The National Geographic magazine, which was founded in 1888, reportedly laid off the last of its staff writers on Wednesday.
According to the Washington Post, the magazine that brought readers the finest of science and nature in its famous yellow-bordered monthly publication will also go out of print next year.
According to comments and tweets from numerous editorial members, the newspaper let go of a total of 19 writers.
The monthly publication will also go off newsstands next year, reports said.
Over a century after it was first published in 1888, the National Geographic magazine reportedly laid off the last of its staff writers on Wednesday. The magazine that brought the best of science and the natural world to readers in its iconic yellow-bordered monthly publication will also go off newsstands next year, the Washington Post reported.
National Geographic lays off also impacted the magazine’s contracts with several photographers
A total of 19 writers were let go by the publication as per reports and tweets by several editorial members.
“My new National Geographic just arrived, which includes my latest feature—my 16th, and my last as a senior writer. NatGeo is laying off all of its staff writers. I’ve been so lucky. I got to work w/incredible journalists and tell important, global stories. It’s been an honor,” Craig A Welch, senior writer at National Geographic wrote on Twitter.
These layoffs are the second round of employment cuts implemented by the magazine’s parent corporation, Disney, as part of cost-cutting efforts. Since 2015, the journal has seen a wave of editorial changes as a result of various ownership changes, including the removal of six top editors in September, according to The Guardian.
The layoffs also impacted the magazine’s contracts with several photographers who contributed to its visually beautiful storytelling efforts. According to the Washington Post, the magazine will now hire freelance writers to cobble together issues with the assistance of its remaining editors.
“Staffing changes will not change our ability to do this work, but rather give us more flexibility to tell different stories and meet our audiences where they are across our many platforms. Any insinuation that the recent changes will negatively impact the magazine, or the quality of our storytelling, is simply incorrect,” it said in a statement to the media.