Weekly Digest: Job Cuts in the US and Africa

The global economic outlook – rising inflation, fears of the coming recession – are causing some media organisations in North America to consider job cuts. As Axios’ Sara Fischer reports, “economic danger signs are forcing networks and publishers to slash costs and prepare for trouble in ways that are reminiscent of the early pandemic days”. Some 1,100 jobs in the news media industry have been cut this year in the United States.

Ad-funded organisations are likely suffering the most, with advertising cuts in the wake of the rising inflation and supply chain problems. As Axios notes, for news media organisations the economic situation is combined with the traffic decreases characteristic of the post-Trump era in American politics. 

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In the meanwhile, Semafor reports that the BBC plans to cut dozens of jobs in its Africa coverage. As Semafor’s Alexis Akwagyiram and Yinka Adegoke note, the cuts, which include laying off 50 of the 130 people on BBC Africa, are associated with the corporation’s digital transition, with many programs converted to digital-only.

However, the plans are viewed critically by some analysts, particularly in light of the poor availability of the internet in some African regions. The BBC is a major source of news for multiple African countries. “Despite its colonial roots, the BBC has had a unique place in Africa’s media landscape and history standing up for human rights and countering authoritarianism in more recent decades”, prominent Nigerian journalist Dele Olojede notes in an interview with Semafor.

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A prominent Russian propagandist has been suspended from RT for being too hateful even by the standards of the blood-thirsty Russian propaganda.

Anton Krasovsky, TV host and director of Russian-language broadcasting on the Russian state-propaganda broadcaster RT, called for drowning and burning Ukrainian children critical of Russia during his on-air interview with science fiction writer Sergei Lukyanenko.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for RT’s worldwide ban citing Krasovky’s language. (RT is sanctioned in the EU but available in many other countries across the world). Apart from this specific comment, Russian state outlets, including RT, have played an important role in laying the groundwork for Russia’s war in Ukraine, often using genocidal language. 

Margarita Simonyan, the RT’s editor-in-chief, denounced Krasovsky’s comment and announced his suspension from the broadcaster; Krasovsky apologised. He hasn’t been fired and might be reinstated later, as Simonyan has reportedly hinted.

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