Layoffs Hit Cnet As Its Parent Company Goes On A Buying Spree

Ziff Davis, nan media conglomerate that owns outlets for illustration CNET, ZDNET, PCMag, and Mashable is laying disconnected 15 percent of nan unionized workforce, aliases 23 full people.

The mostly of layoffs are coming from CNET, wherever 19 group will suffer their jobs — moreover arsenic Ziff Davis goes connected a shopping spree. The layoffs will deed CNET coverage areas for illustration nan finance, broadband, and slumber beats, arsenic good arsenic nan outlet’s transcript desk. A fistful of staffers crossed Lifehacker, Mashable, and ZDNet will besides beryllium laid off.

“It’s very clear to america that these cuts aren’t astir journalism,” Anna Iovine, portion chair of nan Ziff Davis Creators Guild, says. “They’re based connected money and greed.” Iovine noted peculiar concerns astir cutting transcript editors and truth checkers.

“Eliminating immoderate sum is really devastating. These journalists, immoderate of them person decades of experience, and we’re losing [that],” Iovine says.

Ziff Davis has acquired 5 different companies this twelvemonth alone, astir notably nan celebrated newsletter TheSkimm and nan wellness outlet Well+Good. CNET was acquired by Ziff Davis successful 2024 for $100 million. Ziff Davis did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

CNET has had a tumultuous past fewer years nether its erstwhile owner, Red Ventures. In 2023, nan outlet was engulfed successful contention erstwhile readers discovered it had been quietly publishing stories written by AI that were full of errors. In nan ensuing weeks and months, CNET staff were laid off, editor-in-chief Connie Guglielmo stepped down to return a occupation overseeing AI content, and staff astatine nan outlet unionized. After Red Ventures sold nan outlet, nan national was rolled into nan Ziff Davis Creators Guild, represented by nan NewsGuild of New York.

“At a clip erstwhile CNET is still building backmost its estimation aft a damaging AI ungraded nether Red Ventures, Ziff’s determination to further undermine CNET’s quality authority is disturbing,” a connection from nan bargaining portion reads.

“Our members are truthful overmuch much than dollars and cents, moreover arsenic nan capricious guidance astatine Ziff Davis tries to dainty america arsenic such,” nan connection continues. “We won a beardown corporate bargaining statement conscionable complete a twelvemonth ago, and we will conflict to enforce it truthful we tin sphere our expertise to proceed producing high-quality activity for our readers.”