United States: Media Job Crisis Continues as NowThis and The Intercept Face Major Layoffs
“It was clear with this latest round of cuts that those in power making these decisions just fundamentally didn’t understand our team and what we stood for” - Elise Swain
Location: United States, New York
Date: February 15, 2024
Women Press Freedom voices deep concern about the ongoing significant layoffs in the 2024 journalism job crisis, including recent significant staff cuts at NowThis and The Intercept. By the end of January, the media industry accumulated losses of over 980 jobs. Sources tell Women Press Freedom that NowThis dismissed an astonishing 50% of its staff, 19 of whom are women. The Intercept reduced its staff by one-third. Among the impacted are Jasmine Amjad, Luria Freeman, Shayna Posses, Emily Sullivan Barger, Aryana Azari from NowThis and Rashmee Kumar, Elise Swain, Alice Speri, Skyler Aikerson, Andrea Jones, Morgan DeMartis and Schuyler Mitchell from The Intercept. We are gravely concerned about the uncertain future of journalism as it faces more layoffs and a loss of independent voices. We call for these news outlets to provide explanations and maintain transparency.
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The Intercept
On February 15, 2024, The Intercept relayed to its staff it would be cutting 15 staff, “The Intercept is facing significant financial challenges. We need to make changes for sustainability, which unfortunately include 15 staff reductions across the organization,” the statement reads.
The abrupt layoffs caught the staff off guard, mainly due to their substantial impact resulting in a significant reduction of one-third of the company's staff which had been consistently briefed on the organization's smooth progress and successful fundraising efforts. Notably, no communication from the administrative sector had ever alluded to The Intercept's financial shortcomings.
During its inception, The Intercept received financial backing from eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, aimed at kickstarting the news outlet. The publication refrained from utilizing advertisements or implementing paywalls in order to maintain its editorial independence. Following its transition to an independent entity, The Intercept encountered challenges regarding membership and sustainability.
Elise Swain, a former reporter and photo editor at The Intercept, shares during an exclusive interview with Women Press Freedom that as someone affected by the layoffs, she would like to see news outlets listen more to their staff. “The people elected to the boards that run these journalism entities need to align with the mission and values of the organization. Layoffs are not the solution to the challenges facing the journalism industry.” underscores Swain.
“The board-driven, CEO-led approach at The Intercept repeatedly led to layoffs that were cruel and handled poorly as we cut entire teams that were critical to maintaining a successful newsroom,” says Swain. “We were repeatedly asked to do more with less, and our morale as workers was critically low. It was clear with this latest round of cuts that those in power making these decisions just fundamentally didn’t understand our team and what we stood for.”
Swain was both shocked and relieved by the news her role was made redundent. “My mental health had been suffering in my role as a photo editor at The Intercept, where I was regularly exposed to images of death, destruction, and suffering. I had wanted to leave that particular job and pivot to something else, but I didn't know how to do that since I wasn’t ready to work anywhere else.”
NowThis
Several former employees of NowThis took to X to announce their dismissals. Jasmine Amjad, who was let go after more than eight years at the publication, wrote: “I was laid off today along with many of my talented colleagues... It was rough finding this out at 1AM, but I am excited to see what’s next for me.”
NowThis Union revealed that a staggering 50% of the staff had been laid off, expressing concerns about the company's shift in coverage to attract advertisers and the gutting of the entire copy team.
The layoffs were communicated to the staff via a 7 a.m. email on Thursday the 14th. However, “some staff members were locked out of their work laptops hours before and had no explanation until the morning,” shares a former reporter at NowThis in an interview with Women Press Freedom.
The most recent cuts follow December's layoffs at Vox Media, which saw at least 20 people lose their jobs, as reported by the New York Times.
“It’s ironic that multiple sales jobs with salaries ranging from $300,000 to $500,000 were filled just days after 50% of the staff was laid off”
Publications such as NowThis, reliant on advertising revenue linked to online traffic, are experiencing a brutal period of downsizing. Traffic reduction and a decline in the rates advertisers are willing to pay for page views are contributing factors.
