Boston Globe Media Cancels Show, Lays Off Staff Amid Video Strategy Shift

BOSTON, Mass. — Boston Globe Media announced on Thursday it will discontinue its co-produced program with the New England Sports Network (NESN) and lay off several employees involved in the project. The decision comes just a year after the program, called Boston Globe Today, launched under a two-year agreement in April 2023.

Chief Executive Linda Henry informed employees in a note that the company is shifting focus toward producing more video content in news, sports, and entertainment. While four employees were laid off, two others will remain to help expand the video efforts. Henry stated, “With this shift away from the complexities of daily television, we do not have the same need for all of the dedicated BGT production team.”

The Boston Globe, which actively owns the Boston Globe, healthcare publication STAT, and Boston.com, had positioned Boston Globe Today as a significant expansion into video journalism. However, the show struggled to establish a strong viewer base amidst competitive local news outlets and challenges associated with fostering an audience for broadcast journalism.

According to Globe spokesperson Carla Kath, the show provided critical skills to the video journalism team, indicating, “The show successfully supercharged our video journalism skills and output, and helped our subscribers receive and consume our journalism in new ways.”

The program aired a half-hour segment Monday through Thursday at 5 p.m., featuring Globe journalists discussing significant regional stories. These segments were additionally repurposed for digital articles and social media platforms to reach broader audiences.

Boston Globe Today faced personnel changes, including the departure of former host Segun Oduolowu and programming director Jennie O’Hagan within the past year, highlighting internal instability.

Henry outlined plans for a new weekly sports show with NESN, hosted by sports columnist Christopher L. Gasper, set to launch this spring. NESN, known for its coverage of Red Sox and Bruins games, is primarily owned by Fenway Sports Group, which also owns Boston Globe Media.

In an email critique, multimedia producer Matthew Nelson, who was part of Boston Globe Today, expressed disappointment, stating, “Layoffs are part of the business, sure…but hiring folks, having them relocate, canceling the project they were hired to work on, and then the project they were moved to…that’s the kind of scenario good companies ought to avoid.” His messages were reportedly deleted in the newsroom Slack channels.

The Boston Newspaper Guild, representing some Globe editorial staff, expressed dissatisfaction over the layoffs and the abrupt process, stating there was “little transparency” regarding the future of the show, despite ongoing inquiries. The Guild emphasized that the layoffs came as a surprise and were poorly communicated.

In a follow-up to criticisms surrounding Nelson’s deleted messages, Henry acknowledged that the action was taken without necessary approvals and clarified that his email was unaffected.

Despite the changes, the Boston Globe remains profitable and has been expanding its coverage into regions beyond Massachusetts, adding investigative reporting and data teams. However, like many media organizations, it faces challenges as expenses rise and revenues stabilize.

Aidan Ryan can be reached at . Follow him .