More layoffs reportedly hit Global News in 'dark day for journalism'

Reports of layoffs impacting Global News surfaced Wednesday, following Corus's announcement of job cuts earlier this week.

Numerous sources close to Corus and Global News have said that the job cuts have affected the digital web writing teams in B.C. and right across the country.

Having also heard about the reported layoffs, a journalism instructor took to X, sharing his feelings about them and calling it a dark day for journalism.

Hearing about layoffs at @globalnews … another dark day in journalism.

Sending positive energy to everyone affected. Having been through it a few times, know this isn’t the end.

Stories still need to be told.

— Dave Dormer (@Dave_Dormer) July 17, 2024

Corus has been making several changes to its programming lineup over the last month, including a highly controversial move to cut AM730 programming, an all-traffic radio station in Vancouver.

In its third-quarter analyst and investor call that took place on Monday morning, Corus — which oversees a slew of media subsidiaries such as Global TV — announced that its priorities are to "aggressively cut costs" and "manage [its] liabilities."

"We are making tough decisions to shutter areas of the business we can no longer sustain and pause longer-term development activities," stated John Gossling, co-executive officer and chief financial officer of Corus, on the call.

By the end of August, Gossling said Corus's full-time headcount will be reduced by almost 800 positions "or 25 per cent since the beginning of fiscal 2023."

Earlier today, there was the story about Breanna Karstens-Smith, who left Global News Edmonton and said in a post on X that layoffs are "constantly looming."

As of 1 p.m. on Wednesday, an official number of impacted jobs has not been revealed, but we've contacted Corus and Unifor for more information.