Wave of layoffs of the media industry is launch, why? > Examples of Blogs

Why did the layoff wave hit the media industry? What is the future of the mass media? What is the fate of the journalist or journalist profession?

Decreased income is the main reason for layoffs and media closure. The media company claimed that this layoff decision was taken because it had to adjust to the constantly changing industrial conditions.

What is the cause?

Kompas TV, one of the big players in the television industry in Indonesia today, is also called laid off on around 150 employees.

Although there is no direct confirmation from management, the Press Council receives a report related to this matter.

The Chairman of the Press Council, Ninik Rahayu, said that the numbers were noted that the possibility was far smaller than reality because many media were not open.

The decline of ad value is the main reason

As the advertiser’s strategy shifts, social media is now a favorite place for promotion because it is considered more effective, flexible, and has a broader reach.

Just compare with the mainstream media that must be subject to the principle of balance and verification, a time -consuming process.

This advertiser’s choice affects many things. Social media offers speed, convenience, and closeness with the audience.

Meanwhile, conventional media must maintain the quality of content and integrity.

No wonder many companies prefer campaigns on platforms such as Tiktok, Instagram, or YouTube.

You may also find the first news more often there, right?

Is this all because of AI too?

Yes, technology such as AI and news aggregators aggravates the pressure felt by the media.

With the current sophistication, people can get concise information from one Google page without clicking on the news link. As a result, traffic to the media site plummeted, and digital advertising opportunities also dropped dramatically.

Then, additional challenges emerged from the government

Budget cutting policy in the era of President Prabowo has a direct impact on advertising from ministries and state institutions.

In fact, these agencies previously became one of the biggest advertising contributors, especially for local and regional media.

How big is the impact?

According to Amsi, advertising spending in the media plummeted up to 80 percent in the first quarter of 2025.

This decline was felt in all lines, from the center to the regions, and from the private sector and the government. Many media are finally forced to cut fees or find new ways to survive.

Is there an alternative strategy?

Some companies try to diversify by opening new business lines, such as event organizers or data services.

There are also those who start developing paid content subscription models. Their hope is on the publisher rights, so that media content can be paid by digital platforms like Google. But the implementation has not been massive and evenly distributed.

Then what about television media?

This is probably the most severe sector. High operating costs, advertising income continues to decline, and the majority of audiences have switched to social media.

Data from Nielsen showed a decrease in television advertisements by 23 percent in early 2025.

About 70 percent of people now prefer to get news from social media.