Nine Entertainment Cuts 30 SMH and Age Jobs as AI Disruption Stalls Reader Revenue
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 21
Nine Entertainment Cuts 30 SMH and Age Jobs as AI Disruption Stalls Reader Revenue
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 21
Summary
Around 30 newsroom roles at the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age will go through voluntary and targeted redundancies, with Nine framing the move as a restructure rather than a simple cost cut.
Tory Maguire said AI has created an “extreme state of disruption,” while digital subscription revenue fell 6% last year and reader revenue stalled for the first time in three years.
Nine plans to retrain staff and hire for digital-first, reader-savvy and data-informed roles; the Australian Financial Review is excluded because its paywalled model is seen as more advanced.
The cuts follow 200 job losses two years ago and come as publishers face weaker search traffic from AI summaries and rising use of chatbots for news—10% overall and 16% among under-35s.
Will retraining newsroom staff for digital-first roles be enough to preserve quality journalism as AI platforms automate reporting and content curation?
As AI chatbots and search engines reshape news consumption, can licensing deals truly save Australian journalism from declining visibility and revenue?
How might the rise of AI-generated summaries and 'zero-click' searches change the way Australians trust and engage with news in the next few years?
Over 100 Jobs Cut at Nine Entertainment as AI and Market Pressures Force Major Media Restructuring in Australia
Overview
In June 2024, Nine Entertainment responded to a tough economic and advertising climate by cutting jobs and accelerating its shift toward digital news. This move was driven by falling ad revenues, changing consumer habits, and Meta’s refusal to renew commercial deals. As the broader media industry faces long-term financial instability and the disruptive rise of AI, Nine is making artificial intelligence a core part of its strategy, requiring staff to adopt AI tools and focusing on digital-first business models. These changes aim to protect Nine’s future as AI threatens traditional journalism’s value and revenue.