Vice Media, We Hardly Knew Ye
Once the darling of progressive punk journalism, the outlet’s editorializing days appear to be over.
The media landscape is suddenly and completely littered with layoffs, downsizing, right-sizing, and streamlining.
Insider, The New York Daily News, the Washington Post, Paramount, The Los Angeles Times, Conde Nast, Sports Illustrated, BuzzFeed, and Red Ventures; the list just keeps growing.
“Mainstream media bloodbath: News outlets slash jobs as business suffers,” reported Sara Fischer for Axios in January. “Nearly a dozen mainstream media companies are gutting staff and scrambling to rescue their struggling businesses.”
“Why it matters: The media business is shrinking at the national, state, and local levels — a scary, stark new reality for thousands of journalists,” explained Fischer. “The big picture: Media cuts were so severe last year that most industry observers weren’t expecting such intense cutbacks in 2024. But an ongoing bloodbath is decimating news outlets nationwide.”
“‘Breathtaking’ media layoffs continue with job cuts at NowThis and Intercept,” reported Edward Helmore for The Guardian on February 15, 2024. “Intercept management announces 15 staff reductions, and NowThis Union reveals whopping 50% of staff laid off.”