HuffPost Lays Off 22% of Its Journos as Mainstream Media Implosion Continues

In yet another grim chapter for mainstream media, HuffPost is cutting 30 editorial positions, accounting for roughly 22% of its newsroom. According to a memo from Editor-in-Chief Danielle Belton, the layoffs are attributed to “growing challenges” in the industry—a common refrain for digital and print outlets grappling with declining ad revenue and shifting consumer habits.

This latest shake-up marks a continuation of a troubling trend within the once-dominant HuffPost, which was initially hailed as a revolutionary digital media outlet.

A Brief History of HuffPost’s Rise and Corporate Shuffle

Founded in 2005 by Arianna Huffington, Andrew Breitbart, Jonah Peretti, and Kenneth Lerer, HuffPost (originally The Huffington Post) quickly established itself as a powerhouse in the world of online journalism. Known for its click-friendly headlines, opinion-driven content, and progressive slant, HuffPost was one of the first purely digital outlets to gain widespread credibility, even earning a Pulitzer Prize in 2012 for national reporting.

In 2011, the site was acquired by AOL for $315 million, a landmark deal that signaled the growing influence of online media over traditional print. However, HuffPost’s trajectory changed yet again in 2015, when Verizon acquired AOL, lumping HuffPost into a broader portfolio that included Yahoo and other legacy internet brands.

The next major shift came in 2020, when Verizon sold HuffPost to BuzzFeed in a bid to streamline its holdings. BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti described the acquisition as a chance to bolster BuzzFeed’s position in the media landscape, but the transition proved rocky.

HuffPost vs. Gamers

HuffPost has also faced criticism over the years for its stance on gaming culture, particularly during the height of the Gamergate controversy in the mid-2010s. The outlet published numerous articles that many perceived as dismissive, if not outright hostile, toward gamers, framing the community as toxic and reactionary.

These pieces often sparked backlash, with critics accusing HuffPost of painting gamers with a broad, negative brush and contributing to the polarization between mainstream media and gaming audiences. This “strained relationship” with gamers likely alienated a significant segment of potential readers and may have contributed to the outlet’s broader struggles to stay relevant.

Layoffs Have Long Been a Part of HuffPost’s Story

Unfortunately, layoffs are not a new phenomenon for HuffPost. In 2018, the outlet saw significant cuts when Verizon downsized its media assets. This trend repeated in 2021, shortly after BuzzFeed completed its acquisition of the outlet. BuzzFeed laid off 47 HuffPost staffers, citing financial losses at the time, with Peretti describing HuffPost as losing “more than $20 million annually.”

The latest round of cuts, however, seems even more ominous as HuffPost faces the same existential threats as many of its peers: declining traffic, falling ad revenues, and stiff competition from platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Substack, where independent content creators are now siphoning away audiences from mainstream outlets.

The Bigger Picture: Mainstream Media’s Implosion

HuffPost’s woes are emblematic of a broader collapse across digital-first outlets. Once considered the future of journalism, digital media brands like BuzzFeed, Vice, and Vox have faced repeated rounds of layoffs, restructurings, and even bankruptcy filings. Vice Media, for example, filed for bankruptcy in 2023, while BuzzFeed shut down its Pulitzer-winning BuzzFeed News earlier this year. Even legacy outlets like The Washington Post and CNN have not been immune to the trend, announcing their own job cuts and restructurings.

The central issue? The advertising revenue that once sustained these outlets is no longer reliable. With major brands now prioritizing social media and influencer marketing, digital publishers have struggled to replace traditional revenue streams. Meanwhile, paywalls and subscription models have only worked for a select few, such as The New York Times, leaving most outlets scrambling for viable business strategies.

The mainstream media has faced “significant challenges” in recent years, with an estimated total of around 4,000 job cuts across the UK and US in 2024. In January 2024 alone, over 500 journalists were laid off. Below are some of the high-profile layoffs from that year:

2024 Layoffs

• The Los Angeles Times: Laid off 115 employees in January, representing more than 20% of its newsroom staff.
• NBC News: Underwent layoffs, cutting between 50 to 100 employees.
• Time Magazine: Announced layoffs affecting around 30 staff members, primarily union-represented editorial employees.
• National Geographic: Let go of all its staff writers (17 positions) as part of a shift to digital content.
• Business Insider: Cut 8% of its workforce.
• Forbes: Reduced its workforce by 3%.
• Sports Illustrated: Faced significant layoffs after its marketing license was revoked by Authentic Brands Group.
• The Messenger: A digital news startup that shut down entirely, affecting 300 journalists.

2025 Layoffs

The situation continued into 2025, with further notable layoffs:

• The Washington Post: Announced layoffs affecting around 4% of its total staff, fewer than 100 employees across business divisions.
• HuffPost: Planned to cut more than 30 editorial roles.

What’s Next for HuffPost?

The question now is whether HuffPost can weather this storm or if it will face the same fate as other embattled outlets. Belton remains optimistic about the site’s mission and its role in modern journalism, but the challenges ahead are daunting. For readers, the HuffPost layoffs represent more than just another headline; they serve as a stark reminder of the shifting media landscape, where even digital pioneers are finding it hard to survive.

Sources:

• HuffPost to Slash More Than 20% of Newsroom, Cites ‘Growing Challenges’
• The History of HuffPost
• BuzzFeed Cuts Jobs After HuffPost Acquisition