Vice Media layoffs, AP’s public health reporter, Bankadelic AI podcast: TBN Ticker for Nov. 17

Layoffs in the journalism and media world seem like an unending nightmare as Vice Media is one of the recent organizations that has announced the cancelation of several shows, along with staff layoffs. In addition, Jezebel is shuttering with its entire team being laid off. On the international front, UK publisher Reach plc has also announced about 450 job cuts – when will this chaos end? On the “healthier” news front, The Associated Press has hired Kenya Hunter as a public health reporter. An exciting episode of the Bankadelic podcast awaits you with our editor and publisher Lou Carlozo as he explores the world of AI with Edgeware CEO Nina Vellayan.

Vice cancels shows, lays off staff – AGAIN… Months after shuttering its flagship show “Vice News Tonight,” the media company has announced the closure of several shows and dozens of staff layoffs. “Vice will continue to produce digital news, as well as Vice News documentaries, both series and films, for FAST Channels, streaming services and other partners,” co-chief executives, Bruce Dixon and Hozefa Lokhandwala said. In response, the Vice Union posted on X/Twitter, “We can no longer express shock and surprise that VICE has determined its only way forward is to lay people off. As has been the case in previous layoffs, VICE has once again decided to let go of the very same people who have worked tirelessly over the years to turn it into a respected, award-winning media company. Entire teams were gutted, and scores of people lost their jobs today.” You can read the full post here.

AP hires for public health coverage… Kenya Hunter has joined The Associated Press as a public health reporter, a position funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Before this, Hunter worked as an Atlanta health reporter at Capital B. Prior to joining Capital B, she was an education reporter at The Richmond Times-Dispatch. She also worked as a general assignment reporter at Rome News-Tribune in Georgia, and as a news reporter at WERS-FM 88.9, Emerson College’s radio station. Hunter has a M.A. in journalism from Emerson College in Boston. Be sure to congratulate Hunter on X/Twitter.

Bankadelic explores the AI world… On the latest episode of Lou Carlozo’s Bankadelic, Talking Biz News editor and publisher Lou Carlozo talks with Edgeware CEO Nina Vellayan about the role of artificial intelligence in the banking industry. In the podcast, Vellayan explains how her company takes an approach to AI that engages customers, empowers employees, and sets the stage for what’s to come in this exciting new era of fintech. You can access the rest of the Bankadelic archive, including more than a dozen podcasts recorded live at the Money 20/20 convention in Las Vegas.

NY Times hit the 10m mark… The New York Times hit 10 million subscribers during the last quarter. The company added 210,000 net digital-only subscribers and made a profit of $53.6 million. The company also grew its total revenue 9.3 percent year over year. The Athletic also paid off as it grew its total revenue 45.8 percent year-over-year to $34.4 million. President and CEO Meredith Kopit Levien said, “We expect at least half of our subscribers over the next few years to be on the bundle. That matters because bundle subscribers engage more, stay longer and monetize better than subscribers to any individual product.” You can read the full details here.

Madan swaps CTV News for CBC News… Richard Madan is all set to join CBC News in Washington. He will join from CTV News, where he recently held the post of Washington, D.C. correspondent. In this role, he covered politics, elections, international trade, finance, and American news. He had been with CTV for more than a decade, joining as a parliamentary correspondent in 2010. Before that, he was a political specialist at CityTV Toronto and also worked as a legislature reporter at CBC. An award-winning journalist, Madan graduated from Carleton University in Canada. Be sure to congratulate Madan on X/Twitter.

AP also invests in political coverage… The Associated Press has tapped Hannah Schoenbaum to serve as Utah state government reporter. She will begin in December. “I can’t wait to call this beautiful state home and to connect with everyone in the #utpol #utleg universe,” her post read on X/Twitter. Recently, she held the post of North Carolina government and politics reporter. Before that, she worked as a congressional reporter at both Medill News Service and Times Union in Washington. She freelanced for USA Today and previously worked on the 2020 election tabulation team at The Associated Press. She interned at NBC News and was a Massachusetts State House correspondent at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Schoenbaum has a bachelor’s degree from Boston University and a master’s degree from Northwestern University. You can connect with Schoenbaum on X/Twitter.

