The most ubiquitous sports publication in the country has an uncertain path forward after a recent round of layoffs.
For many readers, there was nothing that made quite the same statement in the sporting world as a Sports Illustrated cover. A lament for the magazine’s history and the power of the visuals on its covers ran in the New York Times this week, following the news that SI conducted mass layoffs and that much of the remaining staff would have an uncertain future with the publication after 90 days, leaving the vaunted magazine to twist in the wind.
Sadly, the seeming decline of Sports Illustrated isn’t a shock. For years, the magazine has been slashing staff and cutting print distribution as reader consumption has changed with internet subscription models and changing media diets. But it’ll be an unquestionably sad day when the top athletes of the day aren’t gracing newsstands around America, once one of the top publicity accomplishments in the wide world of sports.
Why it matters: Beyond the many talented individuals who lost their livelihoods, stories like this one are increasingly common in the legacy and print media world, and PR pros should take heed. Something similar just happened at the Los Angeles Times with a round of departures and layoffs that took several high-level editors out of the picture, leading to strife about the paper’s path forward. When publications take these steps it can be difficult for them to maintain a consistent editorial vision and direction, leaving the organization on shaky ground going forward. These SI layoffs risk affecting the brand’s reputation and legacy, as suggested when the exit of so many photographers can impact the frequency of SI’s celebrated cover images.
Incidents like this are a good opportunity for PR folks to take a moment to make sure the contacts in their media databases, like Muck Rack and Cision, are updated to stay on top of who is working where. Relationships don’t have to end when a journalist leaves a publication, and when a magazine or website shuts down, it’s on you to navigate where people end up after the fact to keep the media pipeline flowing.
Beyond the obvious cultural loss, moves like this one can have a lasting impact on PR relationships. Keep those virtual Rolodexes updated and stay on top of the shifting media landscape — this way, you can adjust your earned media and media relations strategies to redefine what top-tier publications you plan to target moving forward.