“While the layoffs seem to be a cost-saving measure, it's ironic that multiple sales jobs with salaries ranging from $300,000 to $500,000 were filled just days after 50% of the staff was laid off. This appears to be a decision to eliminate long-term staff who were frustrated with the company's shift away from editorial standards and journalism.” adds the former journalist at NowThis.
Impact of Layoffs on Newsrooms Throughout the United States, UK and Canada
The latest downsizing adds to the list of thousands of job cuts made last year in the UK, the US, and Canada, including 300 jobs at the news startup the Messenger; 70 at Business Insider; about 30 at Time; 115 at the Los Angeles Times; about 50 to 100 people at NBC News; 12 at Condé Nast’s Pitchfork; and over 100 at Sports Illustrated.
Growing unease has been observed in the news media industry, with walkouts staged at the New York Daily News and Forbes prior to potential job losses. Last year, BuzzFeed News collapsed, and Vice Media announced a comprehensive restructuring.
Washington Post’s acting CEO, Patty Stonesifer, announced plans to cut 240 jobs in December, stating that previous managers had been “overly optimistic” about the paper’s growth prospects.
The cuts seem to be due to billionaire owners tiring of the financial bleed media ownership often entails, or private equity fund owners looking to improve their return on investment, particularly at regional papers.
“The layoffs have impacted my career outlook”
“The layoffs have impacted my career outlook, making me nervous about applying to media jobs due to the trend of layoffs and lack of job security. I am considering freelance work for the first time, which despite its unpredictability, …feels more secure than working for a media company, given that layoffs in this industry seem to always be impending.” says the former reporter at NowThis.
Prospects for Independent Journalism in the Digital Age
“We need to find a way to get subsidized journalism that is affordable, cared about, and for the people, by the people. The future of the business as a means of making money is very bleak. People should not be in journalism for a big paycheck but rather for the public service. Journalism is an integral part of democracy,” says Elise Swain on the future of independent journalism.
“People should not be in journalism for a big paycheck but rather for the public service. Journalism is an integral part of democracy”
Encouraging a culture of ongoing education and profound comprehension is essential in addressing the growing reliance on social media as the primary source of news. The rise of entertainment-driven platforms fueling shortened attention spans presents a challenge to the integrity of investigative journalism. The diminishing presence of long-form journalism cannot be attributed solely to managerial choices or financial incentives but mirrors the shifting dynamics of information consumption and dissemination in today's media environment.
It is crucial for society to acknowledge the significance of staying informed and to shift their mindset accordingly. Being well-informed extends beyond personal concerns and plays a vital role in promoting community welfare and informed decision-making.
“Being laid off further proves that our work is not valued by society, and this cultural mindset needs to change. The press and investigative journalism should be respected and at the forefront of understanding policy and politics, holding people accountable. Sensationalized journalism that capitalizes on people's pain for ratings needs to end.” says Swain.
The way content is monetized on social media has changed drastically over the years. Media companies are struggling to find new revenue sources and, in doing so, are sacrificing journalistic standards and ethics. However, this is a false choice presented by management as the only solution. “Executives are out of touch with what audiences want and need, leading to poor business decisions.” underscores the former journalist at NowThis.
“Being laid off further proves that our work is not valued by society, and this cultural mindset needs to change”
Women Press Freedom expresses deep concern regarding the recent layoffs at NowThis and The Intercept. We stand in solidarity with Jasmine Amjad, Luria Freeman, Shayna Posses, Emily Sullivan Barger, Aryana Azari from NowThis, and Rashmee Kumar, Elise Swain, Alice Speri, Skyler Aikerson, Andrea Jones, Morgan DeMartis, and Schuyler Mitchell from The Intercept, along with all other media professionals impacted by these layoffs. We call for greater transparency from the management of these media organizations and advocate for the provision of mental health support during this challenging period. Media outlets need to prioritize quality journalism over financial interests. The future of democracy relies on the dissemination of objective information and the amplification of independent voices. These platforms must uphold these fundamental values to foster healthier relationships between reporters and readers for a better future.
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