Vox Media lets go 4% of staff in latest hit to online publishers

By Samantha Stewart

Online publisher Vox Media Inc. is cutting around 4 per cent of its staff, the latest round of reductions to hit the media industry.

The cuts at Vox, the parent of New York Magazine and the Verge, center around design and technology positions, as well as the news and opinion site Vox.com. The action reflects “turmoil” in the advertising industry and the increasing volatility of search and social platforms, according to a spokesperson.

“Vox Media has a culture of adapting in what has always been a dynamic industry to best serve our audiences in a financially sustainable way, and we will continue to do that,” the company said.

This is the second round of layoffs at the company this year — Vox let go 7 per cent of its workforce in March. In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Vox Media Union said the latest layoffs hit reporters and video production team members “who are voices on key issues including climate change, policy and tech.”

A number of media companies have announced job cuts this month. Condé Nast, the publisher of magazines GQ, Vogue and Vanity Fair, fired 5% of its employees. G/O Media, which owns Quartz, the Onion, Gizmodo and other websites, announced it would shut down women’s site Jezebel.com — although Paste Magazine later announced that it would purchase the brand and revive it, alongside another former G/O Media property Splinter.