LAist Downsizes Staff Amidst Financial WoesLAist Downsizes Staff Amidst Financial Woes LAist has reduced its workforce through voluntary buyouts and layoffs, a spokesperson announced Friday. 21 employees accepted buyouts, while an additional seven positions were eliminated. The cuts were prompted by a projected budget deficit of $4 million to $5 million over the next two years. Factors contributing to the deficit include declining advertising revenue, slow digital monetization, and rising costs. The station is not alone in facing financial challenges. Current has eliminated over 400 jobs through buyouts and layoffs since March 2023. The union representing LAist journalists expressed disappointment over the layoffs. Reporter Caitlin Hernández lamented the loss of valuable colleagues, while News Experimentation Director Ariel Zirulnick expressed pride in her work despite being laid off. LAist’s spokesperson did not specify which departments or teams were affected by the layoffs. However, the station is also reducing third-party costs, compensating senior leaders, and renegotiating contracts to cut expenses. Despite the challenges, LAist remains committed to its mission of providing impactful media for Los Angeles. The spokesperson stated that the station aims to “reimagine public media for the digital age.”
LAist has accepted 21 acquisitions and is cutting seven additional positions, a spokesperson said in a statement Friday.
The station offered the voluntary buyouts in May, with CCO Kristen Muller indicating at the time that the organization would face a budget deficit of $4 million to $5 million over the next two years.
“This is the result of a decline in advertising, the end of our investment reserves, slower than expected digital monetization and general cost increases that have not kept pace with revenues,” the spokesperson said.
LAist is far from the only public media station cutting jobs due to challenges. Current has shed more than 400 jobs through acquisitions and layoffs since March 2023. Several stations have cited the failure of revenue growth to keep pace with cost increases as a reason for their layoffs.
The union representing LAist journalists, producers and presenters shared the news of the layoffs on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday.
“As a flight attendant at LAist, I am deeply disappointed to share that we are losing valuable colleagues today,” reporter Caitlin Hernández said in a post on X.
Ariel Zirulnick, director of news experimentation, also posted on X that she was one of the people who was fired after not accepting a buyout. She said she turned down the buyout because she was passionate about the things she was working on.
“I’m sad I can’t finish them, but I’m really proud of the work I did there and grateful for my colleagues and all I learned,” Zirulnick wrote.
In his statement, the LAist spokesperson did not address Current’s question about which departments or teams would be affected by the layoffs.
The station is also reducing third-party costs and compensation for senior leaders and will renegotiate several contracts to reduce expenses, the statement said. It did not specify how much the moves will save.
“Our ambition is to be as big and impactful as the city we carry, and we are more excited than ever to reimagine public media for the digital age,” the statement said.
