Hubbry Logo
Vice MediaVice MediaMain
Open search
Vice Media
Community hub
Vice Media
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Vice Media
Vice Media
Vice Media
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Vice Media Group LLC is a Canadian-American digital media and broadcasting company. As of April 2024, Vice Media encompasses four main business areas: Vice Studios Group (film and TV production); Vice TV (a joint venture with A&E Networks, also known as Viceland); Virtue (an agency offering creative services); and Vice Digital (digital content).[2] It was cited as the largest independent youth media company in the world, with 35 offices.[9]

Key Information

The original Vice magazine was founded and based in Montreal and co-founded by Suroosh Alvi,[10] Shane Smith, and Gavin McInnes.[11] Developed from the magazine, Vice Media expanded primarily into youth and young adult-focused digital media. This included online content verticals and related web series, a news division, a film production studio, and a record label, among other properties. Vice re-located to New York City in 2001.

Vice News was known for broadcasting news programs on HBO; including the Emmy-winning[12] weekly self-titled documentary series, which premiered in April 2013, and features segments on global issues hosted by co-founders Smith and Alvi, and a rotating cast of correspondents.[13][14] A spin-off, Vice News Tonight, premiered 10 October 2016 and showcased a nightly roundup of global news, technology, the environment, economics, and pop culture while eschewing traditional news anchors.[15][16][17]

On 10 June 2019, HBO announced Vice News Tonight's cancellation, in addition to ending relations with Vice Media, after a seven-year partnership.[18] In August 2019, it was reported that the company was laying off staff as part of a shift towards news that would involve merging Viceland and Vice News.[19] In April 2023, it was announced that Vice Media was restructuring and downsizing its news division.[20][21][22] A month later, Vice filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy[23] and agreed to be acquired by a consortium led by Fortress Investment Group for $350 million in June.[24]

In February 2024, CEO Bruce Dixon announced additional layoffs and that Vice.com would cease publishing content.[25][26] In July 2025, Vice published new content.[27] Vice has since partnered with other media companies, such as Savage Ventures, to distribute its content.[28]

History

[edit]

Founding and early years (1994–2005)

[edit]

Voice (later Voices of Montreal) was founded by Alix Laurent of Interimages Communications in October 1994, with Suroosh Alvi as editor and Gavin McInnes as assistant editor, with Shane Smith joining the magazine's staff later.[29][10][30][31][32] The magazine focused on Montreal's alternative cultural scene, to compete with the already established Montreal Mirror. Alvi, McInnes and Smith bought out the publisher and changed the magazine's name to Vice in 1996.[33][30]

As the magazine became more successful, the company received an investment of $4 million by Canadian investor Richard Szalwinski and Vice relocated to New York City in 1999. In 2001, the co-founders bought Vice back and moved to new offices in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.[34][35]

Digital expansion (2006–2011)

[edit]

In 2006, on the advice of creative director Spike Jonze, Vice began expanding into digital video, launching new video service VBS.tv as a joint venture with MTV Networks.[36][31] VBS gained a fan base with shows like The Vice Guide To Travel, Epicly Later'd, Toxic and Hamilton's Pharmacopeia.[37]

In 2007, Vice Media began expanding its digital video operation, launching new channels, such as Motherboard (tech), Noisey (music), and The Creators Project, an arts/technology site founded in partnership with Intel. Vice Media would later launch sites around electronic music culture (Thump), global news (Vice News), food (Munchies) and sports (Vice Sports). Additionally, Vice Media launched Virtue Worldwide, a creative services agency, to expand their capabilities for work around their platforms.[38] During this time, Santiago Stelley was the director of content of VBS.tv (2006–2010) and creative director of Vice Media (2010–2012).[39]

In January 2008, co-founder Gavin McInnes left Vice Media due to "creative differences" with the company,[11] and founded the website streetcarnage.com. He later co-founded Rooster, an advertising agency, and became a far-right activist, founding the Proud Boys.[40]

According to Columbia Journalism Review, Vice has altered shots during the editing process in pursuit of more entertaining or impressive scenes. In a 2011 documentary on Libya, a voiceover from the reporter claims that he had gone to the frontlines amidst an offensive, while in contrast a source claims the reporter did not make the trip, with only a cameraman going there.[41]

Further expansion (2012–2017)

[edit]

In 2012, Vice Media continued to expand its coverage focused around news and current events.

