Sports Illustrated conducts mass layoffs

Sports Illustrated magazine reportedly laid off about half of its newsroom staff.

The magazine's ownership group is planning to hand over control of the publication to a digital publisher named TheMaven network, according to a petition signed by much of Sports Illustrated's journalists.

"TheMaven wants to replace top journalists in the industry with a network of Maven freelancers and bloggers, while reducing or eliminating departments that have ensured that the stories we publish and produce meet the highest standards," the petition reads. "These plans significantly undermine our journalistic integrity, damage the reputation of this long-standing brand and negatively [affect] the economic stability of the publication."

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