NBC News and WSJ announce cuts
NBC News has begun laying off 150 employees, which accounts for about 7% of its staff. The cuts come as NBC Universal spins off cable outlets such as MSNBC, CNBC and USA Network into a new company called Versant. As part of that move, NBC News and MSNBC are no longer associated, reports Paynter.
The New York Times’ Benjamin Mullin reports that no anchors are being laid off.
However, states Poynter, there is a bit of a twist here. Variety’s Brian Steinberg reports, “Not all the staffers affected are set to depart. Many will be encouraged to apply for 140 active open roles across the company’s news operations. Approximately a dozen of the eliminated positions are being repurposed as new roles, and those affected have been encouraged to apply to those roles.”
In a memo to staff, Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, wrote, “Today is a hard day. We have had to make some difficult decisions, including the elimination of positions across NBC News. While these decisions are necessary to remain strong as an industry leader, they are not easy and are never taken lightly. We have sought to minimize the number of affected team members, and our teams’ decisions should not be seen as a reflection on our colleagues who will be leaving. We will miss them and their valuable contributions.”
However, Conde did allude to the 140 open positions in a note to staff last week: “Coming off the successful creation of our new daily podcast ‘Here’s the Scoop,’ we are preparing to launch our NBC News subscription service later this year that will feature the best of our coverage and include new premium offerings. NBC News is expanding its new Sports Hub, in partnership with NBC Sports, with the NBA returning to NBC, as well as the Milan Olympics, the Super Bowl, and the World Cup on Telemundo. And to support the leading position of NBC News, we will be launching a marketing campaign soon that will reinforce our reputation for rigorous fact-based reporting that is indispensable and accessible across all platforms for all, the first such campaign in modern memory.”
In addition, states Poynter, The Wall Street Journal is laying off about a dozen staffers as it restructures its health, science and education teams. In a note to staff, Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker wrote that the health group is returning to the business team after it had split off during the COVID-19 pandemic. The science group is merging with the education team, which remains a part of national affairs.
