In a series of layoffs that hit several of its publications, Sightline Media dismissed nine journalists from Defense News and Military Times on July 12, and today, it appears to have laid off the staff of Federal Times. The cuts at Federal Times became evident when their site had not been updated for five days, raising concerns about the future of the publication.
An ex-Federal Times reporter said the news site would cease operations.
The layoffs come at a turbulent time for the media industry, which has seen similar reductions at other news organizations. The decision by Sightline Media follows a recent move by the company’s military journalists to unionize under the Sightline Media Union with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild Local 32035, citing a desire for greater job security and better working conditions. However, the unionization efforts did not prevent the subsequent job cuts.
These layoffs raise questions about the continuity of coverage on issues critical to U.S. defense and federal sectors, areas in which the affected publications have long been considered authoritative voices. The impact on morale and the broader implications for news coverage in the defense and federal sectors are expected to be significant.
