--- title: "Layoffs at L.A. Times, Sports Illustrated" description: "Plus, Black Americans’ views of news topics, Condé Nast workers go on strike." date: "2024-01-25" authors: - name: "snaseer" url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/newsletter/the-briefing/layoffs-at-l-a-times-sports-illustrated/" --- # Layoffs at L.A. Times, Sports Illustrated ![](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/prc-logo.png){.aligncenter width=409} --- January 25, 2024 # The Briefing **☀️ Happy Thursday!** *The Briefing is your guide to the world of news and information*.* [**Sign up here!**](https://www.pewresearch.org/sign-up-for-the-briefing/)* **In today*’*s email:** - **Top story:** Major layoffs at the L.A. Times and Sports Illustrated - **New from Pew Research Center:** Black Americans and the topics covered in the news - **In other news:** Condé Nast workers go on strike - **Looking ahead:** Podcast networks are testing AI for translation and ad sales - **Chart of the week:** Newspapers account for shrinking share of newsroom employment 🔥 **Top story** Major layoffs happened [across the news industry](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/24/business/media/media-industry-layoffs-decline.html) this week. [The Los Angeles Times announced](https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-times-layoff-notices-cb02a2f28c2794f096a3e416f3cad71b) it would **lay off 20% of its newsroom staff,** with [the newspaper’s union saying](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/journalists-color-hit-hard-l-layoffs-rcna135351) that young journalists who are Black, Hispanic, or Asian American or Pacific Islander were disproportionately affected. Additionally, **Sports Illustrated told all staff members that their jobs were being eliminated **after it [lost its license to publish](https://deadline.com/2024/01/sports-illustrated-staff-layoff-authenic-brands-arena-group-1235797884/). **Newsroom employment in the United States dropped by 26% between 2008 and 2020,** according to our [analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/07/13/u-s-newsroom-employment-has-fallen-26-since-2008/), from 114,000 newsroom employees in news industries to 85,000. The decline was especially steep for newspaper publishers like the L.A. Times. 🚨 **New from Pew Research Center** A new [Pew Research Center analysis](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/01/23/fewer-than-half-of-black-americans-say-the-news-often-covers-the-issues-that-are-important-to-them/) looks at Black Americans’ views of the topics that are covered in the news. Key findings include: - **Fewer than half (40%) of Black Americans say that the issues and events most important to them are often covered** in the outlets they get news from, compared with 54% of White Americans. - **There is a wide range of issues that Black Americans want to keep up with.** Half or more say it’s extremely or very important to them to follow news about health care and medicine (66%), crime (58%), economy and jobs (57%), or education and schools (54%). The survey also asked Black Americans to share, in their own words, what topics they would like to see more coverage of in the news. Categorized results are in the [appendix](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/SR_24.01.23_BAN-topics_appendix.pdf) of this post. 📌 **In other news** - **Condé Nast workers **[begin strike](https://www.axios.com/2024/01/23/conde-nast-walkout-union-layoffs-new-york) after layoff announcement - [Wire tapping scandal](https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-wiretapping-scandal-puts-journalists-at-risk/a-68075585) in **Ukraine** puts journalists at risk - **OpenAI **[suspends developer](https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/01/20/openai-dean-phillips-ban-chatgpt/) of bot that mimicked Democratic presidential candidate **Dean Phillips** - Several major news sites [block AI bots](https://www.wired.com/story/most-news-sites-block-ai-bots-right-wing-media-welcomes-them/); **right-wing outlets** are the exception - How a **legal case in India** led to the [removal of a Reuters article](https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/01/19/india-judge-reuters-story-00136339) worldwide - House [passes PRESS Act](https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article284313008.html) to** shield journalists from revealing sources** 📅 **Looking ahead** **Major podcast networks** such as Acast, iHeartMedia and Spotify are [testing AI tools ](https://digiday.com/media/how-podcast-networks-are-testing-ai-tools-for-faster-translation-ad-sales/)for translation, targeted ad sales and production assistance, aiming to extend their outreach to prospective clients and efficiently match podcasts to advertiser needs. Podcast listening in the U.S. has [increased steadily in recent years](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/audio-and-podcasting/). **Roughly half of U.S. adults say they have listened to a podcast in the past year,** according to [a 2022 Pew Research Center survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2023/04/18/podcasts-as-a-source-of-news-and-information/). And among adults under 30, about a third listen to podcasts at least a few times a week. 📊 **Chart of the week** This week’s chart comes from our [analysis of newsroom employment in 2020](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/07/13/u-s-newsroom-employment-has-fallen-26-since-2008/). In 2008, a 62% majority of all U.S. newsroom employees worked for newspaper publishers. But by 2020, that share had dropped to 36%. ![A bar chart showing the percent of newsroom employees in each news industry (digital-native, cable television, radio broadcasting, broadcast television, and newspaper publishers) in 2008, 2014, and 2020. The share of employees in newspaper publishers decreases over the timespan.](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/ft_2021.07.13_newsroomemployment_04.webp?w=310){.aligncenter width=303} --- *👋 That's all for this week. * The Briefing is compiled by Pew Research Center staff, including Naomi Forman-Katz, Jacob Liedke, Sarah Naseer, Christopher St. Aubin, Luxuan Wang and Emily Tomasik. It is edited by Katerina Eva Matsa, Michael Lipka and Mark Jurkowitz, and copy edited by Rebecca Leppert. *Do you like this newsletter? 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