The business of information continues to navigate a landscape of strategic restructuring, resulting in ongoing workforce reductions across media. Industry tracker pressgazette.co.uk has reported a series of journalism job cuts throughout 2026, continuing a trend that saw thousands of cuts in prior years.
A notable reduction occurred at Buzzfeed, reportedly cutting approximately one-third of its remaining staff—around 180 individuals—across Huffpost, Tasty, and its film and TV studio, according to July 28 tracking. This follows its takeover by businessman Byron Allen, who acquired Buzzfeed despite its significant debt. An internal memo cited "elimination of certain roles" for managing costs after the company had previously warned investors of halting operations due to losses. Founder Jonah Peretti stepped down as CEO, now president of Buzzfeed AI.
Similarly, GB News proposed cutting up to 90 jobs, about one-third of its workforce, across editorial, technology, and HR departments as of July 6. The broadcaster attributes these cuts to "groundbreaking workflows," including AI-generated sports news bulletins from 2024. Despite a spokesperson’s assertion of being "Britain’s fastest growing companies commercially," GB News reported a £22 million loss in the year to May 2025, contributing to over £131 million in losses since its 2021 launch.
Technological shifts are also influencing The Associated Press, reportedly reducing up to 30 positions as it shifts visual production to a centralized global hub in India, as noted on July 2. According to a staff memo, this initiative aims to "scale both our video and photo capabilities while improving speed a quality."
Local journalism faces distinct challenges. New York-based News 12’s restructure, reported on July 16, will result in more than 30 layoffs and dismantle Bronx, Brooklyn, Westchester, and Connecticut operations, replacing them with a single local broadcast offering only brief local segments. News 12’s parent company, Altice USA, stated "local journalism is changing, and News 12 is evolving with it" to ensure sustainability. In Canada, the Free Press Community Review closed on July 14, leading to two layoffs, after its flyer business "eroded, essentially, overnight" due to changes in distribution.
Further industry contractions include "dozens" of layoffs at National Geographic and "about on-air names" departing ESPN, part of broader cost-cutting at parent company Disney, reported July 22. Robinhood’s media arm, Sherwood News, reportedly shut down on July 14, laying off nearly all editorial staff, following a 10% overall staff reduction in June. Scientific American is cutting 15 staff members after its acquisition by LabX Media Group, as of June 26. These reductions follow earlier 2026 cuts including hundreds at The Washington Post in February and approximately 50 at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Layoffs have also been reported this year at Politico, Future, the Wall Street Journal, Vox Media, and Bustle Digital Group.
