The AJC to cut staff as it continues digital transformation

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday evening said it will lay off staffers in the newsroom and other segments of the business as it seeks to cut costs and marshal resources to invest in its growth.

Approximately 50 positions will be cut, about 15% of the AJC’s headcount. About half of those laid off will come from the newsroom, the AJC’s largest department.

The AJC has spent the past few years transitioning from a traditional newspaper into a modern media company. On Dec. 31, the AJC published its final print edition after 157 years but continues to be a vital source of news on its flagship website, AJC.com, on its mobile app, in videos, podcasts, social media and its ePaper.

“We’ve made these difficult decisions because we believe they will best position us to continue to accelerate the AJC’s growth,” President and Publisher Andrew Morse said. “We have invested heavily in our editorial, product and business teams over the last three years, and we’ve seen direct results from that investment.”

In an interview, Morse said he is confident in the company’s ability to accelerate revenue growth because the AJC is in a stronger position as a business and in the community.

“As we grow, we must be agile and ensure we are devoting resources where they will have the most impact for our audience,” he said. “While these changes are difficult on a personal level, they will best position the AJC to continue delivering journalism worth paying for.”

Staffers were informed late Tuesday that the AJC offices in Midtown will be closed Wednesday and that all work that day will be completed remotely. Affected employees will receive details in meetings Wednesday. Most will have their final workdays at the AJC within 30 days, Morse said, and impacted employees will receive severance packages.

An employee town hall will be scheduled Thursday to discuss the organization’s plans moving forward.

The AJC ended 2025 with more than 100,000 digital subscribers and far exceeded its goals in retaining print subscribers as digital customers.

Morse said Cox Enterprises, the AJC’s parent company, believes the transformation plan will build a sustainable AJC.

“We are not taking our foot off the gas,” he said. “Cox remains deeply committed to the AJC, our team remains deeply committed to growth and we will continue to invest in areas that are critical to the growth of our organization.”

Among the AJC’s recent investments in journalism and products are a robust video team, and bureaus in Athens, Macon and Savannah. The AJC also has expanded business, high school sports and politics coverage and launched UATL, a product dedicated to Atlanta’s influential Black culture.

Editor-in-chief Leroy Chapman said the AJC retains a deep and talented pool of journalists who will continue to cover the topics vital to subscribers and their interests and to the organization’s growth.

As a result of the cuts, some journalists’ responsibilities could shift to cover priority areas.

“We are 100% committed to serving this community and this state and that’s how we’ll move forward,” Chapman said.

The AJC made investments in data and analytics and knows much more today about its subscribers and would-be subscribers and their interests.

“This is still a strong and viable newsroom able to meet the moment we’re in,” Chapman said.