Yahoo to lay off 17 staff in S’pore as it shifts editorial strategy

Yahoo will lay off 17 journalists & social media executives in Singapore

Yahoo is reportedly laying off its journalists and social media executives in Singapore, with about 17 staff affected.

Their last day with the online news platform is 7 May.

Source: Foursquare

In a statement, Yahoo said that it was shifting its editorial strategy.

Staff told Yahoo will lay them off on 23 April

The staff layoffs at Yahoo Singapore were reported by The Edge Singapore, citing an anonymous source.

The affected staff met human resources on 23 April, with Yahoo’s senior director of content, Australia and Southeast Asia Simon Wheeler present.

Upon leaving the company on 7 May, they will get more than two weeks’ pay for every year served.

Source: Foursquare

One of the staff who was let go had worked there for more than 15 years.

Yahoo shifting its editorial strategy: Spokesperson

In response to queries from MS News, a Yahoo spokesperson said the company was shifting its editorial strategy so that it could better align with its strategic priorities.

After the shift, readers can expect to “continue seeing the content they most regularly engage with and enjoy”. The statement also added:

We remain focused on delivering a diverse selection of high-quality and engaging news, lifestyle and finance content, from local and international sources.

The affected staff were informed about this editorial shift, as well as that the company would no longer create original content from Singapore, according to The Edge.

Instead, it would focus on syndicated content — content originally from other sources that’s republished on another platform.

Yahoo hiring curation editor & market lead

Meanwhile, Yahoo Singapore has posted job listings for curation editor and market lead.

According to the job listing on LinkedIn, the curation editor is responsible for the content of the Yahoo homepage and other channels like social media, ensuring they deliver the best possible content mix and user experience.

Source: LinkedIn

The market lead is also focused on curation — namely choosing the stories from a pool of content providers and packaging them for readers across all its channels, said the LinkedIn job listing.

In addition, they will define editorial standards, among other responsibilities.

Source: LinkedIn

Both job positions are listed as available for remote work.

The laid-off staff were told that they can apply for these new roles, The Edge reported.

Yahoo retrenched journalists in 2022

Yahoo last retrenched journalists in October 2022, when seven staff left its editorial team, according to TODAY Online.

This came as it restructured its editorial team in Southeast Asia.

In 2023, Axios reported that Yahoo would lay off 20% of its total workforce, affecting more than 50% of its ad tech employees.

The current decision to lay off 17 staff from Yahoo Singapore was the result of a thorough evaluation that found consistent engagement from partner content, reported The Straits Times (ST).

The sales team is not affected by the retrenchments, according to The Edge.

Also read: S’pore Had 14,320 Retrenchments In 2023, More Than Double The Figure In 2022

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Featured image adapted from Foursquare.