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August 14, 2026

The Weekly CutMedia · Platforms · The Creator Economy

Edited by Joe Cooke
New York
The Weekly Cut collection · 18 stories

People & Workforce

Leadership, newsroom structures, talent moves and operating-model change.

People & Workforce

The Washington Post's Opinion pivot looks set to outlast Adam O'Neal

He is leaving after one year, claiming Opinion users more than doubled time spent and pageviews grew by triple digits under the reset. Deputy editor James Hohmann is the internal favourite to succeed him, pointing to continued focus on Bezos's “personal liberties and free markets” mandate rather than another change in direction.

Sources: Status · The Washington Post
People & Workforce

Byron Allen is cutting 35% of BuzzFeed, starting with the video team

The July 27 filing books $6.5m–$8.5m of charges for $29m–$32m of annual savings, about 180 roles across BuzzFeed, HuffPost and Tasty. He bought the brands in May to feed a video-heavy free streaming app, then cut HuffPost’s entire video staff — into Q1 revenue down 12.3%, going-concern doubt and an August 31 Nasdaq deadline. One staffer at Wednesday’s town hall, where nobody had heard from Allen directly: “I don’t want to become just an aggregation farm for Byron’s bullshit.”

Sources: SEC · TheWrap
People & Workforce

Bari Weiss is rebuilding 60 Minutes around opinion writers

Ross Douthat leaves the NYT after 17 years to become a correspondent, Norah O’Donnell is promoted for season 59, and Junger, Toboni and Phillips join as contributors, against exits including Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega and Scott Pelley, who told the Times the show lacks “adult supervision.” Weiss is trading investigative producers for authored point of view, in a programme that just averaged 9.1m weekly viewers, up 9%.

Sources: Status
People & Workforce

Forbes lost the editor who built 30 Under 30

Randall Lane exited immediately on July 23 after 15 years, announced in a staff memo; executive editor Kerry Lauerman holds editorial operations in the interim. Lane’s line, “it’s time to live the spirit of the brand and try something new,” is what people say when the decision was not theirs. A franchise-driven model has just lost the person who built the franchise.

Sources: TheWrap
People & Workforce

CBS hired Mike Pesca to make podcasting editorial infrastructure, not a sidecar

The former Gist host - whose archive runs to roughly 3,000 episodes — becomes editorial director for podcasting as CBS adds Jill Schlesinger and Norah O'Donnell shows and tries to catch Dateline, 20/20 and 48 Hours. The hire also extends Bari Weiss's talent network into CBS; Pesca's "cousin of video" framing suggests the real remit is franchises that move between audio and screen.

Sources: NewscastStudio
People & Workforce

News 12 restructures with 30–40 layoffs

The Altice-owned New York-area local broadcaster is carrying out a restructure reported at more than 30 positions (TV News Check puts it at up to 40).

Sources: TV News Check
People & Newsroom Moves

Reuters names Nick Tattersall executive editor

The global managing editor succeeds Simon Robinson - who departs Aug. 20 to lead news and current affairs at Australia’s ABC - taking charge of the worldwide newsroom.

Sources: Editor & Publisher
People & Newsroom Moves

Front Office Sports hires Kyle Vinansky as chief revenue officer

The former Forbes chief business and strategy officer takes over revenue at the sports-business outlet.

Headcount Changes

GQ's Sam Hine Exits to New York Magazine as Men's Style Editor; Condé Nast Cuts Continue:

Hine - GQ's global fashion correspondent and key advertiser draw - joins NY Mag in a newly created senior men's style role, departing weeks after new global editorial head Adam Baidawi arrived; Condé Nast HQ separately cut events department staff last week amid CEO Roger Lynch's upbeat media tour.

Sources: Fashionista
Headcount Changes

Business Insider CEO Barbara Peng Steps Down; Axel Springer Veteran Interim

L Peng exits by June 30 citing tech-driven media shifts; Axel Springer senior advisor Christian Baesler steps in as interim. The outlet has lost ~27% of paid subscribers since end of 2022, and entered its fourth successive year of net headcount cuts.

Sources: The Wrap
Headcount Changes

Daily Wire CEO Caleb Robinson Out; Former Jeopardy! EP Mike Richards Elevated:

Robinson - co-founder, sole CEO since 2025 - exited immediately amid financial strain and a 13% workforce reduction this year; Richards, who joined as president a year ago, takes over - a clear signal of The Daily Wire's push to scale entertainment and streaming. Source:

Sources: Barrett Media
Workforce & Cost Cuts

CBS News ousts London bureau chief, hires WSJ's Shayndi Raice as new foreign editor:

Claire Day was removed after clashes with editor-in-chief Bari Weiss over Iran/Gaza coverage; Raice will lead a new foreign editor role overseeing all international coverage as Weiss continues to reshape the newsroom.

Sources: NY Post
Workforce & Cost Cuts

CNN elevates Alex MacCallum to COO; succession signal

Mark Thompson promoted digital chief Alex MacCallum to chief operating officer and expanded her remit to include consumer strategy, the business operating model, partnerships, and special projects. Status reports the move is widely read internally as Thompson’s preferred succession signal and follows MacCallum’s work on CNN’s direct-to-consumer and digital subscription efforts.

Sources: Status
Workforce & Cost Cuts

CNN creates a senior AI science role and hires Chris Wiggins

- CNN hired former New York Times chief data scientist Chris Wiggins into the newly created post of head of machine learning and AI science. The appointment gives CNN a named executive owner for editorial-adjacent AI, recommendation, and data-science work as major publishers build more formal internal AI leadership structures.

Sources: Variety
Workforce & Cost Cuts

NYT elevates Hardiman and Yang to EVP; Sobel departs

Chief product officer Alex Hardiman and chief growth officer Hannah Yang were promoted to Executive Vice President. Chief digital officer Jason Sobel is exiting( sources cited a personal move). Hardiman is appearing in internal C.E.O. succession speculation.

Sources: NYT
Workforce & Cost Cuts

BBC plans up to 2,000 layoffs (~10% of annual budget / ~£500m) over two years

The largest BBC workforce reduction in 15 years. Interim DG Rhodri Talfan Davies cited inflation, license-fee pressure, and a turbulent commercial environment; former Google executive Matt Brittin is scheduled to take over as DG next month.

Sources: AP
Workforce & Cost Cuts

Disney cuts ~1,000 roles; ABC News affected

First major action by new Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro, concentrated in marketing, publicity and specialty divisions across studios, TV networks, ESPN, Hulu, FX, Marvel, and product/technology. ABC News will reportedly lose roughly a dozen staff; entire PR teams are being eliminated.

Sources: WSJ
Workforce & Cost Cuts

Snap lays off ~1,000 (16% of workforce)

CEO Evan Spiegel announced the reduction to trim Snap's cost base by $500M and "establish a clearer path to net income profitability."

Sources: NYT