Business Insider is shedding less than 5% of its global editorial staff, a spokesperson said Thursday, as the media group seeks to invest in audience-generating segments.
The press publisher is carrying out a realignment of its editorial line, leading to several departures within the editorial team, according to an internal memo from editor-in-chief Jamie Heller.
‘We continue to refine our coverage around areas where we have deep relationships with our core audience. Our goal is to be indispensable on the issues that matter most to her,’ Heller said in the note seen by Reuters on Thursday.
Search engine traffic is declining for publishers as artificial intelligence-generated responses from engines like Google synthesize content, making it appear above website links and threatening traditional business models.
Advertisers typically allocate their budgets to platforms with highly engaged audiences, but with users increasingly turning to AI assistants such as ChatGPT for information, news publishers are losing audience attention.
Business Insider, based in New York, decided to scale back in ‘a few areas, including legal affairs’, while continuing to invest in sectors such as the world of work and financial markets, according to the note.
Business Insider said it has around 250 employees in its editorial staff. The company had laid off approximately 21% and 8% of its workforce in 2025 and 2024, respectively.
German publishing giant Axel Springer SE acquired a majority stake in Insider in 2015 and dropped the ‘Business Insider’ name in 2021 in a bid to expand its coverage.
However, the company reversed this decision when co-founder Henry Blodget stepped down as CEO in November 2023. (Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
