NBC News is laying off 150 people — and asking some to reapply for open roles

Wednesday was a bad day for journalism and an absolutely rotten day at NBC News, where massive layoffs are underway.

The network has begun the painful process of laying off 150 employees, which accounts for about 7% of its staff. The cuts come as NBC Universal spins off cable outlets such as MSNBC, CNBC and USA Network into a new company called Versant. As part of that move, NBC News and MSNBC are no longer associated.

The New York Times’ Benjamin Mullin reports that no anchors are being laid off.

However, there is a bit of a twist here. Variety’s Brian Steinberg reports, “Not all the staffers affected are set to depart. Many will be encouraged to apply for 140 active open roles across the company’s news operations. Approximately a dozen of the eliminated positions are being repurposed as new roles, and those affected have been encouraged to apply to those roles.”

In a memo to staff, Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, wrote, “Today is a hard day. We have had to make some difficult decisions, including the elimination of positions across NBC News. While these decisions are necessary to remain strong as an industry leader, they are not easy and are never taken lightly. We have sought to minimize the number of affected team members, and our teams’ decisions should not be seen as a reflection on our colleagues who will be leaving. We will miss them and their valuable contributions.”

However, Conde did allude to the 140 open positions in a note to staff last week: “Coming off the successful creation of our new daily podcast ‘Here’s the Scoop,’ we are preparing to launch our NBC News subscription service later this year that will feature the best of our coverage and include new premium offerings. NBC News is expanding its new Sports Hub, in partnership with NBC Sports, with the NBA returning to NBC, as well as the Milan Olympics, the Super Bowl, and the World Cup on Telemundo. And to support the leading position of NBC News, we will be launching a marketing campaign soon that will reinforce our reputation for rigorous fact-based reporting that is indispensable and accessible across all platforms for all, the first such campaign in modern memory.”

And layoffs at The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal is laying off about a dozen staffers as it restructures its health, science and education teams.

In a note to staff, Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker wrote that the health group is returning to the business team after it had split off during the COVID-19 pandemic. The science group is merging with the education team, which remains a part of national affairs.

Tucker then wrote, “As a result of these changes, we are reducing the size of the teams affected and are saying goodbye to some colleagues. I want to thank them for their many contributions to the Journal.”

Tucker specifically mentioned Stefanie Ilgenfritz, who was the coverage chief for health and science and editorial director. Ilgenfritz headed up the team that won a 2015 Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting for its series on Medicare fraud.

Pressing on

Most of the journalists who cover the Defense Department turned in their Pentagon press credentials on Wednesday, one day after virtually every media outlet refused to sign the Pentagon’s new press policy. That policy prohibits journalists from accessing or soliciting information that the Defense Department doesn’t make available to them.

One America News, which is more of a pro-Trump propaganda outfit than a news organization, is the only outlet to agree to the new rules. Even news organizations that are widely considered to be conservative — such as Fox News, Newsmax and The Washington Times — refused to sign the new policy.

In fact, Gen. Jack Keane, senior strategic analyst for Fox News, appeared on Bret Baier’s Fox News show on Tuesday and said, “What they're really doing, they want to spoon-feed information to the journalists, and that will be their story. That's not journalism. Journalism is going out and finding the story and getting all the facts to support it.”

Let’s be clear about something, though. While those who cover the Pentagon will have a more difficult time by not being in the building, it doesn’t mean they will stop doing their jobs.

In a new statement, the Pentagon Press Association said, “The Pentagon Press Association’s members are still committed to reporting on the U.S. military. But make no mistake, today, Oct. 15, 2025 is a dark day for press freedom that raises concerns about a weakening U.S. commitment to transparency in governance, to public accountability at the Pentagon and to free speech for all.”

Barbara Starr, who covered the Pentagon at CNN for two decades and served as a board member of the Pentagon Press Association, told MSNBC on Wednesday, “Reporters are going to report no matter where they are. That’s just a fact. … This is not going to stop reporting.”

During that same MSNBC segment, retired Army Gen. Mark Hertling said, “What we’re talking about are two different institutions. One, the military, exists to defend the republic. The other one, the media, exists to inform it. And together, they protect the same ideal, which is self-government based on public trust. … If people aren’t getting informed, if the military isn’t doing the things it's supposed to do as they get paid so much to do in terms of a budget from Congress, you are going to lose that public trust.”

