Ever since the first copy of National Geographic magazine came out in 1888, the publication has been one that’s served as a leader in the areas of exploration, geography and those with a yen for far-off lands. This has been prominently accomplished through photography, which has allowed for a visual experience for the reader. The publication is the official magazine of the National Geographic Society, with the brand having expanded its imprint through such things as a cable channel, a website and other key marketing components.
However, that legacy has come into question since the September purchase of the majority of shares (73 percent) of the Society by billionaire Rupert Murdoch for $725 million. The Society, which had been a non-profit organization prior to the purchase, immediately became a part of the massive 21st Century Fox for-profit organization. The impending changes following the purchase led to gallows humor from a number of employees, who gave new names to the months of October and November that were tied to the likely reduction in the workforce.
On November 3, the first official day that Murdoch’s group was in charge, 21st Century Fox promptly laid off nine percent (180) of the 2,000 associates. Some employees who had been at the Society for a lengthy period were offered buyouts. That was due to the decline in readership of the magazine, though other facets of the Society also saw individuals laid off—including the National Geographic Channel, which is considered the most profitable aspect of the organization. The layoffs were the largest in the Society’s 127 years of operation, and coupled with that were steps taken by the new majority owner that would help limit costs down the road.
This was accomplished by changing the current pension plan to a 401(k) in order to having equal percentage contributions to an employee’s plan, freezing the current pension plan for employees that were eligible and eliminating any future retiree’s right to medical coverage. Criticism of not only the layoffs, but the way in which they were handled was swift. That was due to the fact that the entire staff was notified by e-mail that they should be available on the day in question either in person or by phone. The e-mail also indicated that those employees should watch their inbox for an update on their employment status, an ominous sign for those expecting the worst. Among the 180 layoffs were a number of employees who worked in the fact-checking department.
That fact struck a chord with those who have long been critical of Murdoch’s use of journalism as a way of promoting his own interests. Those critics have charged that Murdoch’s focus on what they consider to be the lowest common denominator results in a tabloid approach to journalism, which is profitable but destroys a publication’s credibility. They offer examples such the New York Post in the United States and News of the World in England.
Those critics also complain that the Fox News Channel purports to be “fair and balanced,” but instead focuses on the Conservative side of issues, one of those being a dismissal of the concept of climate change. That would be in direct contrast to the beliefs of those at the Society, which had published a single issue devoted to the subject. While it will take time to determine if any shift in the manner of how news is presented in National Geographic takes place, the layoffs are seen by those critics as the first step toward the eventual end of the publication.