Hey news junkies you might want to grab your coffee because things are getting real at ABC News and Good Morning America. Big changes are happening and it's not all sunshine and roses. We are talking layoffs a major website shutting down and a serious shake-up behind the scenes. Let's dive into what's going on.
FiveThirtyEight Shuts Down: The Data-Driven Political Site is No More Amidst Disney Cuts
Alright folks this is a big one. FiveThirtyEight the website famous for its data-driven political analysis and election predictions is being shut down. Yep you heard that right no more number crunching from 538. This is part of wider cost-cutting measures at Disney and ABC News and it is hitting the news division hard. About 15 people are losing their jobs just from the FiveThirtyEight shutdown alone. Bummer.
Apparently the head honcho at ABC News Almin Karamehmedovic delivered the news in a super formal way like he was "reading from a script" and didn't take any questions. Ouch. To make things worse the staff at FiveThirtyEight found out they were getting axed from a news article the night before. Awkward and not cool right?
Nate Silver who founded FiveThirtyEight way back in 2008 and left a couple of years ago is also bummed about it. He tweeted that his "heart goes out to the people there" saying they "deserved much better". It is definitely the end of an era for political data journalism as we know it.
Mass Layoffs at ABC News: "Massacre" and "Squid Games" Vibes as 200 Jobs Are Cut
The FiveThirtyEight closure is just the tip of the iceberg. Around 200 people are getting laid off across ABC News and Disney Entertainment Networks. That's like 6% of their whole workforce. Most of the cuts are hitting ABC News particularly hard in New York City.
Things are getting reorganized too. Long-running shows like "20/20" and "Nightline" are being combined under single leadership. And get this all three hours of "Good Morning America" will now be overseen by just one person Simone Swink. That means the third hour of GMA which is "GMA3" is getting folded into the main GMA structure. The executive producer of "GMA3" Catherine McKenzie is also reportedly out as part of these cuts. Major shake-up alert!
People inside ABC News are understandably upset. One staffer described the atmosphere as a "massacre" and like being in "Squid Games" if you are still employed. Morale seems to be pretty low and folks are worried about the future. It sounds like a stressful time to be working at ABC News.
Why FiveThirtyEight? Money Issues and the Ever-Changing Media Landscape
So why is FiveThirtyEight getting the chop? Well apparently Disney was not really seeing it as a big money maker even though Nate Silver thought it could be a good business. He mentioned that they never really invested in the "business" side of things enough to help it grow. It's a tough media world out there especially for news websites that focus on data and polling.
FiveThirtyEight has also faced some criticism in recent years especially after the 2016 election when their predictions did not pan out perfectly. Polling in general has become a tricky business and maybe Disney felt like FiveThirtyEight was not as essential as it once was. Whatever the exact reasons are it is definitely a loss for data-driven journalism and for fans who relied on 538 for election insights.
GMA Leadership Changes: Simone Swink Takes Over All 3 Hours in Major Consolidation
Let's talk more about "Good Morning America". Having one person oversee all three hours is a pretty significant change. Simone Swink is the exec now in charge of the whole GMA shebang including the previously separate "GMA3" hour. This kind of consolidation often happens when companies are trying to streamline operations and cut costs. It remains to be seen how this leadership change will affect the show itself and the people who work on it.
Catherine McKenzie the former executive producer of "GMA3" is leaving as part of these layoffs. That is a significant departure and raises questions about the future direction of that third hour and potentially the overall GMA format. Will we see big changes on GMA in the coming months? Stay tuned.
List of Key Takeaways: ABC News Shakeup and FiveThirtyEight Shutdown
- FiveThirtyEight Shutting Down: Popular political data website FiveThirtyEight is closing as part of Disney layoffs.
- Mass Layoffs at ABC News: Approximately 200 positions cut across ABC News and Disney Entertainment Networks.
- GMA Consolidation: All three hours of Good Morning America now under single leadership of Simone Swink.
- "GMA3" Producer Out: Executive Producer of "GMA3" Catherine McKenzie departs amid restructuring.
- Somber Mood at ABC: Staffers report a very upsetting atmosphere at ABC News offices in New York.
- Financial Reasons Cited: Disney reportedly felt FiveThirtyEight was not a profitable business.
- Wider Media Landscape: Layoffs are part of a larger trend of job cuts hitting the media industry hard.
What's Next for ABC News and GMA? Uncertainty and Change in the Air
These are definitely turbulent times for ABC News and "Good Morning America". The shutdown of FiveThirtyEight and widespread layoffs signal a significant shift in strategy and likely a belt-tightening approach from Disney. The consolidation of GMA and other news divisions points towards a more streamlined and potentially cost-efficient operation.
It is unclear what the long-term impact of these changes will be on the quality and direction of ABC News programming. The media landscape is constantly evolving and news organizations are facing increasing pressures to adapt and remain financially viable. The changes at ABC News are a stark reminder of these challenges and the difficult decisions being made across the industry.