Four publications have reached the end of the road: In Touch, Life & Style, Closer and First for Women.
McClatchy Media Company, which owns and operates the magazines, informed staff on Friday that all four will be sunsetting in the coming weeks when final issues are published by the end of June, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
“Despite the best efforts of many of our talented colleagues, we have been unable to develop a profitable business model for four of our magazine titles. First for Women, In Touch, Life & Style and Closer will publish their final editions between June 20 and 27,” McClatchy spokesperson Julie Pendley said in a statement to THR. “We are grateful for the meaningful contributions of the affected employees and are providing support during the transition.”
It’s unclear how many employees are impacted by the layoffs. THR has reached out for additional comment on the number of staffers affected.
The news marks yet another blow to the media and magazine business, which has suffered widespread layoffs and cutbacks in recent years due to declining readership, algorithmic changes, a rise in AI and leaning toward social platforms like TikTok. Just this week, Business Insider confirmed it was cutting its staff by 21 percent in layoffs that would impact every department.
The McClatchy shutterings also mark the end of an era for the celebrity tabloid business with the loss of three high-profile titles in the space. Though McClatchy is best known as a newspaper publisher with such newsroom operations as The Kansas City Star, Miami Herald, The Sacramento Bee, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Charlotte Observer and more, it expanded its reach into lifestyle and entertainment categories when it merged with accelerate360, a distribution, logistics and media company.
It acquired Us Weekly in the merger, and according to a source, that title was “always the star” above In Touch, Life & Style and Closer, the latter of which covered the older generation of stars while the former two are much more traditional glossy celebrity tabloids. “It’s very expensive to do print these days,” added a source of the closures. “The numbers are continuously down though there still is value in these brand names so it’s still possible that someone could purchase them and keep them alive.”
Despite the pullback in print, the magazines boasted online readership and considerable social media followings. On Instagram alone, both Life & Style and In Touch counted north of half a million followers in addition to robust websites.
According to an editor letter published by editor-in-chief Liz Vaccariello, First for Women was founded in 1989 and publishes every two weeks. The current focus was on delivering “guidance and encouragement on everything from beauty and fashion to health, psychology, diet and nutrition. Plus, all things food, family and home,” per Vaccariello.
While Hollywood’s talent publicists may not be shedding tears today, those who made a living in the celebrity weekly space at one of the publications are having a tough time. “Just another black Friday in the tabloid business,” said a source with a sigh.
Bethany Joy Lenz reads a copy of Life & Style during New York Fashion Week on Feb. 6, 2005.
(Photo by Scott Wintrow/Getty Images)
