Media Layoffs Hit Boston Globe Media

Boston Globe Media, in partnership with NESN (New England Sports Network), announced the termination of Boston Globe Today, a TV and digital newscast that launched in April 2023 with a two-year agreement. 

As part of this decision, the Globe laid off four employees directly involved with the program. Two other staff members from the show are being retained and reassigned to multimedia roles within the newsroom. The layoffs were reported alongside broader cuts at NESN, where the editorial department, including writers, reporters, and editors for NESN.com, was significantly affected, though exact numbers for NESN were not specified.

The cancellation of Boston Globe Today reflects challenges in building a broadcast audience in a market already saturated with five commercial news stations, amid a broader shift in how audiences consume news—favoring digital platforms over traditional TV. Despite the cut, Boston Globe Media and NESN plan to continue collaborating on a weekly sports show, and the Globe intends to bolster its video content across other platforms, suggesting a strategic pivot rather than a complete retreat from video.

The layoffs sparked some internal friction. A departing multimedia producer, Matthew Nelson, who had been hired initially for a podcast project that was later scrapped, criticized the decision in messages to the newsroom via email and Slack. His Slack post was removed by management, prompting discontent among staff, as noted by media observers on X. This incident highlights underlying tensions about communication and transparency during the layoffs.

This isn’t the first instance of staff reductions at Boston Globe Media in recent times. In December 2024, the company laid off 11 employees at STAT, its health and medicine publication, citing rising expenses and flattening revenue—a sign of the financial pressures felt even by a media outlet with robust ownership under John Henry’s Fenway Sports Group.

The broader context for these layoffs aligns with industry-wide struggles. Local media, including newspapers like the Globe, face declining ad revenue and audience fragmentation as readers turn to podcasts, streaming services, and social media. While the Globe has expanded in recent years—adding coverage in Rhode Island and New Hampshire, hiring investigative reporters, and acquiring Boston magazine—these layoffs indicate that growth hasn’t fully insulated it from economic challenges. The exact scope of the March 2025 layoffs appears limited to the four Boston Globe Today staffers, but the NESN cuts suggest a wider impact across the shared media ecosystem.