Bustle Digital Group employees are tweeting their layoffs, as at least 14 more writers and editors are cut

Benjamin Goggin,Benjamin Goggin

Nov 8, 2019, 02:08 IST

Digital media conglomerate Bustle Digital Group cut more employees Thursday following staggered terminations over the past few months.
The company cut at least 14 full and part-time editorial positions Thursday, on top of at least 17 cuts previously reported by Insider, bring the total number cut this year to over 30, or nearly 10 percent of its previous workforce.
The company downplayed the terminations in a statement, emphasizing recent hires.
Insider previously reported tanking morale at the company following earlier cuts. Employees also expressed concerns over the company's diversity.
Read more stories like this at Business Insider.

Bustle Digital Group, a digital media conglomerate targeting millennial women, cut more employees Thursday following an October Insider report revealing staggered layoffs and cratering morale.

According to tweets from affected employees, at least 14 full and part-time positions were eliminated, affecting lifestyle, books, and entertainment employees. In previous months, at least 17 positions were cut. The total number of cuts in the last year is over 31 people, or nearly 10 percent of their previous workforce, according to figures provided to Insider.

Editors were told their positions were being eliminated in early morning meetings, according to sources, and part-time writers received phone calls from the company.

Lifestyle editors Emma Lord and Tanya Ghahremani, senior books editor Christina Arreola, movies editor Sage Young, entertainment news editor Jamie Primeau, associate entertainment news editor Mallory Cara were some of the full-time employees who lost their jobs. According to a spokesperson, two other unnamed employees were also affected.

At least six part-time writers were told their positions were being cut, according to tweets from those affected and sources familiar with the matter.

Bryan Goldberg interview Bustle Bleacher Report

In a statement provided to Insider, a Bustle Digital Group spokesperson downplayed the cuts, saying "BDG has recently hired dozens of writers and editors across our many properties - especially Nylon, Mic, Inverse, and Input. Bustle's new editorial leadership will soon be announcing several marquee hires as we prepare for a major site relaunch in early 2020."

In October, Insider reported that Nylon was gutted by Bustle Digital Group following its acquisition. In November 2018, nearly every editorial employee at Mic was laid off immediately preceding its acquisition by the company.

Earlier this year, BDG laid off the entire staff of the website Gawker, following several false starts and controversial hires. The relaunch of Gawker under Goldberg's leadership has been postponed indefinitely.

Insider also reported that Bustle Digital Group was seemingly embarking under a new editorial direction under new lifestyle editor-in-chief Emma Rosenblum, who has overseen cuts to Bustle Digital Group's news and entertainment coverage, while bringing in a leadership team largely composed of former Hearst employees. Staff expressed frustration that more white women were being brought in following the termination of the top woman of color at the company Jada Gomez.

Julie Gerstein contributed reporting for this piece.