With the end of VBS.tv, Vice began releasing films like UK's Scariest Debt Collector, Swansea Love Story, World's Scariest Drug and Inside the Superhuman World of the Iceman through their main website and YouTube channel, as well as new series like Slutever, Fringes, Love Industry and High Society.[42]

In mid-August 2013, Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox invested US$70 million in Vice Media, resulting in a 5% stake. Following the announcement, Smith explained: "We have set ourselves up to build a global platform but we have maintained control."[43] In 2013, Vice Media premiered a new 30-minute news program for HBO titled Vice, executive produced by Bill Maher. In 2014, the second season of the show won a Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Series or Special in the 66th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.[44] In 2014, Vice Media launched its news channel, Vice News, which almost immediately gained global attention for its coverage of protests and conflict in Ukraine and Venezuela. As of October 2014, the editor of BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat claimed the BBC was "playing catch-up" to Vice News.[45]

Vice Media has routinely advocated for their "immersionist" brand of journalism in the pursuit of more authentic and interesting stories. Their founders and editors have regularly garnered controversy from the likes of The New York Times' David Carr, who bristled in an exchange with Shane Smith in the 2011 documentary Page One: Inside the New York Times. In a 2014 Time column, Carr said that Vice had since grown into a strong news entity. In August 2014, Carr published a New York Times column further reversing his earlier criticism of Vice, saying: "Being the crusty old-media scold felt good at the time, but recent events suggest that Vice is deadly serious about doing real news that people, yes, even young people, will actually watch."[46]

On 2 July 2014, Vice Media announced that it would be relocating into a warehouse space in Williamsburg that had been occupied by the independent arts spaces and concert venues 285 Kent, Death by Audio and Glasslands, among others. Vice and the building property owners facilitated the clearance of the building and the displacement of the existing creative tenants.[47] Vice spent US$20 million to renovate the 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2) building as part of an eight-year lease,[48] facilitating the establishment of new production facilities with full broadcast capabilities, and received an offer of US$6.5 million in tax credits from New York state's Empire State Development.[49] In August 2014, A&E Networks, a television group jointly owned by The Walt Disney Company and Hearst Corporation, made a US$250-million investment in Vice Media for an ownership stake of 10%.[50] In November and December 2015, Disney made two additional individual investments of US$200 million totalling $400 million.[51][52]

On 26 March 2015, HBO announced it would renew its contract to broadcast the weekly Vice documentary series for four years, while expanding the annual broadcast schedule from 14 to nearly 30 episodes.[53] The network also announced Vice would be launching a nightly news program. The show, entitled Vice News Tonight, premiered on 10 October 2016 and was planned to run 48 weeks each year, featuring pre-edited video and graphics segments covering global news, technology, the environment, economics and pop culture, while eschewing the use of live TV anchors.[15][16][17][54] In November 2015, Vice and A&E Networks announced Viceland, a then-upcoming cable network that would feature Vice-produced content.[55][56][57]

On 14 March 2017, Vice announced an expanded original programming deal with Snap Inc. The new deal built on Vice's previous deal to serve as a 2015 global launch partner on the Snapchat Discover platform. The first program planned under the new deal was Hungry Hearts with Action Bronson, starring the titular rapper.[58] That same month, Vice announced a wide range of content deals which would make its programming available in more than 80 territories by the end of 2017.[59]

In June 2017, Vice secured a $450 million investment from private-equity firm TPG Capital to increase spending on scripted programming and ongoing international expansion. As a result of the deal, Vice Media was valued at $5.7 billion.[60] In September 2018, Disney wrote down its investment in Vice by $157 million. Disney acquired Fox's stake in Vice when its acquisition of 21st Century Fox completed in March 2019.[61]

