Source:
Eric
Thayer
/
Getty
Employees
at
VICE
were
informed
that
the
media
group
is
stepping
back
from
online
news
and
preparing
a
round
of
heavy
layoffs.
On
Thursday
(February
22),
VICE
News
CEO
Bruce
Dixon
sent
out
an
internal
memo
informing
employees
that
the
media
company
would
no
longer
be
publishing
on
its
flagship
news
site.
“It
is
no
longer
cost-effective
for
us
to
distribute
our
digital
content
the
way
we
have
done
previously,”
Dixon
wrote.
“As
part
of
this
shift,
we
will
no
longer
publish
content
on
vice.com,
instead
putting
more
emphasis
on
our
social
channels
as
we
accelerate
our
discussions
with
partners
to
take
our
content
to
where
it
will
be
viewed
most
broadly.”
There
was
more
to
the
stunning
development.
“With
this
strategic
shift
comes
the
need
to
realign
our
resources
and
streamline
our
overall
operations
at
VICE,”
Dixon
added.
“Regrettably,
this
means
that
we
will
be
reducing
our
workforce,
eliminating
several
hundred
positions.
This
decision
was
not
made
lightly,
and
I
understand
the
significant
impact
it
will
have
on
those
affected.
Employees
who
will
be
affected
will
be
notified
about
next
steps
early
next
week,
consistent
with
local
laws
and
practices.”
The
moves
would
not
affect
Refinery29,
with
the
women’s
lifestyle
brand
and
website
that
Vice
acquired
in
2019
continuing
as
a
standalone
business.
The
news
reflects
a
stunning
fall
for
VICE,
which
began
as
a
publication
covering
punk
rock
and
alternative
music
in
Montreal
in
the
1990s
founded
by
Suroosh
Ali,
Shane
Smith,
and
Gavin
McInnes
who
would
go
on
to
found
the
Proud
Boys,
the
fascist
organization
that
has
aligned
itself
with
the
American
far-right.
At
its
peak,
the
Brooklyn-based
company
delivered
news
in
a
highly
independent
format
with
correspondents
across
the
globe
in
addition
to
original
programming
such
as
Most
Expensivest
hosted
by
2Chainz
and
F—-
That’s
Delicious
by
Action
Bronson.
The
“Easy
Rider”
rapper
took
to
social
media
on
Friday,
saying:
“JUST
WANTED
TO
MAKE
SURE
YA’LL
KNOW
I
NEVER
STOPPED
MAKING
F—K
THATS
DELICIOUS
BECAUSE
VICE
IMPLODED.”
Representatives
for
VICE
declined
to
comment
when
contacted
by
the
press.
The
news
comes
amid
several
media
groups
announcing
their
downsizing
measures
such
as
Pitchfork
and
GQ,
and
Complex
Media
being
sold
off
to
the
Ntwrk
e-commerce
platform.
They
joined
news
outlets
such
as
The
Washington
Post,
the
Los
Angeles
Times,
CNN,
and
ABC
News
which
had
initiated
their
cuts
in
recent
weeks
and
months.
