Job security is at the forefront of the media landscape this month, with Q4 bringing industry-wide cuts to staff, programming and business structure.
In November, we saw Hearst Media skirt staff request to unionize with the Writers Guild of America, Bustle reduce their lifestyle and entertainment staff, and The Atlantic bolster its digital subscription model with a subscriber-only app.
A new report shared by the writers’ advocacy organization PEN America depicts the tension of the current state of America’s local media ecosystem. The report “sounds the alarm about the existential threat facing local watchdog journalism and proposes big-picture solutions for its revitalization.” A major catalyst for the shift, it finds, is the overwhelming focus on digital media with platforms like Google and Facebook draining possible ad revenue away from the news outlets responsible for producing the content these platforms depend on. With only a small minority of Americans actually paying for local news, it’s time to rethink the role of local news — and beyond — in information-gathering systems nationwide.
Fast Company
Kristin Toussaint, formerly a freelancer, has taken on the position of Assistant Editor for the Impact section at Fast Company.
Bustle
The publication made significant cuts to their lifestyle and entertainment staff as well as freelancers in preparation for company restructuring and a site “relaunch” in 2020.
The Atlantic
The Atlantic came out with a new, subscriber-only version of its app, which is free to download but brings up a paywall to view stories.
Huffington Post
Despite reports that Verizon Media had been seeking buyers to sell off HuffPost, Verizon Media CEO, Guru Gowrappan, announced the media group is not selling the journalism powerhouse.
Boston Herald
All podcasts at the Boston Herald, including On the Mend, have been cancelled.
Xconomy
Jeff Engel left Xconomy in October after six years with the publication.
Chief Executive Magazine
Gabe Perna left Chief Executive Magazine and took an in-house content role at Health Evolution.
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