Vox layoffs, reorganization impact Eater Detroit
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Among the restaurants featured in the 2024 Eater Detroit Awards was Leña in Brush Park. Photo: Annalise Frank/Axios
The editor of Eater Detroit announced Thursday that her role was eliminated, yet another example of the decline of local-centric news outlets.
Why it matters: Though Eater is national, its Detroit site has been maintained by local writers and is an integral part of the restaurant ecosystem, as well as an entry point for diners to learn more about the city's diverse food options.
- Michigan has lost nearly 30% of its newspapers since 2005 and the rate of closure accelerated last year.
State of play: Parent company Vox Media cut staff and made organizational changes at Eater and two of its other lifestyle brands last week, Business Insider reported.
- Eater has local outlets in nearly two dozen cities, according to its website. It was founded in 2005 and acquired by Vox in 2013.
Axiom: Eater Detroit, which was run by veteran journalist Serena Maria Daniels, will move to a downsized regional model.
- The city publication will "be covered by multiple editors who work across the region," a Vox spokesperson told Axios in an email. "Eater is committed to coverage across all current Eater cities and providing our audience with local dining news, recommendations, and more."
Between the lines: The union that represents many Vox employees said in a statement it was "blindsided" and that "Many of those impacted by today's layoffs work on Eater's Cities team, a group of powerhouse journalists who produce some of the most impactful local journalism in the country."
Zoom in: Eater Detroit is known locally for its coverage of openings and closures, as well as interactive maps, guides and lists of anything from new restaurants to the best spots for speakeasies or where to grab tamales.
- Daniels, who was editor since 2022 per her LinkedIn, posted on X to announce her role's elimination and highlight recent work, including the 2024 Eater Detroit Award winners and launching Eater National's Hay Comida en la Casa, "a recurring column of personal essays that celebrates Latinx foodways."
- Daniels and other writers also delved into deeper cultural reporting, including an immersive look at a Southwest Detroit food truck street and a feature on the Filipino food scene.
What they're saying: Eater had its finger on the pulse of local restaurants and cultivated a real foodie scene in and around Metro Detroit, former Free Press restaurant critic and award-winning documentary maker Mark Kurlyandchik tells Axios.
- "It's going to be a shell of its former self without a local editor running it," says Kurlyandchik, who now runs a marketing agency for local restaurants and food brands. "Who else is going to write about the women making masa out of their house from heirloom corn?"
- Daniels declined to comment for this story.