Starr also appeared on CNN on Tuesday and told anchor Kaitlan Collins, “What Hegseth is about to lose, I don’t think he even comprehends. He’s about to lose the ability to have communication with millions of Americans who read blogs, read newspapers, tune into TV to get military news, to find out what’s going on, to find out how their tax money is being spent, what the troops are up to, how military families are doing, how women and minorities are doing in the military.”

Hegseth claims this is all about national security and protecting troops.

But in her appearances on both CNN and MSNBC, Starr asked, "What is Hegseth afraid of?”

She said on MSNBC, “He clearly is deeply concerned about leaks. … It’s fine if he’s concerned about leaks. However, he also seems to be extremely focused on trying to impress President Trump with just how tough he is. And President Trump is responding to that. He may try to come across as tough, but he’s coming across, as I think many people believe, someone who is very fearful.”

Staff said Hegseth’s behavior, in the eyes of many, doesn’t show strength. And, Starr noted, the only significant interviews he has done have been with his old employer, Fox News.

The news with Nuzzi

It was nearly one year ago to the day that staff writer Olivia Nuzzi left New York Magazine under a cloud of controversy. She revealed that she had a personal and inappropriate — although not physical — relationship with someone she had covered. It was none other than Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the former presidential candidate who went on to endorse Donald Trump and then became his secretary of Health and Human Services.

Nuzzi pretty much disappeared from the public eye until she was hired last month by Vanity Fair as a West Coast editor.

Now, Status’ Oliver Darcy reports that Nuzzi has been working on a book for the past year. Details about what is in the book aren’t publicly known. “But,” Darcy writes, “those familiar with the matter indicated that Nuzzi’s book reflects on the past decade she spent covering politics, Donald Trump, and the MAGA movement. Notably, Status has learned, Nuzzi also addresses her relationship with Kennedy in the book — the first time she has done so publicly since releasing a statement last year when we broke news of her relationship with the anti-vaccine crusader and then-presidential candidate. Her reporting on Kennedy in the forthcoming book will carry with it new weight, now that he sits inside the Trump administration as Health and Human Services secretary.”

Darcy added, “The Vanity Fair role and forthcoming book mark a remarkable return for Nuzzi, whose fall from grace once appeared to have closed the door on her media career. A year ago, she was the subject of whispers and think-pieces about ethics in journalism. Now, she's back at a major magazine and poised to release a book on her own terms. Undoubtedly, she holds many secrets about her relationship with Kennedy, now a current federal official. The question is, will she reveal them?”

Media tidbits

• Controversy at Indiana University. First, here’s the Indiana Daily Student’s Mia Hilkowitz and Andrew Miller with “IU fires student media director after he refused to censor the IDS.”
• And here’s the Indianapolis Star’s Cate Charron and Brian Rosenzweig with “Indiana University fires IDS adviser amid dispute over student newspaper's content.”
• And my former Poynter colleague, Annie Aguiar — a graduate of IU, a former editor-in-chief of the Indiana Daily Student and the current arts and culture correspondent for Lookout Eugene-Springfield — shares her thoughts in this piece for Poynter: “At Indiana University, the journalism school forgot what journalism is for.”
• CNN’s Brian Stelter reported in his “Reliable Sources” newsletter that MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler informed employees on Wednesday morning that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. She is expected to undergo surgery next month. Stelter wrote, “She told staffers that the prognosis is good and that she anticipates being away for just a few weeks.”
• Axios’ Sara Fischer with “Most major TV networks will use AP data during 2026 and 2028 elections.”
• The New York Times’ Nicole Sperling and Jessica Testa with “Netflix Jumps Into Podcasts With Spotify Deal.”
• Ryen Russillo is headed to Barstool Sports. Awful Announcing’s Ben Axelrod has the details.

Hot type

• If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter, you might remember I was a huge fan of HBO’s “Succession.” So I wanted to include this interesting clip from Mehdi Hasan asking “Succession” actor Arian Moayed what made the show have such an impact. Moayed’s answer is certainly relevant these days.
• The Athletic’s Nathan Fenno with “Seattle athletes were terrorized in a spree of burglaries. ‘They feel unsafe in their homes.’”

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• Interested in learning more about funding local news? Start here.

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected].

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