Weekly Digest: BBC Chairman investigation, layoffs in America

In the UK, Richard Sharp’s position as chairman of the BBC is under investigation following the allegations that Sharp helped Boris Johnson, prime minister at the time, secure a loan shortly before his appointment in early 2021.

As The Guardian reports, “the appointment of the prominent Conservative donor to lead the broadcaster is now being probed by William Shawcross, the commissioner for public appointments”; the BBC itself is conducting an investigation into any potential conflict of interest violations since Sharp joined the organisation. 

The government and Borish Johnson himself deny the allegations, arguing that there was no conflict of interest in the process of Sharp’s appointment. 

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Multiple tech and media companies in the United States cut jobs over the past several weeks amidst economic uncertainty and advertising slowdown. 

Notable layoffs among news media include digital media company Vox Media, which owns multiple news brands like Vox and New York magazine. Last Friday, the company’s CEO announced a 7% cut of its workforce, resulting in 130 people being laid off.

The Washington Post, a national newspaper that benefited from the Trump bump but has struggled with retaining paid subscribers more recently, laid off 20 journalists (around 2% of the newsroom) and decided not to fill 30 open positions. 

Tech companies, including all US tech giants except Apple, have also conducted layoffs across the board over the past month, in some cases cutting the teams responsible for news partnerships, as Meta did late last year.

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The Associated Press has plans to diversify its revenue streams by attracting more advertising, Axios reports. The nonprofit news agency now makes 82% of its money from licensing its stories to other publishers; advertising accounts for less than 10% of the revenue. 

The organisation is looking to draw more consumer traffic to its website directly, viewing digital advertising as a big business opportunity. The plan includes redesigning the website and investing more in visual journalism and social media presence, and Saeed Ahmed has been appointed as vice president of digital platforms to oversee the new push, according to Axios. 

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