Veröffentlicht
Wed, Jan 17, 2024, 20:55
- As of today, several Pitchfork staffers—including editor-in-chief Puja Patel—are no longer with the publication, according to a leaked internal email.
Legacy music outlet Pitchfork is being restructured.
The site, owned by global media firm Condé Nast since 2015, is being moved under men's fashion magazine GQ, also part of Condé Nast, according to a leaked internal email that was first reported by Semafor media reporter Max Tani.
The email, written by Anna Wintour, chief content officer at Condé Nast, also mentioned that some Pitchfork employees have left the company, including editor-in-chief Puja Patel. On social media, several Pitchfork writers have since confirmed they were laid off from the publication. Resident Advisor has reached out to more employees for comment.
The same night, Pitchfork Union and The NewsGuild of New York issued a statement on social media regarding the layoffs, saying they "categorically condemn" the news of Pitchfork discharging eight union members following the announcement. "Condé Nast provided no further information about the future of the premiere music publication, demonstrating once again a lack of regard for the workers who have contributed to the company's success," it added.
A spokesperson for Condé Nast has confirmed the news with RA and forwarded the original email. Read it in full below.
"Dear all,
Today we are evolving our Pitchfork team structure by bringing the team into the GQ organisation. This decision was made after a careful evaluation of Pitchfork's performance and what we believe is the best path forward for the brand so that our coverage of music can continue to thrive within the company.
Both Pitchfork and GQ have unique and valuable ways that they approach music journalism, and we are excited for the new possibilities together. With these organisational changes, some of our Pitchfork colleagues will be leaving the company today. I want to thank Puja for her leadership of the title over the last five years. She has been a wonderful colleague and advocate for the brand, and I'm grateful for her and the team’s many contributions.
Members of the Pitchfork team will hear more about their reporting structure in meetings this week. There are no additional changes at this time as we focus on our internal team structure and operations. We will of course keep this team updated first when any new decisions are made about the transition.
Anna"
We'll report more as the story unfolds. Read some X posts from people who have been laid off.
Update January 18th, 2024: This piece has been updated to include a statement by Pitchfork Union and The NewsGuild of New York.