The Grio is downsizing
In the midst of a concerning trend of widespread layoffs in the American media industry, TheGrio, under the ownership of Allen Media Group, has recently implemented significant staff cuts.
In a statement to TheWrap, a company spokesperson said, “Allen Media Group is making strategic changes to better position the company for growth that will result in expense and workforce reductions across all divisions.”
In the midst of a concerning trend of job reductions within the American media industry, TheGrio, under the ownership of Allen Media Group, has recently implemented widespread workforce reductions.
Allen Media Group is managed by Chairman and CEO Byron Allen, who established the company in 1993.
The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, with additional offices located in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and Charleston, SC. It employs a workforce of more than 2,400 individuals across its diverse divisions.
In 2016, Byron Allen acquired TheGrio website, a platform dedicated to providing news and narratives specifically catered to the African American demographic. TheGrio.com was established in 2009 by David A. Wilson, Barion Grant, and Dan Woolsey, as stated on the company's website, after being a part of NBC News.
The recent job cuts at TheGrio are indicative of a concerning pattern within the media industry, as numerous prominent media organizations have experienced significant downsizing.
Earlier in the current year, The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times both disclosed significant reductions, with the latter executing layoffs affecting over 20 percent of its newsroom staff. The layoffs at The Los Angeles Times had a significant impact on a varied demographic of employees, particularly individuals from minority backgrounds such as Latino, Black, and Asian, who were some of the most recent additions to the staff.
Other media outlets, such as Vice and the sports blog Deadspin, have also experienced significant downsizing. Vice has completely closed down its online publication, and Deadspin has terminated its entire editorial staff. In the same vein, Sports Illustrated has recently disclosed layoffs that will impact approximately a third of its employees, according to reports in Variety.
Allen Media Group has a reach of approximately 300 million subscribers and possesses ownership of 27 network affiliate broadcast television stations spanning across 21 markets in the United States.
The corporation also possesses TheGrio TV, which has procured Black News Channel.