Men’s Journal, a popular men’s lifestyle and fitness magazine, laid off its entire New York City-based editorial staff ahead of the publication’s planned relocation to California, according to a report.
Trade publication WWD reported on Monday the staff was informed of the decision on Friday and will stay on through March to work on the upcoming May issue.
After May, editorial operations are expected to relocate to California where they will merge with the Adventure Sports Network in Carlsbad.
Men’s Journal and the American Sports Network are operated by American Media. A spokesperson said the decision was a “strategic” one intended to ensure the long-term “growth and success” of both publications.
It was not immediately clear how many positions were eliminated in New York City.
In addition to the layoffs, Men’s Journal is expected to reformat its magazine to skew toward a more niche audience and will reduce its publication output from 10 issues a year to six issues a year.
In 2017, American Media ended its print edition of competing magazine Men’s Fitness, folding health and fitness content into Men’s Journal.
Nearly a million people subscribe to the print edition of Men’s Journal, including readers with long-term subscriptions to Men’s Fitness who were transferred to Men’s Journal as a result of the combination. More than 8 million people log on to the Men’s Journal website every month, an increase from 3 million when American Media acquired the property several years ago.
