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Left-Wing Outlet The Intercept Lays Off More Than a Dozen Staff

February 15, 2024

The Intercept, a left-wing news outlet, reportedly announced Thursday that it will lay off more than a dozen staffers, making it the latest publication to let employees go.

"Like many news outlets, the Intercept is facing significant financial challenges," read a memo the outlet sent to staff, which New York Times media reporter Ben Mullin posted to X. "To become sustainable, we need to make some changes—which unfortunately include 15 staff reductions across the organization."

In addition to the layoffs, the leadership team will face "significant salary cuts," and the publication's editor in chief, Roger Hodge, will depart, per the memo.

"This is a difficult and emotional day for all of us," the message read. "We are losing colleagues who reported, edited, and produced vital journalism and have done incredible work to bring important stories to life. We are grateful for all their contributions."

The Intercept is "dedicated to holding the powerful accountable through fearless, adversarial journalism" with "in-depth investigations and unflinching analysis," according to its website.

Thursday's reports about the Intercept were accompanied by the news that NowThis, another outlet on the left, also laid off employees, though it is unclear exactly how many.

NowThis's employees' union said on X that layoffs affected nearly 50 percent of the company's staffers.

"As layoffs continue to trend in digital media, we are grateful for the solidarity of our unit and for all those who have pushed back against depreciating standards," the statement read.

A spokesman for the Intercept told the Washington Free Beacon it would release a statement later on Thursday. NowThis's parent company, Vox Media, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Early 2024 has seen a large number of outlets announce layoffs. CNN earlier this month cut jobs as it revamps its morning show schedule. In addition, NBC News, CNBC, the Washington Post, and others have all let employees go in the first month of the year. Last month, the Messenger, a startup digital news site that promised to provide "thorough, objective, non-partisan, and timely news coverage," shut down after less than a year of operation.