![\"Entertainment](\"https:\/\/www.digitalmusicnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/penske-media-layoffs-hit-2025-1024x576.jpg\" "\\"Entertainment\\"")
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Photo Credit: Ashley King (Penske Media Website)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Entertainment Penske Media Corporation (PMC) has conducted multiple rounds of layoffs across its music and entertainment outlets<\/a> in 2025. These cuts have impacted writers at Billboard<\/em>, Rolling Stone<\/em>, and Variety<\/em> as the corporation faces revenue pressures from Google\u2019s AI summaries.<\/h2>\nRolling Stone<\/em> laid off writers Andre Gee and Brittany Spanos on Monday. Gee stated the recent merger with VIBE eliminated his position. \u201cThis termination leaves me in immediate peril,\u201d Gee wrote<\/a> on a GoFundMe page seeking donations following the exit. \u201cMy salary was not commensurate with New York\u2019s tremendous cost of living, so I haven\u2019t been able to amass the savings needed to weather this period.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cAfter 11 years I was laid off from Rolling Stone<\/em>,\u201d Spanos wrote<\/a> on X on Monday. \u201cKinda surreal feeling to start over but excited to see what\u2019s next.\u201d Spanos notes that over the course of her time with the publication, she wrote three cover stories this year alone.<\/p>\nRolling Stone<\/em> also cut staff in September, with losses then including executive digital director Lisa Tozzi and chief television critic Alan Sepinwall.<\/p>\nVariety<\/em> let go at leasts three employees last week. Affected staff included senior entertainment writer Adam B. Vary and associate news editor J. Jim Murphy. \u201cThe great axe of modern journalism has come for me\u2014today was my last day at Variety<\/em>,\u201d Vary wrote<\/a> on December 5 on Bluesky. \u201cNot my choice at all and I will miss my tremendous colleagues and friends there enormously.\u2019\u201c<\/p>\n\u201cMore Variety<\/em> layoffs, sad to say I\u2019m among those impacted,\u201d Murphy wrote<\/a> on X on Monday. \u201cGrateful for my five years there and proud of all the work I did\u2014breaking news, editing, reviews, interviews, social and more. Looking back, I did a lot. It was a job I loved.\u201d<\/p>\nBillboard<\/em> also saw significant layoffs this week. Departures included editors Robert Levine and Steve Knopper, senior director Dave Brooks, and lead analyst Glenn Peoples. Executive editor Frank DiGiacomo also updated his Instagram profile to reflect his exit from the publication without an official statement.<\/p>\nPMC sued Google in September 2025 over the company\u2019s AI summaries<\/a> in search results. These summaries appear ahead of any links and summarize journalism without consent or compensation. The suit claims these summaries cut traffic, ad revenue, and affiliate earnings by more than 33% in 2024. PMC says it faces a dilemma in allowing the content to be used for AI summaries or risk dramatic search declines.<\/h4>\n\u201cAs a leading global publisher, we have a duty to protect PMC\u2019s best-in-class journlists and award-winning journalism as a source of truth,\u201d Penske Media<\/a> CEO Jay Penske said in a statement at the time the lawsuit was filed. \u201cFurthermore, we have a responsibility to proactively fight for the future of digital media and preserve its integrity\u2014all of which is threatened by Google\u2019s current actions.\u201d<\/p>\nPenske is seeking treble damages, a permanent injunction halting the alleged practices, restitution or disgorgement of profits earned from its content and attorneys fees. The company is also demanding a jury trial to settle the matter.<\/p>\n<\/section><\/div>\n
\u201cAfter 11 years I was laid off from Rolling Stone<\/em>,\u201d Spanos wrote<\/a> on X on Monday. \u201cKinda surreal feeling to start over but excited to see what\u2019s next.\u201d Spanos notes that over the course of her time with the publication, she wrote three cover stories this year alone.<\/p>\n Rolling Stone<\/em> also cut staff in September, with losses then including executive digital director Lisa Tozzi and chief television critic Alan Sepinwall.<\/p>\n Variety<\/em> let go at leasts three employees last week. Affected staff included senior entertainment writer Adam B. Vary and associate news editor J. Jim Murphy. \u201cThe great axe of modern journalism has come for me\u2014today was my last day at Variety<\/em>,\u201d Vary wrote<\/a> on December 5 on Bluesky. \u201cNot my choice at all and I will miss my tremendous colleagues and friends there enormously.\u2019\u201c<\/p>\n \u201cMore Variety<\/em> layoffs, sad to say I\u2019m among those impacted,\u201d Murphy wrote<\/a> on X on Monday. \u201cGrateful for my five years there and proud of all the work I did\u2014breaking news, editing, reviews, interviews, social and more. Looking back, I did a lot. It was a job I loved.\u201d<\/p>\n Billboard<\/em> also saw significant layoffs this week. Departures included editors Robert Levine and Steve Knopper, senior director Dave Brooks, and lead analyst Glenn Peoples. Executive editor Frank DiGiacomo also updated his Instagram profile to reflect his exit from the publication without an official statement.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a leading global publisher, we have a duty to protect PMC\u2019s best-in-class journlists and award-winning journalism as a source of truth,\u201d Penske Media<\/a> CEO Jay Penske said in a statement at the time the lawsuit was filed. \u201cFurthermore, we have a responsibility to proactively fight for the future of digital media and preserve its integrity\u2014all of which is threatened by Google\u2019s current actions.\u201d<\/p>\n Penske is seeking treble damages, a permanent injunction halting the alleged practices, restitution or disgorgement of profits earned from its content and attorneys fees. The company is also demanding a jury trial to settle the matter.<\/p>\n<\/section><\/div>\nPMC sued Google in September 2025 over the company\u2019s AI summaries<\/a> in search results. These summaries appear ahead of any links and summarize journalism without consent or compensation. The suit claims these summaries cut traffic, ad revenue, and affiliate earnings by more than 33% in 2024. PMC says it faces a dilemma in allowing the content to be used for AI summaries or risk dramatic search declines.<\/h4>\n