UPDATED: First Look Media Shutters Topic and The Nib

The layoffs came as a surprise to employees.

First Look Media is planning to downsize its “digital video platform” and “storytelling studio” Topic, which had evolved into a multimedia newsletter and rich editorial product. The magazine staff were told they will be laid off earlier today, but will remain employed through July, according to Study Hall’s reporting and an internal memo from FLM’s Michael Bloom. (Copied at bottom.)

FLM will also “part ways” with The Nib, a political cartoon site run by Matt Bors that FLM originally acquired after Medium stopped publishing it. The Nib staff will also be laid off. Sources say the decision was sudden and unexpected, though Bloom’s memo makes it sound like a mutual choice to split. Both teams being fired on the same summer Friday suggest a new direction for the company, cutting editorial costs in favor of producing more video.

Topic’s next issue, Travel / Migration, will be its last, as it focuses on its work as a video studio. The brand’s direction is already apparent: On June 25, Topic hired Gena Konstantinakos as VP of development and video programming, from Vice’s television channel Viceland. FLM also recently acquired a streaming service called Passionflix and may try to leverage their subscription streaming platform into profitability.

An anonymous contractor for Topic whose contract is also being ended told Study Hall that the layoffs “came as a shock, given that future issues were already assigned and job listings were up as recently as a month ago.” The remaining Topic stories that are almost done will be published and paid for, while the rest will get kill fees, and editors are trying to help rehome those they can.

It’s unclear which staff members will stay on. On the Topic.com side, its original editor Anna Holmes remains senior vice president of editorial and Reyhan Harmanci is its executive editor. The Topic Studio side, which will presumably survive, has around a dozen employees. First Look Media and staff didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Topic launched in June 2017 as a “digital video platform with programming centered around monthly themes” and became known for its newsletters, with feature stories accompanied by high-production-value photo shoots and art. Only this year, Topic won two ASME awards in the video category. Its website was also nominated. It recently hosted a music event with Pop-Up Magazine, which is owned by another billionaire, Laurene Powell Jobs’s Emerson Collective.

The Nib was nominated for several Eisner awards and has been successfully publishing a print magazine, after a Kickstarter. Writers and editors alike are mourning the two critically acclaimed publications on Twitter.

First Look Media was created by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and also includes The Intercept and The Nib. These publications could also be affected by the Topic decision, as a signal of FLM’s direction.

The media industry is perennially bleak these days, and worst for smaller projects that can be easily spun up and shut down. Freelancers have noted that Popula, part of Civil’s blockchain media network, seems to be slowing operations as well. Both companies are run at the largess of capital — one billionaire and one blockchain business. When pressure comes on to cut losses, the most creative editorial projects could be the first to go.

Topic will presumably not be publishing content for its August theme, which was set to be “Disasters.” “Here at Topic, we’re trying to turn every disaster into an issue,” the pitch call reads.” How do we pick up the pieces afterward?”

From: Michael Bloom <[email protected]>
Date: June 28, 2019 at 5:27:18 PM EDT
To: Michael Bloom <[email protected]>
Cc: Michael Bloom <[email protected]>
Subject: Topic Magazine and The Nib

Team —

We have some news to share about Topic Magazine and The Nib.

Two years ago we launched Topic Magazine, an ambitious digital publication devoted to telling stories inspired by thoughtful and curious observations about culture, politics, and social commentary. Through the magazine’s photography, illustration, essays, audio, and video, we celebrated distinct voices and experimented with different formats. The goal was to cultivate an audience that we could grow and delight with great content.

The small, hard-working team has produced 24 powerful issues exploring love, anger, fear, music, rites of passage, identity and so much more, earning several prestigious awards along the way. And we learned a lot — about the audience, what resonated, and how to best move forward.

As we move into the next phase of our evolution, we will discontinue the magazine as we put a greater focus on a more video-centric offering. This summer we will publish the final issue and the magazine team will remain through the end of July during this transition.

We thank Anna Holmes for her incredible leadership and her hard working team for their passion in creating such a beautiful magazine that started us on this journey.

Also, after three and a half years, we will be parting ways with The Nib. We are so thankful to Matt Bors and his fantastic team for the impactful work over the years, and have been honored to provide a home for them as part of the FLM family. We are equally excited to see where Matt takes The Nib and its unique brand of comics next. Getting the newsletter each morning sets the pace for many fans and we will continue to watch and applaud the provocative commentary The Nib conveys through its immensely powerful illustration.

These are two big changes that impact us all. We’re so proud of the creative work over these past years and are grateful for the huge contributions of these teams.

We’ll be scheduling a town hall soon to further connect with the broader organization. If you have any questions in the meantime, reach out to me, Drew or Barbara Schiola.

Michael

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