The scope of the HuffPost layoffs from BuzzFeed goes beyond the closure of the outlet’s Canadian branch. In the article announcing their own firing, HuffPost explains that this move comes roughly a month after BuzzFeed’s acquisition of them.
The additional shutdown of HuffPost Canada leaves 23 staff and four managers jobless.
“Though BuzzFeed is a profitable company, we don’t have the resources to support another two years of losses,” BuzzFeed CEO Peretti said. “We want to ensure the homepage remains a top destination on the internet. We also want to maintain high traffic, preserve your most powerful journalism, lean more deeply into politics and breaking news, and build a stronger business for affiliate revenue and shopping content.”
In addition, HuffPost executive Hillary Frey and their international executive editor Louise Roug are also stepping back from the company.
How did the 47 find out? They were invited to a meeting and informed if they didn’t receive an email by 1 PM, they still had a job.
HuffPost employees, after a year of working through a pandemic that isn't over, were invited to a meeting today with the password "spring is here," where they were told 47 of them would be laid off. They would only know if they still had a job if they didn't receive an email by 1
— Laura Bassett (@LEBassett) March 9, 2021
“This is a bloodbath,” a HuffPost union member remarked to Defector. “It’s worse than the worst-case scenario for what any of us thought we would see when we got this announcement a couple hours ago. And the f*cked-up way that they announced this notwithstanding, this is a just bloodbath for an award-winning international newsroom full of absolutely stellar journalists who didn’t deserve this.”
The financial losses from HuffPost last year amounted to over $20 million USD. Axios noted the outlet is also cutting back their local coverage of Australian-based stories.
A full list of the company’s casualties from today’s move are listed in a Twitter thread compiled by HuffPost senior editor Jenna Amatulli.
The American media sphere is reeling in their adjustments to the Biden administration. The Intercept mentioned “last month brought fewer new members than we’ve seen in more than two years.” NBC Universal let more than 100 people go as a result of their recent restructuring strategy. Early last month, Bloomberg laid off 90 employees under a similar pretext.
With any luck, John Kerry will offer them jobs making solar panels.
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