For the Record

"Devastating News":

First Look Media announced Wednesday that it intends to lay off 4 percent of its staff and end The Intercept's stewardship of the Edward Snowden archive that served as the basis for Pulitzer-winning reporting by The Washington Post and The Guardian US. According to The Daily Beast, contributors Laura Poitras and Glenn Greenwald are searching for a new institution to house the archive. Poitras condemned both decisions in an internal email.

Lauded:

Fox News anchor Shepard Smith accepted the Leonard Zeidenberg Award at the Radio Television Digital News Foundation's 29th annual First Amendment Awards dinner in Washington Wednesday. According to the Foundation, the award is presented to a broadcast journalist or news executive who "has made a major contribution to the protection of First Amendment freedoms." In his acceptance speech, Smith said: "We must never knowingly deceive because to do so is a disservice to our audience and potentially injurious to our society."

Confusion:

The New York State Department of Labor is investigating an editorial assistant opening at Epicurious that was advertised by Site Director David Tamarkin as a "full-time freelance position" with "no benefits" on Twitter. However, parent company Condé Nast and Tamarkin have subsequently asserted that the entry-level position will include benefits, indicating that Tamarkin may have conflated the nature of the position with non-exempt duties under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Collective Bargaining:

The 83-person staff of Spotify-owned podcasting platform Gimlet Media will unionize with the Writers Guild of America, East, an organizing committee announced Wednesday. "As Spotify’s reported $230 million acquisition of Gimlet makes clear, however, Gimlet is no longer the small, scrappy operation memorably documented on the first season of ​StartUp,” the committee wrote. "Our union is an expression of passion for what we do, and a proactive effort to work with management to shape the future of the company."

Pounding the Pavement:

The Poynter Institute has compiled a list of resources for journalists affected by layoffs. Among others, Life After Journalism offers career adjustment courses (including "Getting Over Feeling Bad, Sad and Mad"), while the Journalist of Color Network matches job seekers with recruiters. The Society of Professional Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists also are offering free memberships and fee waivers to affected journalists.

Promote And Protect:

The Radio Television Digital News Foundation will host its 29th annual First Amendment Dinner in Washington Wednesday night. Honorees include the late Jamal Khashoggi, the staff of the Capital Gazette and Fox News anchor Shepard Smith.

Rough Year:

Vice Media intends to raise $200 million in debt and equity with the goal of attaining profitability by 2020. Despite receiving a valuation of $5.7 billion in 2017, the company only brought in $600 million in revenue last year, leading to a drastic reduction in Disney's investment stake, a round of layoffs and the cancellation of a weekly HBO documentary series. Other investors include 21st Century Fox, private equity firm TPG and venture fund TCV.

"Pivoting to Instability":

According to CJR, morale at BuzzFeed's news division remains low following recent layoffs. "[Peretti] and [BuzzFeed News Editor Ben Smith] have made a lot of really savvy decisions around digital media and news over the last several years," said Dominic Holden, a political reporter who organized the newsroom's union. "But [CEO Jonah Peretti] has not instilled confidence that he is able to transition from one mode to the next without innocent workers taking the hit."

"Deeply Saddened":

New York magazine announced Monday that it will lay off 16 employees, or 5 percent of its full-time staff, and 16 part-time employees in a restructuring of its workforce. The layoffs will affect the video, audience development and copy editing teams. Although most of the affected employees belonged to the publication's NewsGuild bargaining unit, a contract between the union and the magazine has yet to be finalized.

The Brady Room:

The White House held its first press briefing in 42 days Monday, ending the longest period between briefings in the Trump administration. Only two briefings have been held since December 19, 2018. Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Russell Vought answered questions about the proposed FY 2020 federal budget, the China-United States trade war and President Trump's national emergency declaration.