Ziff Davis, the media conglomerate that owns retailers like CNET, ZDNet, PCMag, and Mashable is shedding 15 p.c of its unionized workforce, for a complete of 23 individuals.
The vast majority of layoffs are coming from CNET, the place 19 individuals will lose their jobs — at the same time as Ziff Davis goes on a procuring spree. The layoffs will hit CNET protection areas just like the finance, broadband, and sleep beats, in addition to the outlet’s copy desk. A handful of staffers throughout Lifehacker, Mashable, and ZDNet can even be laid off.
“It’s very clear to us that these cuts aren’t about journalism,” Anna Iovine, unit chair of the Ziff Davis Creators Guild, says. “They’re primarily based on cash and greed.” Iovine famous explicit considerations about chopping copy editors and reality checkers.
“Eliminating any protection is admittedly devastating. These journalists, a few of them have a long time of expertise, and we’re dropping [that],” Iovine says.
Ziff Davis has acquired 5 different firms this year alone, most notably every day information outlet TheSkimm and well being outlet Effectively+Good. CNET was acquired by Ziff Davis in 2024 for $100 million. Ziff Davis didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
“At a time when CNET remains to be constructing again its status after a harmful AI scandal beneath Purple Ventures, Ziff’s choice to additional undermine CNET’s human authority is disturbing,” an announcement from the bargaining unit reads.
“Our members are a lot greater than {dollars} and cents, even because the capricious administration at Ziff Davis tries to deal with us as such,” the assertion continues. “We gained a robust collective bargaining settlement simply over a yr in the past, and we’ll battle to implement it so we are able to protect our capability to proceed producing high-quality work for our readers.”