Cuts at The Atlantic Set Off Alarm Bells for the Industry

Even as layoffs, pay cuts and indefinite furloughs become an almost daily occurrence in the media industry, news about such developments grows no less tragic and alarming. Such was the case Thursday morning, when Atlantic Media chairman David Bradley revealed in a staff memo that, despite gaining 160,000 new subscribers since launching a metered paywall last September, 68 employees at The Atlantic would be informed by 11:00 a.m. that they'd lost their jobs. The cuts, which represent 17% of the magazine's approximately 400 staffers, were made necessary by a decline in advertising and "the overnight and near-complete undoing of in-person events," Bradley said, while noting that those let go include sales and events staffers, but also writers, editors and those in marketing. Advertising aside, the impact of a pause on in-person events on the magazine's top line was certainly significant. In a normal year, The Atlantic produces more than 100 live events, which reportedly account for up to a quarter of its annual revenues and likely a larger share of its margins. Formerly profitable, The Atlantic sank into the red last year, insiders told The Wall Street Journal, after embarking on an aggressive expansion that included hiring about 100 additional employees under new owner Laurene Powell Jobs, whose Emerson Collective acquired a majority stake in the magazine in July 2017, investing a reported $100 million. While providing 16 weeks of severance pay to dismissed staffers is... Continue reading at 'Folio Magazine'

[ Folio Magazine | 2020-05-21 16:30:08 UTC ]
News tagged with: #financially viable #full ownership #feel optimistic #monthly traffic #audience growth

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Cuts at The Atlantic Set Off Alarm Bells for the Industry'


Pushkin Industries Pushes Audiobook Conventions

The audio producer, founded in 2018 by author Malcolm Gladwell and former Slate Group chairman and editor-in-chief Jacob Weisberg, has built a slate of more than 25 podcasts since its launch, and is ramping up audiobook production. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-11-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audiobook production #audiobook


Licensed to thrill: Kim Sherwood set to ‘expand the James Bond universe’

Known for her debut novel Testament, the Ian Fleming fanatic has been approved to write new novels set in 007’s world but without the agent himselfA new generation of Double O agents has been authorised by the estate of Ian Fleming, with Bond aficionado and novelist Kim Sherwood set to pen a new... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-11-04 09:49:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #novels set #ian fleming #james bond #harpercollins #debut novel


Koomson, Pickering and Boldwood Books among winners at RNA Industry Awards

Dorothy Koomson, Juliet Pickering and Boldwood Books are among the winners of the Romantic Novelists’ Association annual Industry Awards. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-28 05:18:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #dorothy koomson #juliet pickering #boldwood books #romantic novelists


Marvel Studios is famous for its secrecy. In a new two-volume set, the company finally opens up.

What is the origin story of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Tara Bennett and Paul Terry got to the bottom of it. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-10-19 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #origin story


Publishing Summit Recap: Publishers establish infrastructure to future-proof data sets

Publishers shared insights at the Digiday Publishing Summit at the end of September in Miami. The post Publishing Summit Recap: Publishers establish infrastructure to future-proof data sets appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2021-10-19 04:01:00 UTC ]
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John Murray pre-empts Lichtarowicz's Soviet-set novel on exclusive submission

Paula Lichtarowicz's latest novel, inspired by her grandmother's life, has gone to John Murray in a pre-empt. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-13 13:23:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #exclusive submission #john murray


Four new categories announced in RNA Industry Awards

The shortlist for this year's Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) Industry Awards has been announced, with four new categories. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-05 04:36:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #romantic novelists


Whitfield wins Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award for 'compelling' debut

Debut author Clare Whitfield has been awarded the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award 2021 for People of Abandoned Character (Head of Zeus), a fresh take on the Jack the Ripper story. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-01 19:46:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #debut author


Going solo: Four literary agents on setting up their new firms

Four literary agents share their experiences of departing esteemed firms and setting up on their own in the midst of the pandemic Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-01 13:00:14 UTC ]
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Bad Form launches series of workshops to demystify publishing industry

Bad Form is launching a series of free events to demystify the publishing industry for people from Black, Asian and racialised communities. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-24 03:18:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #free events


Freelancing and mental health in the publishing industry

Reedsy's Thao Nguyen reflects on some of the benefits and challenges of being your own boss. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-22 12:07:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mental health #publishing industry


Speechki: Synthetic Voicing to Augment the Industry’s Audiobook Inventory

The technology of Speechki, an exhibitor at Frankfurter Buchmesse, offers faster, less expensive paths to audiobook production. (Sponsored) The post Speechki: Synthetic Voicing to Augment the Industry’s Audiobook Inventory appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-09-21 19:39:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #frankfurter buchmesse #audiobook production #audiobook


Nielsen Sets 2022 Pivot to Impressions-Based Local TV Buying

Nielsen is shifting local TV from ratings-based buying and selling to impressions-based buying. In January, the company will move to impressions-based buying and selling in local markets across the country, it said today. Top line At the same time Nielsen will shift to impressions-based... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2021-09-21 14:38:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #top line #nielsen


Rupert Murdoch’s launch of talkTV is about opportunism as much as ideology | Emily Bell

Piers Morgan will be presenting a nightly talkshow in this new venture aimed at outflanking the ailing GB NewsThe human Marmite of British journalism, Piers Morgan, is about to be spread very thinly. He has signed a global commentary deal with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. A nightly talkshow will... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-09-19 17:07:41 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #york post #harpercollins publishers #cancel culture #harpercollins #book deal


Proof goth is not dead: A first edition of Frankenstein just set a world auction record.

Mary Shelley was goth before it was cool. She wrote Frankenstein—sometimes described as the world’s first science fiction novel—as part of a horror story writing game. She lost her virginity to Percy Shelley on top of her mother’s grave. (To be fair, it was one of her main leisure spots, but... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-09-17 16:41:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mary shelley #science fiction


Michaela Coel takes the television industry to task in ‘Misfits’

“Misfits” revisits a powerful speech the “I May Destroy You” creator gave at the 2018 Edinburgh TV festival. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-09-15 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #television industry #powerful speech


Media Buying Briefing: As the auto industry shifts its priorities, digital media buying slides into the driver’s seat

Due to a convergence of supply-chain issues, shifting consumer preferences, auto advertising continues to shift from traditional to digital media channels, even as total spending is expected to drop. The post Media Buying Briefing: As the auto industry shifts its priorities, digital media... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2021-09-13 04:05:00 UTC ]
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Trade invited to form group and change industry 'for the better'

An open invitation from figures including Nikesh Shukla and Yara Rodrigues Fowler has been issued for people in the trade to form a group that will "change the UK publishing industry for the better".   Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-10 01:23:23 UTC ]
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AAP StatShot: US Industry Up 18.1 Percent, January to June, Year to Date

Total revenues year-to-date January-to-June revenues across all categories in the US book industry came in at US$6.3 billion. The post AAP StatShot: US Industry Up 18.1 Percent, January to June, Year to Date appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-08-24 15:00:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #date appeared #aap statshot #book industry


AI startup Boomy looks to turn the music industry on its ear

Music publishers have been on a spending spree in recent years, buying the catalogs and copyrights for songs of famous musicians at a frantic pace. Last December, Universal Music Publishing Group bought up Bob Dylan’s entire discography in a deal estimated at more than $300 million. Similarly,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-08-22 16:00:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #michael jackson #user base #moving forward #top line #youtube videos #copyright law