Pitchfork Merges With GQ, Half Their Staff Laid Off

Corporate America strikes again, this time resulting in a major blow to much-respected media outlet and online music magazine Pitchfork.

Pitchfork was originally acquired in 2015 by global mass media company Condé Nast, and is now being merged with fellow Condé Nast property GQ. The merger means half of Pitchfork’s staff will be laid off, including the departure of editor-in-chief Puja Patel.

According to a memo by Anna Wintour, global Chief Content Officer for Condé Nast, the decision was made due to Pitchfork’s performance. And then a whole bunch of other corporate-speak that boils down to “good luck.”

“Dear all, Today we are evolving our Pitchfork team structure by bringing the team into the GO organization,” wrote Wintour. “This decision was made after a careful evaluation of Pitchfork’s performance and what we believe is the best path forward for the brand so that our coverage of music can continue to thrive within the company.

“Both Pitchfork and GQ have unique and valuable ways that they approach music journalism, and we are excited for the new possibilities together. With these organizational changes, some of our Pitchfork colleagues will be leaving the company today. I want to thank Puja for her leadership of the title over the last five years. She has been a wonderful colleague and advocate for the brand, and I’m grateful for her and the team’s many contributions.

“Members of the Pitchfork team will hear more about their reporting structure in meetings this week. There are no additional changes at this time as we focus on our internal team structure and operations. We will of course keep this team updated first when any new decisions are made about the transition.”