California media layoffs claim more top talent as website swings the ax

Gaming and entertainment publisher IGN became the latest media company to slash jobs, with the union representing staff saying the cuts hit several departments.

The IGN Creators Guild blasted the Ziff Davis-owned publication over the layoffs, which affected hosts, producers, editors, and other crucial roles at the San Francisco-based company.

In a statement, the union said it was “devastated, angry, and heartbroken for our colleagues.”

“Today was an awful day at IGN. We were blindsided by the layoff of four union members and many more people across the organization who contributed years of their careers to making IGN an unparalleled voice in games and entertainment,” the statement read.

“With each successive layoff, core parts of IGN’s operation continue to be stripped away…How many layoffs will occur before we no longer recognize the company we work for and the content that we make?

“While we recognize the challenges the media industry is facing as a whole, it is difficult to understand how laying off valuable employees better positions us to meet those challenges.”

Longtime IGN hosts Seth Macy and Brian Altano both confirmed they lost their jobs in the round of cuts.

Macy was a Senior Social Commerce Producer and video host at IGN Entertainment and was with the company for more than 8 years.

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 “If you haven’t already heard, I was let go by IGN Entertainment yesterday,” a post on his Linkedin page read.

Altano was a video host, producer and podcaster with IGN Entertainment since 2009. He was well known as a host of the Playstation-focused podcast, Beyond.

He posted a message on his Instagram confirming he lost his job, saying his last day at the company would be October 2.

Bo Moore, senior manager of tech coverage, said he had also been laid off, according to Shanethegamer.com.

The total number of employees affected remains unclear, following cuts earlier this year at the company that hit a small number of employees, Kotaku reported. The California Post contacted the company for comment. 

Last week, several California newsrooms were crushed in a brutal round of layoffs at McClatchy, with some losing as much as 40% of their staff.

More than 90 journalists nationwide were affected, according to estimates from unions representing workers at various McClatchy papers, Poynter reported.

The cuts were felt at more than a dozen papers across the country, including Northern California’s Modesto Bee and The Fresno Bee. It hit not only reporters, but videographers and photographers.