AP lays off 20 US-based journalists as it pivots from print

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The Associated Press laid off 20 U.S.-based journalists on Friday, according to the News Media Guild, as part of a restructuring that AP said is shifting the organization’s focus away from print journalism and toward visual journalism and other revenue sources.

AP spokesman Patrick Maks said in an email that the layoffs were part of “the restructuring we announced last month to align our operations with what our top customers need from us today,” and he wrote that the company appreciated the employees’ contributions and wished them well.

The News Media Guild, which represents AP journalists, said 20 of its members were laid off and that the layoffs were completed by the end of the business day Friday. AP declined to provide a specific number for the cuts.

Guild administrator Tony Winton said the union received an email just before 10 a.m. Friday from an AP human resources official indicating the company planned to implement layoffs and that the last day of work would be Friday, adding that no other details were provided.

In a statement, Kimberlee Kruesi, an AP reporter who is the guild’s acting president, criticized the restructuring, saying: “Today’s cuts show just how directionless AP’s leadership has become,” and adding that among the 20 employees sacked were experienced photographers.

The layoffs came about a month after AP offered buyouts to more than 120 U.S.-based journalists; about 40 volunteered and had their offers accepted, the guild said. AP later completed the layoffs on Friday following that earlier round.

Last month, AP executive editor and senior vice president Julie Pace said in an interview that AP’s goal was to reduce its global staff by less than 5% and that AP was “not in trouble.” Pace said the changes were intended to come from a position of strength and to respond to AP’s changing customer base, telling the publication, “We’re making these changes from a position of strength, but we’re doing so now to recognize our changing customer base.”

AP has pointed to pressure on its newspaper revenue over time, saying its revenue from newspapers declined by 25% over the past four years. The company has also said that its customer base has shifted, with broadcast, digital and technology companies playing a larger role in its business, including describing “200%” growth in revenue from technology companies over the same period, according to Kristin Heitmann, AP’s senior vice president and chief revenue officer.

The AP story also noted that two major traditional newspaper publishers—Gannett and McClatchy—dropped AP in 2024. Jocelyn Noveck reported that David Bauder, a former AP media writer, contributed to the report.