In response to ongoing funding challenges, we’ve had to make some difficult strategic decisions at IDR this year. Given the circumstances explained below, we have no choice but to let go of half of our editorial staff in the next three months. To keep up with the demand for content, we’ll start integrating AI into our work.
Taking responsibility
We’re fully aware that AI and cost-cutting have been some of the biggest reasons for job loss in recent years. But the numbers are not depicting the complete story: Companies are afraid of admitting they’re replacing their staff with AI. We don’t want to replicate this. We take full responsibility for the decisions that led us to this stage.
Why we’re doing this
IDR started in 2017 with four people and one goal in mind—to make knowledge more accessible. To this end, over the last seven years we have published more than 2,000 articles, written by approximately 1,500 professionals, reaching more than 14 million people every month. In fact, we had our biggest growth spurt during the pandemic. We doubled the size of our team, launched new features and podcasts, and started publishing in four regional languages, but all of this came at a cost. Being the only social sector publication meant that we had a lot of content but very limited budget to support the team required to make this content available.
Before the financial year 2023–24 came to an end, we took stock of what we needed to do. To keep ourselves afloat with the current budgets, we’re laying off 12 members of our editorial staff by June 2024.
The role AI will play
This decision will not affect the content IDR puts out. We’ll be using AI as a writing and language tool to keep publishing at least five pieces every week. These will be overseen by our remaining editorial staff, who will fact-check and bring clarity and structure to the piece where needed. Our team will also make sure that we continue to represent diverse voices and bring new insights to the sector.
What you can do
We want to take this time to thank our team. They are the reason we’ve reached where we are today. To say that this decision affects us heavily would be an understatement. Our team is full of dedicated, intelligent, kind, funny, and courageous people, and we want to make sure they’re taken care of after they leave IDR. So if you have an opportunity for them, or if you know someone else who might, write to us.
If you want to read a more in-depth note about this decision, what led to it, and what our funders and partners have to say, click here.
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You’ve been pranked! Happy April Fools’ Day.