Howgego takes on a new role at the New Scientist… Joshua Howgego has been named deputy head of features at the New Scientist after returning from a sabbatical. Previously, Howgego held the posts of features editor and education editor. He has also worked at nonprofit organization SciDev.Net as a deputy news and opinions editor. He also freelanced as a science journalist and writer. Howgego has degrees from the University of Reading in the UK, the University of Bristol and Imperial College London. You can congratulate Howgego on X/Twitter.

CNN hires Montgomery in Tokyo… CNN has hired Hanako Montgomery as an international correspondent based in Tokyo to cover important stories from Japan and the region across the network’s TV and digital platforms. “I am truly thrilled to join CNN and its top-class team of journalists and media professionals, she said about her new role. “I will be reporting from Tokyo, home to so many fascinating stories and a focal point in the fast-moving politics of Asia.” She joined from Vice Media, where she hosted and produced more than ten documentaries on East Asia for Vice News Tonight, Vice on SHOWTIME and Vice World News. Montgomery also wrote weekly articles for Vice on politics, society and breaking news in East Asia. An award-winning journalist, Montgomery has a bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University in New York. Be sure to congratulate Montgomery on X/Twitter.

Benbrook joins CNN in Washington… Julia Benbrook has joined CNN Newsource as a correspondent in Washington, D.C. Recently, Benbrook was a Washington correspondent at Spectrum, where she covered campaigns, the White House and Congress. She has also reported for The Hill and was a news reporter at KOTV-TV Ch. 6, a CBS affiliate in Tulsa. She was also named a NextGen Under 30 award winner for the state and nominated for a Heartland Emmy in the interview/discussion category. Her reporting has also appeared in USA Today and Inside Climate News. Benbrook has a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University and a master’s degree from Northwestern University. You can reach out to Benbrook on X/Twitter.

NY Times adds two to Seoul hub… Yan Zhuang and John Yoon, reporter-researchers on The New York Times International desk, have joined the breaking news hub in Seoul. Zhuang started her journalism career in Australia at The Age. She joined the Times during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, she has covered extreme weather conditions, the #MeToo movement and Australian animal stories. Yoon joined the Times in August 2020 as a news assistant. Before that, he held the posts of assistant news editor and senior writer at the Cornell Daily Sun, Cornell University’s independent newspaper. Yoon graduated from Cornell University in New York. You can congratulate Zhuang and Yoon on X/Twitter.

NY Times appoints Wilkinson movie critic… Alissa Wilkinson has joined The New York Times as a critic to cover movies “at a key moment when both movies and criticism are going through transformational changes,” reports the Times. Wilkinson joined from Vox, where she worked for seven years holding the posts of reporter, senior reporter and senior correspondent. She wrote about film, the film business and culture on a broader scale. For 14 years, she has also worked as a criticism professional at The King’s College. She freelanced for various outlets, including Rolling Stone, Vulture, Bon Appétit, The Dallas Morning News, Pacific Standard, Christianity Today, The Los Angeles Review of Books and Paste. Wilkinson has a B.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York and an M.A. from New York University. Be sure to congratulate Wilkinson on X/Twitter.

Tampa Bay Times adds to board, names president… The Tampa Bay Times has appointed Florida Trend publisher David Denor, Tampa Bay Newspapers publisher and president Jay Rey and Poynter Institute chief operating officer and chief financial officer Jessi Navarro to the board of Times Publishing Co. Meanwhile, veteran company executive Joe DeLuca has been tapped to serve as president. He has been with the Times since 2001 when he joined from the Hartford Courant in Connecticut. More details about the new appointments can be found here.

Star Tribune makes a hire, two promotions… The StarTribune in Minneapolis has appointed Maria Reeve managing editor, daily news. In her new role, Reeve will oversee the Tribune’s daily news operations, including the new Today Desk effort focused on breaking and trending news. “I am beyond thrilled to be back in this newsroom and back in the Twin Cities,” she said. “I’m looking forward to working with the many talented journalists across our newsroom — all with the aim of serving this community.” Recently, she served as VP, Texas content initiatives at Hearst Newspapers, and held the posts of managing editor for content and then executive editor at the Houston Chronicle. Previously, she worked at the Star Tribune from October 2011 to November 2019. Reeve has a B.A. in English from Davidson College in North Carolina and an M.A. in journalism from the University of Maryland. Be sure to congratulate Reeve on X/Twitter.

Eric Wieffering has also been promoted to managing editor and VP of news verticals. He joined the Star Tribune in 1997 and is a graduate of Carleton College in Minnesota. You can congratulate Wieffering on X/Twitter.

