NPR is cutting 10 percent of its workforce over falling advertising profits, the media organization announced on Wednesday, joining outlets such as the Washington Post, Vox Media, and Buzzfeed that have recently announced major layoffs.
The layoffs, which will affect around 100 employees, stem from a projected revenue loss of around $30 million. “We’re not seeing signs of a recovery in the advertising market,” said CEO John Lansing, who plans to announce which jobs get axed by the end of March.
He added the company’s financial outlook “has darkened considerably over recent weeks.”
Layoffs continue to hit media and tech companies as economic volatility and inflation have pushed advertisers to tighten marketing budgets. Meta announced Wednesday it is letting go thousands of employees.
Left-leaning outlets are also struggling with plummeting subscriptions after former president Donald Trump left office. The Washington Post, which laid off 20 reporters last month, lost half a million subscribers since President Joe Biden took office. CNN laid off hundreds of employees in December, Buzzfeed cut around 180 employees the same month, and Vox Media let go of 130 workers in January.
Despite firing employees and facing millions of dollars in lost revenue, Lansing said NPR will remain committed to employee diversity.
Cuts will not “disproportionately impact people of color or any other historically marginalized group,” the CEO said in an email.
The Market Has Spoken: America Has Too Many Journalists
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