❓WHAT HAPPENED: NBC News announced layoffs impacting seven percent of its workforce, particularly those specialized in reporting on ethnic minority and LGBT issues
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: NBC News, its parent company Comcast, and affected employees across various reporting teams.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The layoffs were reported recently, ahead of NBC’s planned split from MSNBC, which will be rebranded to “MSNOW.”
🎯IMPACT: Approximately 150 employees were laid off, with broader industry implications as other networks like CBS and CNN potentially face similar changes.
NBC News has laid off around 150 employees, roughly seven percent of its newsroom workforce, as part of a major restructuring plan that will separate the network from its cable affiliate MSNBC. The move comes ahead of MSNBC’s upcoming rebrand as “MSNOW.” The cuts impacted teams that specialized in reporting on minority and LGBT issues, including NBC BLK, NBC Asian America, NBC Latino, and NBC OUT. According to NBC, these verticals will continue to exist, but their coverage will be absorbed into the broader newsroom rather than being handled by dedicated teams.
The layoffs affect about 2,000 NBC News staffers and around two percent of the wider company workforce, which also includes employees at NBC and Telemundo’s local stations. The network has stated that more than 100 open positions remain available within the news division, and laid-off staff are encouraged to apply.
The reorganization is part of a broader corporate shift under NBC’s parent company, Comcast, which plans to group several networks, including CNBC and USA Network, under a new umbrella brand called Versant. Similar cost-cutting measures may soon be implemented at other major networks. Reports suggest CBS News and CNN could follow suit with staff reductions or pay cuts, including among high-profile anchors such as Anderson Cooper, Jake Tapper, and Gayle King, who are known for commanding multimillion-dollar salaries.
These changes come amid a broader trend in corporate America and public institutions pulling back on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Earlier this year, Microsoft disbanded its DEI team, citing “changing business needs.” Internal communications from the company reportedly acknowledged that the kind of systemic change DEI programs aim to create is no longer viewed as a business priority. In a separate move, the University of Florida laid off all DEI personnel and shut down related offices in compliance with new laws banning the use of public funds for DEI efforts.
At the federal level, a rollback of DEI programs is being driven by the Trump administration. In early 2025, the Department of Education removed hundreds of DEI-related documents from its website, canceled over $2 million in DEI training contracts, and placed several related staff on administrative leave.
In March, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order aimed at dismantling the Department of Education itself, reducing its responsibilities, and initiating widespread layoffs.
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