"Constantly looming layoffs": Global News reporter leaves profession

Breanna Karstens-Smith, a longtime journalist and reporter at Global News Edmonton, has announced that she is leaving the profession.

“After 14 years in journalism, the gallows that are local news are no longer worth it,” she wrote in a post to X.

Karstens-Smith, who previously held roles at CTV in Edmonton and Vancouver, wrote that she is leaving on her own terms and that the “do more with less” model of news, with layoffs constantly looming, “isn’t attractive” to her.

She started working at Global News Edmonton in 2019.

Today was my last at Global Edmonton. After 14 years in journalism, the gallows that are local news are no longer worth it. The ‘do more with less’ model with layoffs constantly looming isn’t attractive to me. Being a reporter lived up to every dream. Now I’m excited for new ones pic.twitter.com/ZWlRPNpUHQ

— Breanna Karstens-Smith (@Breanna_KS) July 17, 2024

Karstens-Smith won several awards for her reporting throughout her career in journalism, including those for her work on teams covering events such as the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire, floods, and a record wildfire season in British Columbia.

She said that she has found an “absolutely perfect” opportunity outside of journalism and has no plans to leave her hometown of Edmonton.

I feel grateful to be leaving on my own terms and for the most absolutely perfect opportunity outside of journalism (still in Edmonton.) More to come after a bit of family time.

— Breanna Karstens-Smith (@Breanna_KS) July 17, 2024

Her comments regarding the state of local news come as Canada’s media industry has suffered many layoffs in 2024, with companies looking for aggressive cost-cutting measures.

Earlier this week, Corus Entertainment, which oversees several media subsidiaries, including Global TV, announced that one in four full-time jobs will be slashed by the end of next month. This was after previous layoffs in June that impacted Global News positions across the country.

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Bell Media announced a massive round of layoffs in February and sold 45 of its radio stations as part of an ongoing restructuring plan. Nearly 4,800 positions — 9% of Bell’s total workforce — were cut.