Breaking news refers to events which are currently unfolding, from plane crashes and house fires to earthquakes and terrorist attacks, with media outlets often racing each other to break their stories first. Breaking news may often be misleading; especially when covering less urgent stories too quickly. Such stories could contain inaccurate or outdated information that should not be reported quickly enough. The Long-Running Syndicated Newsmagazine Entertainment Tonight has long been one of the premiere newsmagazines. However, on this particular spring morning at Paramount Studios' ET set - known for its association with Hollywood's chaotic environment - things remain calm and orderly as co-hosts Bob Goen and Mary Hart stand near a table and begin reading their script from an inch-thick stack of paper. Though its future may remain unclear, ET remains committed to keeping pace with an ever-evolving media landscape. Executive producer Erin Johnson discusses in an interview with TVNewsCheck how ET has evolved beyond its roots as a daily celebrity news program into a multimedia brand offering viewers up-to-the minute entertainment and lifestyle news. As ET continues to adapt, some of its digital operations have had to scale back, leading to staff layoffs as part of this retrenchment process. ET recently consolidated teams at ET Online and ET Live in 2019, leading to several roles being eliminated according to sources telling Deadline at that time. On Wednesday, employees were informed via staff-wide Zoom that ET staffing levels would be reduced further in what one individual familiar with the matter described as a "small restructuring of digital operations." Affected workers represent less than 20% of total ET staff; according to this person, these reductions were part of a larger effort to better align digital content with audiences today. Other media companies have also recently made similar adjustments to their digital operations, with Daily Kos implementing layoffs as one example of such action. Markos Moulitsas wrote on the website that while "Daily Kos remains a powerful force in American politics," declining readership and failed revenue models were among reasons for these cuts. Bustle and Elite Daily's parent company was forced to cut jobs in January as digital content markets receded; and Cheddar, owned by media conglomerate Altice, laid off several video producers responsible for some of its most-viewed YouTube videos in June. Less Than 20 Employees Are Being Laid Off Media companies across the industry have been cutting staff in recent months. This trend can be found both among publishing powerhouses struggling to make digital platforms profitable as well as legacy journalism stalwarts attempting to increase valuations. Layoffs have been caused by a significant decline in advertising spending as the result of continuing economic uncertainty, impacting both technology-focused disruptors like BuzzFeed and Vice, as well as traditional publishers trying to maintain revenue streams. Entertainment Tonight has reduced staff due to a reduction of its digital operations, particularly its digital team, namely head of graphics, post-production supervisor and photo team members. Furthermore, Entertainment Tonight's team has been reconsolidated so as to focus more on production than social media. Reorganizations at other companies is more dramatic. Warner Bros. Discovery cut dozens of employees from its television and sports divisions as it attempted to streamline operations ahead of its merger with AT&T; The Athletic also laid off significant numbers as it attempted to prepare for an uncertain future. Gannett, owner of both The New York Times and USA Today, has had to lay off hundreds of workers this year as it sought ways to make its businesses more profitable. Axes have also fallen at publications with left or right-leaning politics like Daily Kos, which recently dismissed over half its staff after founder Markos Moulitsas warned readers' interest had diminished due to Trump administration policies. Recurrent Media, owner of Entertainment Tonight and Recur Media Live, has been making cuts across their lifestyle division. Most recently in July they decided to close Men's Lifestyle (MEL), the men's lifestyle publication once intended as part of Recurrent's lifestyle business, after it failed to grow as planned. They cited market forces for this decision as well as disorganization within its advertising sales department which likely contributed to its failure. The Reduction in Digital Programming Since its debut in 1981, "Entertainment Tonight" has become one of the most beloved and long-running celebrity newsmagazines on television. Since winning a Daytime Emmy for its coverage of celebrities, film productions, music concerts, fashion shows and awards shows as well as other events; co-hosted by Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner with Rachel Smith Cassie DiLaura and Denny Directo serving as correspondents; As entertainment news has moved online, producers of this show must keep pace with TMZ and other similar outlets - not only gossip but also newer players such as BuzzFeed - along with adopting social media such as its popular Facebook page which has garnered great fan response. Given the current environment for media companies of all kinds and sizes, the reduction in staff at the show's digital arms comes as no surprise. Recent weeks have witnessed high-profile layoffs at publications like Wall Street Journal and New York Times as well as cutbacks at companies such as electric vehicle upstart Rivian and subscription sports site The Athletic. Recently, The Athletic announced it is cutting its workforce by approximately 7% with 20 employees leaving. Cheddar News Network also announced in June the termination of several video producers who were responsible for creating content to be posted on Facebook and other social platforms, owned by Altice cable and broadband giant, with videos often garnering millions of views. As for the future of 'ET,' its staffing cuts are still unclear for its on-air and digital programming; but this is certainly not the first time it has experienced financial strain; late night host Jay Leno took a pay cut prior to this season and declining advertising revenue has plagued the program over time. Comcast (CMCSK) and NBCUniversal's merger may help increase bottom lines although competing entities like Disney (DIS) will present fierce challenges against each other in this sector. The Show’s Future Entertainment Tonight has long been a trusted source for celebrity interviews and behind-the-scenes glimpses at Hollywood. Although some employees were let go recently, Entertainment Tonight remains committed to providing its audience with entertainment news - familiar faces such as Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner will continue delivering celebrity gossip and red carpet coverage every week. This announcement follows numerous media companies cutting staff and streamlining operations due to an uncertain economy, with layoffs happening at high-profile outlets like BuzzFeed, CNN and Gannett this year alone. Uncertainty surrounding long-term investments has caused several companies to pull back, leading them to reduce staff numbers as a result. While some companies may be cutting staff, others are adapting their offerings in an attempt to remain relevant and profitable. According to The Wall Street Journal, Vice is shifting resources away from its content-heavy offerings toward hard news stories on Viceland; this change should result in fewer staff layoffs; however it will lead to the cancellation of several shows and reduced freelance contracts for some staff members. Entertainment Tonight has recently reduced digital programming while consolidating departments, decreasing travel budgets and decreasing sponsorships, which will save approximately $2 million a year. Since these changes took place, numerous staffers have taken to social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook to voice their opinions - some sharing frustration while others expressing hopes for better future prospects. Restructuring has resulted in a smaller, more efficient team at the company. The Marketing Department has been disbanded; instead the various outlets that the department produced for (like ABC and Hulu ) now take responsibility for their own marketing strategies - an unprecedented move by the network, which previously relied heavily on advertising departments to drive traffic and sales. Other departments that have been combined include 20th Television Signature music departments along with Freeform development/current programming departments.