• by Ray Schultz , April 27, 2023

Michael Learmonth is out as Vice News editor in chief amid reports of massive layoffs throughout Vice Media.  

Learmonth, who served at Vice for almost seven years, tweeted, “Today is my last day at @vicenews.”  

In addition, Vice Media is pulling the plug on the "Vice News Tonight" newscast, Deadlinereports, citing an internal memo. Its last program will be in May.  

“To be incredibly clear, Vice News is core to Vice Media Group and fundamental to our business. We are NOT exiting the news business, but we are changing the shape of Vice News to position the whole Company for long-term opportunities and improve how we deliver important, ground-breaking journalism well into the future,” co-CEOs Bruce Dizon and Hozefa Lokhandwala wrote.

Patch reports that the layoffs will total 250.

Also departing the company, according to Deadline, are   

• Elizabeth Landers, chief political correspondent 
• Cameron Joseph, senior political reporter
• Christina Sterbenz, senior editor  
• Ben Makuch national security reporter 
• Sam Eagan, audio journalist 
• Brendan Kennedy, vice president of development and documentary acquisitions for Vice News.   

The layoffs follows by days the news that BuzzFeed is closing BuzzFeed News. The company instituted a 15% staff cut affecting around 60 employees in the news division and 180 throughout the company.