'I Am Genuinely Devastated': Fans, Former Employees Mourn As National Geographic Lays Off All Staff Writers in 'Sad Day for Journalism' The magazine has been around for 135 years.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

It's the end of an era as the long-beloved magazine National Geographic has officially laid off the remainder of its staffed writers, marking a final cut to print editorial.

In a final round of layoffs, 19 staffers were let go this week. The employees had been notified that the cuts were coming in April as the company (owned by Walt Disney Co.) prepares to pull its iconic print magazine from newsstands next year.

Staffers were told that remaining assignments will be issued to freelancers, and features already in progress will be completed by editors.

Laid-off staffers lamented on social media and reflected on their time with the publication.

Other fans of the magazine and the brand also took to Twitter to mourn the "sad day in journalism" and questioned what was next for the company and industry.

National Geographic first hit stands in 1888 as a full-text magazine that contained no photos and cost just $0.50.

In December 2017, Walt Disney Co. struck a deal to acquire 21st Century Fox, which included National Geographic Partners (which operated National Geographic magazine in partnership with the National Geographic Society and 21st Century Fox).

The acquisition was finalized in 2019.

Most recently, NGP has tried to roll with times and make forays into new areas of digital space, including an NFT collection and four-part podcast series.

As for the future, National Geographic spokesperson Chris Albert told The Washington Post that NGP will still publish a magazine monthly and that layoffs and a new shift in focus will give the company "more flexibility to tell different stories and meet our audiences where they are across our many platforms."

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

I've Made Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars With a Fun Side Hustle — And You Might Have Seen Me Doing It on TV

Phil Schraeder, CEO at GumGum Advertising, turned a childhood passion into a lucrative side gig.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business Solutions

Boost Your Bottom Line by Learning Advanced Excel Features for Only $35

No prior Excel experience is required to learn the program's features—from beginner to advanced—including how to use it with ChatGPT.

Business News

Meta Says It Has Fired 20 Employees For Leaking Information: 'We Expect There Will Be More'

Meta has a strict no-leaks policy, but internal memos and meeting recordings have still made their way outside the company.

Business News

MrBeast's Holding Company Could Be Worth $5 Billion After Its Latest Fundraising Round

The YouTube creator is reportedly in talks to raise funds for a holding company for his various businesses, including his snack brand, Lunchly.

Thought Leaders

5 Obstacles Keeping You from Being an Effective Leader

Common problems that can hinder you from being someone who inspires and motivates, and how to overcome them.