Ben Shapiro has shared details about the layoffs enacted at The Daily Wire. They are much less substantial than others had previously estimated.
What We Know: The Daily Wire underwent a round of layoffs earlier this month. Barrett Media was the first to confirm that the layoffs had been enacted. Candace Owens, a former Daily Wire employee, claimed that 50% of the staff had been cut. She later upped that estimate to 60%. However, the company denied those reports in its statement to Barrett Media. Now, co-founder Ben Shapiro has shared precise numbers.
What They Said: “The Daily Wire laid off some 13% of our workforce since the beginning of the year. And that really sucked. It was truly sad because all those people are great. And anytime, you know, we’re in business. Anytime you lay people off as a business, that really sucks. It’s tough. It’s bad for them. And it’s bad for us. And I’m personally working to find other places of employment for as many of these people as I possibly can because everybody who we let go deserves a job somewhere else. They’re great folks.” -Ben Shapiro
What Remains Unclear: How accurate that number is. Shapiro doesn’t have a real incentive to lie about the figure. He also, however, doesn’t have much incentive to tell the truth, either.
What It Means: Ben Shapiro is fighting back after being the subject of much criticism since the layoffs were enacted earlier this month. The company has been the subject of several high-profile articles calling into question its future and viability as a conservative media outlet.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
