NowThis recently laid off about half its unionized newsroom, the second round of deep cuts this year at the digital news company.
Thirteen of NowThis’ 21 members of WGA East, which represents the newsroom, were impacted, according to a union representative. Laid-off staffers were notified on November 15. Three people on the sales side also were let go recently, a person close to NowThis said. They asked for anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the cuts. Their identity is known to BI.
In September, NowThis hired a new editor-in-chief, Michael Vito Valentino, formerly of Fallen Media and MTV, as it looked to shift focus to Gen-Z audiences.
NowThis used to be part of Vox Media, which got the company in its 2021 acquisition of Group Nine Media. Vox spun NowThis off in 2023 through a deal with Accelerate Change, a nonprofit focused on promoting civic engagement among underrepresented groups. Vox retained a minority stake in the company and has an arrangement to sell advertising for NowThis.
A Vox Media spokesperson referred a request for comment to NowThis. Accelerate Change didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
At the time of the spinoff, the plan was for NowThis to ramp up to cover the 2024 election. Accelerate Change is backed by progressive organizations such as the Open Society Foundations, which was founded by George Soros, the billionaire investor and major Democratic political donor. It also backs other news outlets, including ParentsTogether, PushBlack, Pulso, and Noticias Para Inmigrantes.
The earlier round of layoffs at NowThis, in February, curtailed the company’s coverage ambitions, though. That round impacted 26 of 50 members of WGA East. At the time, the company said the reduction was meant to ensure the business was sustainable and that no more cuts were planned.
News media outlets have been hit by layoffs in recent years amid a general pullback in advertising spending. Outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas tracked 3,402 job cuts in news so far this year through September, up 40% from 2,423 cuts during the year-earlier period.
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