On 23 December 2017, The New York Times reported that there had been four settlements involving allegations of sexual harassment or defamation against Vice employees. In addition, over 20 other women stated that they had experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct, including unwanted kisses, groping, lewd remarks and propositions for sex at the company. In a statement provided to The New York Times, Vice co-founders Shane Smith and Suroosh Alvi said, "from the top down, we have failed as a company to create a safe and inclusive workplace where everyone, especially women, can feel respected and thrive."[62][63][64]

In January 2018, Vice's COO/CFO Sarah Broderick sent a memo to staff on 2 January 2018 announcing President Creighton had volunteered to go on temporary leave whilst a new investigation into a $135,000 settlement from a case the company paid in 2016 to a former employee who alleged she was fired after turning him down, and the suspension of Mike Germano, who had served as chief digital officer. Germano founded Carrot Creative, which was acquired by Vice in 2013; he was accused of pulling a former colleague onto his lap at a company party, as well as telling his former strategist Amanda Rue he originally did not want to hire her "because he wanted to have sex with her."[65] Vice has also been criticized by current and former employees for featuring work by Terry Richardson, a photographer facing accusations of sexual abuse by multiple models.[41] In another documentary, a former female employee covering a story about sex workers in a developing country said Vice attempted to "sensationalize and exploit" the women depicted. In one occasion, producers requested her to go undercover as a prostitute, which she refused. She also remarks being oriented to swear more while on camera.[41]

Decline (2018–2022)

[edit]

In March 2018, Vice Media co-founder Shane Smith announced he would no longer continue as CEO and would take on the new title of Executive Chairman. Former A+E Networks CEO Nancy Dubuc succeeded Smith as CEO.[66] "Smith will now be focused on creating content and strategic deals and partnerships to help grow the company."[67] On 20 August 2018, Vice's Munchies and Fremantle Media signed a deal with Triple Five Group to gain control of the food hall at American Dream Meadowlands. The food hall was expected to open in April 2019.[68][69] In November 2018, The Wall Street Journal reported that Vice Media was looking to trim its workforce by 10–15%, relying on attrition rather than layoffs.[70] The same month, CEO Nancy Dubuc told an audience at The New York Times Dealbook conference that Vice would return to profitability the following year.[71][72][73] In March 2019, it was reported that Vice Media was looking to raise another $200 million in funding.[74][75]

On 1 May 2019, Vice consolidated many of its web channels back into one central platform turning them into feature sections. The move included independent Munchies, Noisey, Motherboard, Broadly, Free, Amuse, Tonic, Waypoint, and Vice Sports. Vice also ended its block on the ad industry's keyword blacklist of 25 terms.[76] On 3 May 2019, Vice Media announced that it raised $250 million in debt from George Soros and other investors.[77] In October, Vice Media announced that it was acquiring Refinery29.[78] The deal, worth a reported $400 million,[79] valued the combined company at $4 billion.[78]

In May 2020, Vice Media announced they were laying off more than 150 staff due to financial difficulties.[80][81] In June 2020, Vice Media launched an investigation into allegations of subsidiary Refinery29's toxic work environment.[82]

In March 2020, Vice Media organized the Azimuth Music Festival in Saudi Arabia, less than two years after Vice paused all work in Saudi Arabia following the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi. Vice's brand was not used on marketing material, and contractors had to sign non-disclosure agreements regarding Vice's involvement. Vice opened a commercial and creative office in Riyadh in 2022.[83] On 2 October 2020, Vice Media Group appointed Nadja Bellan-White as the global CMO, to be in charge of worldwide branding, communications and promotions. It was also announced that Meera Pattni had been promoted to VP Communications, directly reporting to Bellan-White.[84]

In April 2021, Van Scott, former ABC News communications executive, joined Vice as VP Corporate Communications to lead communications in the US. Scott would report to Laura Misselbrook, Global SVP Communications, based in London.[85]

In April 2021, Vice Media was criticized by Cambodians after publishing colorized images of the victims of the Khmer Rouge Genocide, some of which had smiles photoshopped onto their faces. Vice later admitted to the images being photoshopped and said that "We regret the error and will investigate how this failure of the editorial process occurred."[86][87]

