The Associated Press says acquisitions and other layoffs are coming as it seeks to cut its workforce by 8%.

Article content

The Associated Press said Monday it will begin furloughing and furloughing selected employees, part of a plan to reduce the newsroom’s workforce by about 8% and accelerate the transition to a digital-first organization.

The move is part of what is expected to be a rough year-end for the media industry, which has been plagued by business woes in recent years. The end of a busy presidential election cycle was also expected to accelerate restructuring plans.

AP said those eligible for the buyout will learn about the offer, which will include severance pay and partial health coverage for 18 months, by the end of Monday. Those whose positions are to be rescinded will learn about their fate in the next few weeks.

Article content

Once considered the world’s largest newsgathering organization, the AP no longer does so and does not disclose the size of its staff. As a result, it was not possible to say on Monday how many people will be affected. The AP said less than half of the expected cuts would involve its news staff, with the bulk taking place in the United States.

The News Media Guild said 121 of its members would be bought out. AP, without giving an estimate, said there will be more job cuts than this for union members.

AP, which prides itself on being an unbiased news source, provides news, photos, video, audio and interactive content directly to consumers through the apnews.com website. But most of its business comes from selling journalism to other news organizations that use it.

Earlier this year, two major news chains, Gannett and McClatchy, said they would stop buying news from the AP, in a Gannett lawsuit ending a relationship that spanned more than a century. The AP has diversified its revenue stream in recent years, including accepting philanthropic funding, but it is still hurt by the broader problems of the news industry.

Article content

“We all know this is a time of change in the media industry,” said Daisy Veerasingham, president and CEO of the AP, in an email to staff posted early Monday. “Our customers – both who they are and what they need from us – are changing fast. That’s why we’re focused on delivering digital news. Now we need to accelerate in this direction.”

In broad terms, that means more emphasis on visual journalism – photos and videos and digital content that gets you into storytelling.

Veerasingham was not available for an interview, an AP spokesperson said.

AP remains a central part of the media ecosystem, especially when it comes to the US election. During its election earlier this month, AP made unprecedented use of its live video, election data, visuals and interactive products, Veerasingham said.

AP said it has reached an agreement with its union to buy, but that is subject to approval by its members. The head of the AP union did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on Monday.

_____

David Bauder writes for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder.

Article content