Three weeks after BuzzFeed acquired HuffPost from Verizon Media, they have announced HuffPost is being downsized in a “restructuring effort aimed at stemming financial losses.”
Mid-Tuesday, it was announced that HuffPost Canada would shutter all operations later this month. All publication has come to a halt and all articles will exist as an online archive.
This all came just two weeks after HuffPost Canada announced they had filed to join CWA Canada, an all-media union in Canada.
According to HuffPost Canada Union on Twitter, the decision was made before the union was ever formed.
Today is a sad day. This morning, we found out that BuzzFeed will be shutting down operations of HuffPost Canada and Quebec next week.
— HuffPost Canada Union (@HuffpostCAUnion) March 9, 2021
All of our staff are now out of a job.
HuffPost Canada consistently punched above our weight and did vital, important journalism in Canada.
— HuffPost Canada Union (@HuffpostCAUnion) March 9, 2021
We stand in solidarity with our colleagues in the U.S. and the U.K. who are experiencing layoffs of their own.
It is a sad day for journalism.
CEO of BuzzFeed, Jonah Peretti told staffers that the decision was made to “fast-track the path to profitability” for HuffPost, enabling the company to break even this year and then down the road make a profit. HuffPost’s losses were a total of roughly $20 million in 2020. The decision will affect 47 U.S. employees.
“Though BuzzFeed is a profitable company, we don’t have the resources to support another two years of losses,” Peretti said.
“We want to ensure the homepage remains a top destination on the internet,” he added. “We also want to maintain high traffic, preserve your most powerful journalism, lean more deeply into politics and breaking news, and build a stronger business for affiliate revenue and shopping content.”
The ongoing financial crisis brought by COVID shutdowns also affected BuzzFeed, which cut pay to employees and furloughed dozens last summer. They then eventually laid-off 6 per cent of their workforce in response to the economic downturn.
According to Steven Perlberg, he says they are also looking at slimming down their sectors of the UK and Australia.
Layoffs hitting HuffPost today, weeks after it was acquired by BuzzFeed:
— Steven Perlberg (@perlberg) March 9, 2021
– 47 staffers in the US
– exec editor Hillary Frey and international exec editor Louise Roug have decided to leave
– closing HuffPost Canada
– consultations on slimming down UK/ Aus https://t.co/70g5YfAxWM
While HuffPost Canada employees mourned the loss of their jobs, many took to Twitter with an opposite view and approach.
HuffPost Canada has been shut down, with immediate effect. Wow. It's just gone.
— Matt Gurney (@mattgurney) March 9, 2021
Apparently I wasn’t supposed to celebrate the folding of Huffpost Canada. pic.twitter.com/R8eBR8MyD8
— okotoksmatt (@okotoksmatt) March 9, 2021
Shot Chaser pic.twitter.com/bBqlwinAXP
— Keean Bexte (@TheRealKeean) March 9, 2021
Buzzfeed: “HuffPost Canada unionizing was not related to us closing the company.” pic.twitter.com/EjAgA1NCBD
— ⚡️zachy⚡️ (@itsthatzacattac) March 9, 2021
LOL huffpost pic.twitter.com/Us71YwyZ3n
— James Lindsay, super-antiracist (@ConceptualJames) March 9, 2021
Let’s be clear….there isn’t a big enough market for all the blogs on the Left.
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) March 9, 2021
HuffPost is a partisan blog championing the Left and trashing the Right.
The lesson may be to try to make a go doing real journalism. https://t.co/YtN3JJbMuQ
No tears for the HuffPost crowd. #learntocode pic.twitter.com/UAsm2lLjF5
— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) March 9, 2021
F in chat for @HuffPost ex employees pic.twitter.com/MCYWzJT1g2
— Jacob Rees-Thatcher (@ReesThatcher) March 9, 2021
What do you think about the closure of HuffPost Canada? Let us know in the comments below.
Diverge Media is an independent media company dedicated to bringing you the stories that matter. We do not, and will never accept government funds for our work.
Therefore, we rely entirely on the donations of our generous readers/viewers to help us continue our work. If you like our work and want to support independent Canadian media – please support us by donating in the form below or get a Diverge Media hat at our store!
You must log in to post a comment.