Are the LA Times layoffs indicative of a bigger problem in media?

The newspaper could be the latest in what will be a continuing trend of culling at media companies

Photo composite of the LA Times HQ, a paperboy and protestors
"An increasingly large percentage of Americans have come to prefer ultra-biased, sensationalist media outlets to impartial, informative newspapers"
(Image credit: Illustrated / Getty Images)

The media landscape is ever-changing, and recently, numerous outlets have seen their newsrooms shrink. Perhaps no company had it as bad, though, as the Los Angeles Times. The West Coast's preeminent newspaper announced Tuesday that it was laying off 115 editorial staffers, or more than 20% of its total newsroom. 

While this mostly affected the Times' Los Angeles headquarters, a number of its bureaus were hit hard as well. The newspaper's politics team in Washington, D.C., was "decimated" and now reportedly consists of just five reporters. There were also large cuts made to the outlet's business and sports desks, CNN reported. The layoffs come months after the Times first laid off 13% of its workforce, citing monetary concerns. In all, this means that around a third of the newsroom has been cut in less than a year. 

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Justin Klawans, The Week US

 Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other Hollywood news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.