RECHERCHE


The Athletic lays off several employees, forces others to take pay cut

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TJ Tucker
June 6, 2020  (10:14)
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What was a modern bright spot for sports journalism hasn't been able to shield itself from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, The Athletic has announced it is laying off 46 people, including journalists and others in its business department. The cuts total eight percent of The Athletic's workforce.

Among those let go include six writers covering NHL teams. These are Ken Wiebe (WPG), Craig Morgan (AZ), Joe Yerdon (BUF), Marc Dumont (MTL), Sean Gordon (MTL) and George Richards (FLA). All employees left at the organization have been forced to take a 10 percent pay cut.

“In order to ensure we can be a viable business for many seasons to come, we have to make decisions that won't jeopardize our future,” said Taylor Patterson, a spokeswoman for The Athletic.

While no department was safe, the cuts impacted The Athletic's operations in Arizona and South Florida more than others.

The company raised $50 million in venture capital funding earlier this year. According to Patterson, that funding allowed it "to keep this layoff under 10 percent of the company."

Source: New York Times