A month ago, Vice Media stated that they were switching its emphasis to video and reducing the number of text articles it produced on its website by 40 to 50-percent.
With the cut in written content, The New York Times reports Vice Media laid off more than a dozen workers, most of them writers and text editors. In a memo to its staff, Cory Haik, Vice Media’s chief digital officer, praised their recent video success. However, she would then reveal the layoffs.
“As part of this continued global alignment,” the email continued, “we’ve unfortunately had to say goodbye to some of our friends and colleagues today. We wish them well and thank them for their dedicated service over the years.”
One former Vice Media employee spoke to The Times on anonymity about the process of learning that they had lost their job.
“She had been given a few minutes’ notice before a Google Meet call with Ms. Haik, during which she was told she had lost her job. Access to email was cut within minutes, the former staff member said.”
Vice Union would comment on the layoffs that the media outlet made as approximately 20 full-time jobs were cut, mainly in the United States.
“We have worked in this industry long enough to know today’s metrics are tomorrow’s punch lines, and yesterday’s pivot is today’s clumsy tumble,” the union said in a statement.
Eduardo Razo is the Assistant Content Editor for BNM, which includes writing daily news stories on the news media industry. He can be found on Twitter @eddierazo_ or you can reach him by email at eddie1991razo@gmail.com.
