editorial, on Friday 19 January. According to NPR, the union represented 82 Sports Illustrated employees, or 80% of staff.
Sports Illustrated owner Authentic Brands Group said it had ended its licensing agreement with The Arena Group, with Front Office Sports reporting this was because Arena missed a $3.75m payment three weeks earlier.
Authentic Brands Group bought Sports Illustrated’s IP for $110m in 2019 and soon began licensing it to Arena in a ten-year deal.
Union members were reportedly given 90 days’ notice, during which time there is a chance the licensing deal is resolved, but non-union members were let go with immediate effect.
Update: Minute Media, which took over publishing Sports Illustrated in March, reportedly hired back more than 90% of editorial employees who worked for it under The Arena Group.
Design Week – Three people
Centaur Media closed Design Week on 19 January. Three editorial roles were lost as a result.
The 38-year-old online magazine told readers that Centaur was shifting strategy to its “core audience of marketers, and focuses on training, information, and intelligence”. It had closed in print in 2011.
Pitchfork – At least 12 people
Conde Nast folded the operation of music website Pitchfork into men’s title GQ, with chief content officer Anna Wintour saying: “This decision was made after a careful evaluation of Pitchfork’s performance and what we believe is the best path forward for the brand so that our coverage of music can continue to thrive within the company.”
Pitchfork editor-in-chief Puja Patel left the company as a result on Tuesday 17 January, along with at least 11 other employees according to AP which reported that ten of those were journalists, leaving an editorial staff of eight.
Pitchfork, which launched in 1996, had been owned by Conde Nast since 2015.
Univision – Around 200 people
Televisa Univision cut around 200 jobs at Univision, a Hispanic network broadcaster in the US, on Wednesday 17 January.
The company said in a statement: “The evolution of the media landscape has required us to implement efficiencies and cost-cutting measures to meet existing demands and in turn, strengthen our business for the future. As a result, Televisa Univision has made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of positions in the US across various business units.”
Cuts affected on-air personalities in news and sport as well as roles in departments like production, sports, digital, and communications.
NBC News – 50 to 100 people
Around 50 to 100 people were laid off at NBC News on Thursday 11 January, with a 60-day notice period and severance packages.
NBC News and its news channel MSNBC made a similar round of redundancies a year ago in January 2023, with about 75 people affected.
The Messenger – Around 24 people
Digital news start-up The Messenger, which was launched by former owner of The Hill Jimmy Finkelstein in May last year, cut about two dozen jobs at the start of the year.
The New York Times said it was a cost-cutting measure as a result of dwindling cash reserves, blamed on a difficult advertising market.
Major journalism launches/new job roles in 2024
The Lever – Nine people – April
US reader-supported investigative news outlet The Lever has expanded with the addition of nine journalists.
It began life as a two-person newsletter in April 2020 and now has a team of 19.
Managing editor Joel Warner said: “We’re thrilled that our reader-supported news outlet continues to grow and to attract high-caliber journalism talent that is breaking open huge stories week after week.
“This is a difficult time for the media industry, but our subscribership and our commitment to accountability journalism are making this expansion possible.”
The new additions include a senior investigative reporter, senior enterprise reporter, three general reporters, a senior podcast producer, a contributing news designer, a social media and marketing producer, and an editorial fellow.
The Digital Frontier – 20 people – February
A new technology newsbrand, The Digital Frontier, is launching in London with a 20-strong team, of which nine are editorial roles producing a website, twice-weekly podcast and daily newsletter.
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