Vice Media to lay off hundreds of employees, stop publishing website

Vice Media Group CEO Bruce Dixon has announced to employees the plan for a full internal restructuring that will see hundreds of people cut through layoffs and the discontinuation of the digital edition Vice.

Dixon, who was appointed CEO in December 2023 after the resignation of Hozefa Lokhandwala, addressed the matter in an internal memo to staff members. “As we navigate the ever-evolving business landscape, we must adapt and better align our strategies to be more competitive in the long term,” he wrote, revealing plans to “fully transition to a studio model” through partnerships with “established media.” companies to distribute our digital content.”

He added that, despite Vice with multiple brand branches producing original content and reporting, it is “no longer cost-effective” to continue their current content distribution model. “As part of this change, we will no longer be publishing content on vice.com, instead placing more emphasis on our social channels as we accelerate our discussions with our partners to get our content where it will be seen more widely,” continued Dixon.

The CEO also noted that Refinery29, the digital media outlet aimed at a youth demographic, will likely be next on the chopping block. While the company will “continue to operate as a standalone diversified publishing business, creating engaging, social-first content” for now, he warned: “We are in advanced discussions to sell this business and are continuing with that process.”

Employees affected by these layoffs will be “notified of next steps early next week,” the memo said. Representatives for Vice Media Group he didn't answer right away rolling rocks request for comment.