Washington DC’s leading radio station, WAMU, announces layoffs and closure of DCist website
WAMU, an NPR affiliate radio station in Washington DC, recently announced that layoffs would be coming in the near future, and it is estimated that fifteen staff members will be affected. The radio station also announced that the website DCist.com would be permanently shut down. DCist.com was a prominent news source in Washington DC, and the site published content regarding local news stories and trends in Washington DC. The radio station acquired the website six years ago, and WAMU stated that the radio station is planning to shift more focus to audio-produced content rather than digital content. WAMU cited decreasing demand for digital content and lower advertising revenue. The number of journalists at WAMU has decreased from fourteen to seven in the past year, and the layoffs will reduce the number to four journalists. WAMU is the most popular radio station in the Washington DC area, and various government workers and civic leaders have expressed disappointment regarding the layoffs and the closure of DCist.com.
See "Washington DC’s leading radio station, WAMU, announces layoffs and closure of DCist website", Elahe Izadi, Will Sommer, The Washington Post, February 23, 2024