Men’s Journal laid off its entire editorial staff in New York Friday, WWD has learned.
It’s understood that its owner, David Pecker’s American Media, is merging Men’s Journal’s editorial operations with Carlsbad, Calif.-based The Adventures Sport Network, which it acquired last year. From April, all editorial operations will be run out of that West Coast office.
At the same time, the magazine’s frequency will drop from 10 issues to six a year, with a more niche audience.
The New York staff will stay on until the end of March. May will be the final issue they have worked on. Its sales team will remain in New York.
An American Media spokesman said: “The strategic decision to merge Men’s Journal’s editorial operations with the passionate and talented staff of the Adventure Sports Network in Carlsbad, Calif., which American Media acquired a year ago, ensures the continued growth and success for Men’s Journal as well as ASN.”
American Media purchased Men’s Journal in July 2017 from Wenner Media, a month after it paid it a hefty $100 million for gossip magazine Us Weekly.
Most recently, it sold Muscle & Fitness and its bodybuilding trade show arm Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend to Jake Wood, an Arizona-based fitness industry insider whose growing portfolio includes digital media and event properties.
In the background to all this, its sale of the National Enquirer to James Cohen, part of the family that founded Hudson News Distributors, for $100 million is on hold. The deal includes two other tabloids, Globe and National Examiner.
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