SINGAPORE — Yahoo has retrenched several editorial staff based in Singapore, following a restructuring of its editorial team in Southeast Asia and the cessation of publication of localised content in the Philippines and Indonesia.
TODAY understands from sources that seven employees based in Singapore were laid off, all of them journalists.
They were from the Singapore/Malaysia, the Philippines and the finance teams.
In response to TODAY’s queries, a spokesperson of the international media and tech company confirmed that “some members” of its editorial team have been affected by the move.
However, the spokesperson did not elaborate on how many were let go or when the retrenchment exercise was carried out.
In its written response, Yahoo said that the restructuring of the editorial team was “purely a strategic decision” as the company reassesses how and where it can best serve its global audience.
“Our editorial teams that produce localised content for Singapore and Malaysia will continue to provide the trustworthy news reporting and lifestyle content that our users have come to expect from us," the spokesperson said in an email on Tuesday (Oct 11).
One journalist who had made public his departure from the company was Mr Nicholas Yong, who posted about it on LinkedIn on Wednesday.
According to his profile on the professional networking platform, Mr Yong first joined Yahoo in September 2014 and his last held position in the company was as a senior editor.
He did not reply to TODAY’s questions regarding the retrenchment exercise.
According to Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report 2022 published in June, Yahoo News ranked fourth in Singapore in terms of weekly online reach and 11th in terms of brand trust.
Yahoo News is one of 11 sites granted a licence by the Infocomm Media Development Authority under its Online News Licensing Scheme.
More at https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/yahoo-retrenches-journalists-singapore-restructuring-2021221
