More than 500 journalists were laid off in January

Earlier this week, reports emerged that digital news outlet The Messenger would shut down entirely.

By Ben Whedon

Published: February 1, 2024 5:53pm

More than 500 journalists lost their jobs in January as multiple outlets shed staff in the face of adverse industry conditions.

A report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas highlighted the 528 layoffs across digital, print, and broadcast news media in January. The figure marked a substantial uptick from the 30 layoffs the firm identified the prior month and the highest total since last March's 532. The news industry lost more than 3,087 positions last year, an increase from 1,808 in 2022 and 1,511 in 2021. A total of 16,060 news job cuts occurred in 2020.

Earlier this week, reports emerged that digital news outlet The Messenger would shut down entirely, with employees reportedly learning of their layoffs from other outlets discussing the planned closure.

Other news outlets announced layoffs in January, including Time Magazine, Business Insider, The Los Angeles Times, according to Politico.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.