Media Layoffs: Over 1,000 Jobs Lost in India as Newsrooms Restructure
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India’s media industry is going through another round of job cuts, with more than 1,000 media professionals estimated to have lost their jobs in 2026 so far.
More than 1,000 media jobs have been reported lost in India so far in 2026, according to Exchange4media. The industry had also seen significant job cuts in 2025, as media companies reduced their workforce amid business and revenue pressures.
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The job cuts have affected different parts of the industry, including editorial, production, video, design, technology, product, sales and support functions.
Advertising Pressure and Changing News Consumption
The job cuts are taking place even as India’s overall media and entertainment sector continues to grow. The sector was estimated at around ₹2.78 trillion in 2025, with digital media becoming its largest segment. However, growth is not being shared equally across all media businesses.
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News publishers face a different challenge. Their business depends heavily on advertising, website traffic and subscriptions, while audiences are increasingly consuming news through social media and video platforms.
YouTube has become an important source of news consumption in India, while platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook are also widely used to access and share news. This has changed how publishers reach audiences and distribute content.
AI Adds to the Pressure
Artificial intelligence is also becoming part of newsroom restructuring. Media organisations are using AI tools for tasks such as research, transcription, translation, video production and other routine content work.
However, the current layoffs cannot be attributed only to AI. The industry is dealing with several challenges, including uncertain advertising revenues, changes in platform algorithms, fragmented audiences, pressure on digital traffic and cost-cutting.
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The growing use of AI-generated search summaries is another concern for publishers. Users can increasingly get answers and information directly through search engines and AI tools without visiting the original news website.
This can reduce traffic and affect advertising revenue for publishers.
Newsroom Roles Are Changing
The current job cuts do not mean that media hiring has stopped. Instead, the type of skills being sought is changing.
Media companies continue to need journalists, editors and producers, but many organisations are also looking for professionals who can work across video, social media, data, digital publishing, audience development, product and technology.
The shift towards video is particularly important. With audiences spending more time on platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, traditional news organisations are increasingly expected to produce content in multiple formats rather than relying only on text-based articles.
For employees, this means that traditional media skills are increasingly being combined with digital capabilities. For companies, the challenge is to reduce costs while retaining experienced journalists and building new skills.
The latest layoffs show that India’s media industry is undergoing a workforce reset. While the sector continues to grow, some traditional newsroom business models are under pressure.
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The coming years are likely to bring smaller teams, wider responsibilities and greater demand for digital and multi-format skills across the media workforce.
About the Author
Sheetal Singh
Contributing Writer