Pitchfork is being restructured by Condé Nast, the mass media company that purchased the music publication in 2015.
The music outlet will be moved under men’s fashion magazine GQ, which is also owned by Condé Nast, according to a leaked internal email that was shared today (January 17) on X (formerly Twitter) by media reporter Max Tani.
The email, written by Anna Wintour, who is chief content officer at Condé Nast, also mentioned that some Pitchfork employees, including editor-in-chief Puja Patel, have left the company amid the restructure. The decision to fold the publication into GQ was made, the email said, "after a careful evaluation of Pitchfork’s performance". It added that the company believed this was "the best path forward for the brand so that our coverage of music can continue to thrive within the company".
A number of Pitchfork staffers have this evening taken to social media to share that they have been laid off from the publication. Among them is features editor Jillian Mapes, who wrote on X: "I’ve referred to my job at Pitchfork as being on a ferris wheel at closing time, just waiting for them to yank me down. After nearly eight years, mass layoffs got me. Glad we could spend that time trying to make it a less dude-ish place just for GQ to end up at the helm."
Ryan Schreiber, Pitchfork’s founder and former editor-in-chief who sold the publication to Condé Nast in 2015, wrote: "Extremely saddened by the news that Condé Nast has chosen to restructure Pitchfork and lay off so much of its staff, including some who’ve been integral to its operations for many years/decades. Sending love to everyone affected and hoping for the best for its future."
It’s not yet known exactly how many staff members have been let go as part of the restructure, while details on how it might affect Pitchfork’s publication of content going forward are also currently scarce.