Deputy managing editor Chase Davis has been appointed head of newsroom strategy and transformation. Previously, Davis held the post of senior digital editor and was an assistant editor, deputy editor and editor of interactive news at The New York Times. He has also worked at The Center of Investigative Reporting, The Des Moines Register and the Houston Chronicle. Davis has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Be sure to congratulate Davis on X/Twitter.

Indianapolis nonprofit hires Hopkins as data reporter… Emily Hopkins has joined nonprofit news outlet Mirror Indy in Indianapolis, Ind. as a data reporter. “My work will be part explanatory, part accountability, all for Indianapolis,” her post on X/Twitter read. “Email me your questions, concerns and story ideas: emily.hopkins@mirrorindy.org.” Hopkins’ most recent post was that of Abrams fellow at ProPublica, from where she left in August 2023. Before that, she worked at The Indianapolis Star for four years, holding the posts of environmental database reporter and data reporter. She was also a Google News Lab fellow at Investigative Reporters and Editors, where she worked on content for the podcast and the Journal, and on the research desk. She interned at The Marshall Project. Hopkins has a bachelor’s degree in English and journalism from Boston University and an M.A. in media innovation from Northeastern University. Be sure to congratulate Hopkins on X/Twitter.

Montgomery TV station taps Schuessler to serve as nightside reporter… Simon Schuessler will join NBC station WSFA-TV Ch. 12 in Montgomery, Ala. as a nightside reporter. He will begin in January. “It is such an honor to be able to serve such a historic community and region. I look forward to providing ethical, fact-based news that will make a difference,” he wrote on X/Twitter. Currently, he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree from Troy University in Alabama, where he is a news reporter at the university’s TV network, Trojanvision News. He will graduate in May 2024. Previously, he also interned at Birmingham’s Fox TV station WBRC-TV Ch. 6. You can congratulate Schuessler on X/Twitter.

ABC’s Tampa station names Yanes anchor/reporter… WFTS-TV Ch. 28 (ABC Action News) in Tampa has tapped Nadeen Yanes to serve as an anchor and reporter. Since March 2022, Yanes has been at WFTX-TV Ch. 36, a Fox affiliate in Cape Coral, Fla., where she was a weekday evening anchor and reporter. She also worked as a general assignment reporter and fill-in-anchor at Graham Media Group. She also reported for CBS station WTKR-TV Ch. 3 in Norfolk; WMBB-TV Ch. 13, an ABC affiliate in Panama City, Fla.; and NPR’S Gainesville, Fla., member station WUFT-FM 89.1. Yanes has a B.S. from the University of Florida. You can congratulate Yanes on X/Twitter.

Elle journalist George goes freelance… Jennifer George, acting beauty director at Elle UK, has left to go freelance. She joined the Hearst title in August 2018 as a beauty editor. Previously, George freelanced as a health and beauty editor for Glamour, Sunday Times Style, Tatler, Grazia, the Evening Standard and the Independent. She has also held the posts of assistant to the publishing director, sales executive, editor’s assistant, events manager and health and beauty associate at Condé Nast’s Tatler. George graduated from Oxford Brookes University in the UK. Reach out to George via X/Twitter or LinkedIn.

Rufo moves to the culture/entertainment team at BBC… Yasmin Rufo, a reporter with BBC London, has moved to join the broadcaster’s culture, arts and entertainment team. “DM / email me with story ideas, tips and suggestions, particularly interested in theatre, books, TV & history.,” she wrote on X/Twitter. Rufo joined BBC News in October 2022 for BBC Politics. Before that, she was a digital features writer at the Evening Standard. She has also worked as a producer and writer at CNBC. Rufo has a B.A. from Durham University in England. You can congratulate Rufo on X/Twitter.

Benson joins LADbible as entertainment journalist… Rhianna Benson has joined LADbible Group as an entertainment journalist. Recently, she was a celebrity and entertainment reporter at OK! Magazine. Before that, Benson was a television writer at Reach plc. She gained work experience at ITV News and interned at Hearst Magazines. Benson has degrees from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Salford in the U.K. You can congratulate Benson on X/Twitter.

Mariam Ahmed is Talking Biz News’ content correspondent. For tips on the Friday TBN Ticker, email her at mariam@talkingbiznews.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.