Amid a troubling wave of job cuts across the U.S. media landscape, TheGrio, owned by Allen Media Group, has become the latest outlet to carry out sweeping layoffs.
As reported by TheWrap on Monday, April 29, TheGrio has eliminated several positions including managing editor and members of the podcast and video team.
In a statement to TheWrap, a company spokesperson said, “Allen Media Group is making strategic changes to better position the company for growth that will result in expense and workforce reductions across all divisions.”
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Allen Media Group, operates under the leadership of Chairman and CEO Byron Allen, who founded the company in 1993.
With headquarters in Los Angeles and additional offices in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Charleston, SC, the company has a workforce of over 2,400 employees spread across various divisions.
TheGrio website, which focuses on delivering news and stories relevant to the African American community, was acquired by Byron Allen in 2016. Previously part of NBC News, TheGrio.com was created in 2009 by David A. Wilson, Barion Grant and Dan Woolsey, according to the company’s website.
The layoffs at TheGrio reflect a troubling trend in the media sector, which has seen significant reductions across several major outlets.
Earlier this year, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times announced substantial cuts, with the latter laying off more than 20 percent of its newsroom. The cuts at The Los Angeles Times notably affected a diverse group of staff, predominantly younger people of color such as Latino, Black and Asian, who were among the last hired.
Other media organizations, including Vice and the sports blog Deadspin, have also undergone drastic reductions. Vice has shuttered its online publication entirely, while Deadspin dismissed its entire editorial staff. Similarly, Sports Illustrated recently announced layoffs affecting about 33 percent of its workforce, as reported by Variety.
Allen Media Group, reaches nearly 300 million subscribers and owns 27 network affiliate broadcast television stations across 21 U.S. markets.
The company also owns TheGrio TV, which acquired Black News Channel.
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