Hearst Magazines, the publisher of household names such as Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping and Esquire, has fired around 200 employees — most of whom work at the company’s iconic headquarters in Midtown Manhattan.
The Writers Guild of America East (WGAE), the union which represents thousands of media professionals, told the news site W42ST that the total number of layoffs amounted to 197 people — 67 of whom were members of the Hearst Union bargaining unit.
The union also told W42ST that “most affected workers are based at Hearst Tower” on 8th Avenue and 57th Street on Manhattan’s West Side.
Hearst Tower, which rises nearly 600 feet and 46 stories high, is a Norman Foster-designed triangular glass skyscraper known for its sleek, environmentally friendly layout.
The tower was constructed in 2006 atop the original Hearst Magazine Building, whose facade was designated as a city landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1988.
Debi Chirichella, the president of the company, circulated a memo to employees announcing the layoffs last week.
“After a thorough review of our business, we’ve decided to reallocate resources to better support our goals and continue our focus on digital innovation while strengthening our best in class print products,” Chirichella wrote in the memo, which was reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
“We will scale back in areas that do not support our core strategy and will eliminate certain positions as we reimagine our team structures to drive long-term growth.”
Chirichella did not specify in the memo which departments and how many employees would be affected.
“These changes will enable us to take care of our business for the long term,” she wrote.
“We’ll prioritize areas where we can deliver the highest impact and drive growth and continue to focus on producing the highest-quality storytelling, advertising solutions, and digital experiences.”
“Today, the consistently anti-union Hearst Magazines became the latest media company to enact needless, irresponsible and cruel layoffs of editorial employees,” WGAE executive director Sam Wheeler said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Until Hearst and the rest of the media industry recognize that the workers are the most valuable part of their companies and brands, they will continue their race to the bottom with no one to blame but themselves,” he added.
The Post has sought comment from Hearst.
The layoffs are the latest sign of peril in the magazine and publishing industry. A year ago, Hearst rival Condé Nast announced that it planned to cut 5% of its workforce — which amounts to around 270 employees — in a move that affects publications including Vogue, Vanity Fair and GQ.
In January, Time magazine announced it was cutting 15% of its editorial staff.
Forbes, Sports Illustrated, Vice Media and BuzzFeed have also reduced staff this year as the industry continues to be beset by declining ad revenue, shifts in reader habits and competition from digital platforms.
