Wired.com lays off 12 percent of staff

For the second time in five months, Wired.com, the Internet arm of Wired magazine, has trimmed its staff.

(Credit: Wired.com)

According to a Twitter post from Evan Hansen, the Web site's editor in chief, the company laid off 3 out of 25 full-time staffers or 12 percent of its workforce.

"Reports of Wired.com 'gutting' greatly exaggerated," Hansen wrote on Twitter, presumably referring to published reports about Wired.com's layoffs. "We cut three staff, five contractors, (and) still have 45 people working for us overall."

Among those who lost their jobs was Eliot Van Buskirk, a much respected digital music reporter who authored the blog ListeningPost for the Web site for over three years, according to multiple people within the company. Van Buskirk was a part-time contractor for Wired and is a former CNET employee. Leander Kahney, Wired.com's managing editor, also lost his job, but he requested that he be let go, the sources said.

In November, Wired.com laid off 10 percent of its staff. Wired magazine was once a must-read for the cybergroovy but has since had to contend, like all print publishers, with more competition from online sources of technology stories.

[sciontcya]

Wired = Tired
RIP - it was a good run...

[AngryPaw]

Wired's continual demise is due to two real factors:

1. They started being the modern equivalent of the pop science magazines in the 60's and 70's that would have front page articles like "Cities in Space!" with predictions that never came true. Wired, too, turned to this instead of real reporting. How many articles can you do on "the next big thing" that never occur without losing some serious cred.

2. They focused on stuff that wasn't "wired" territory. The last straw for me was the "Athiesm" issue that was so poorly reported that I actually groaned in parts.

I'm sorry that these people have lost their job. It's devastating. But I understand, as I haven't even browsed their site or looked at the magazine in a year or more.

[grtgrfx]

I actually liked the Athiesm issue, as it introduced me to the big players and their fan clubs.

[skillingssucks]

Only recently have Wired.com and Wired Magazine been the same organization. Conde Nast bought Wired.com in 2006. From 1996 to 2006 they were separate entities.

[skillingssucks]

TYPO EDIT: From 1998 to 2006 they were separate entities.

[MattSF]

Hmm... I know I shouldn't find layoffs in the industry surprising, but they're about the print edition of WIRED in the UK

[MattSF]

ack... about to LAUNCH the print edition, I mean