In March 2021, it was claimed that "VICE Media Group is the world's largest independent youth media company", with offices in 35 cities across the world. Its five key businesses were listed as: Vice.com (digital content); Vice Studios (film and TV production); Vice TV; Vice News; and Virtue (an agency offering creative services).[9] In September 2021, it was reported that Vice raised another investment round following cancelled plans to go public via special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).[88]

Bankruptcy and sale (2023–present)

[edit]

In January 2023, Vice began exploring the possibility of selling itself.[89] On 24 February 2023, Dubuc left as CEO as the company faced problems with turning an annual profit and finding a buyer.[90] Bruce Dixon and Hozefa Lokhandwala were appointed co-CEOs on 27 February, a few days after Dubuc's departure.[91] It was announced in April 2023 that Vice Media was restructuring and downsizing its Vice News division due to budget problems. This action included the cancellation of Vice News Tonight and other programs and the layoffs of dozens of employees.[20][21][22]

On 1 May 2023, The New York Times reported that Vice was preparing to file for bankruptcy.[92] According to Deadline, Vice's primary debt-holder, Fortress Investment Group, would likely take control of Vice Media as a result of any Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.[93]

Two weeks later, on 15 May, Vice Media formally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as part of a possible sale to a consortium of lenders including Fortress Investment Group, which would, alongside Soros Fund Management and Monroe Capital, invest $225 million as a credit bid for nearly all of its assets.[23][94] The following month, Vice accepted the consortium's increased offer of $350 million prior to the bankruptcy auction.[95] The company drew criticism for generous executive compensation packages while employees dealt with layoffs and unpaid company bills.[96] The sale was closed in August 2023.[97] Lokhandwala resigned as co-CEO in December, leaving Bruce Dixon as sole CEO.[1]

On 22 February 2024, CEO Bruce Dixon announced "several hundred" additional layoffs as part of a company restructuring.[25] Dixon also announced that the Vice.com website would no longer publish content, instead partnering with other media companies to distribute its content, and that the company was discussing the sale of Refinery29.[25][26]

The New York Times highlighted that "over the past half-decade, Vice has had near annual layoffs and mounting losses, and has filed for bankruptcy, making it the poster child for the battered digital-media industry" and that while "some observers hoped its new owners [...] would reinvest" in the company, Fortress Investment Group had instead "decided to make sweeping cuts".[98] Chris Thompson of Defector commented that "admirers of Vice's journalism—Vice News and Motherboard, both of which were largely kerploded during Vice's bankruptcy, had made themselves essential with years of excellent reporting—have long daydreamed about a future where its owners and executives stopped trying to turn it into a leprechaun's pot of gold and just allowed it to be a good website. [...] Instead of protecting it as responsible stewards, they treated it more or less the way Paul Cicero treated the Bamboo Lounge in Goodfellas, fattening themselves at its expense until there was nothing left to rob, and then burning it to the ground".[99]

In April 2024, Vice Media sold Refinery29 to Essence magazine owner Sundial Media Group.[100] Later that month, Vice Media announced it had restructured its global production business, now called Vice Studios Group, into five units: Pulse Films, UnTypical (formerly Vice Studios), Vice Studios LatAm, Vice Studios Canada and a news documentary unit. Vice Studios Group will be led by Jamie Hall and Danny Gabai as co-presidents.[2] In May, Vice Media announced it will create a joint venture with Savage Venture to relaunch its websites, such as Vice.com, Munchies, Motherboard, and Noisey.[28] In September, Vice Media relaunched its print magazine which had been on hiatus since 2019. Issues will be released quarterly. The company has a goal of reaching 20,000 subscribers within a year.[101]

Key business properties

[edit]

Magazine

[edit]
Main article: Vice (magazine)

Vice began as a counterculture print magazine founded in 1996 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, when Suroosh Alvi, Gavin McInnes and Shane Smith bought its predecessor, Voice of Montreal.[34][102][10][103]

As of April 2017, the magazine's editor-in-chief was Ellis Jones.[104][105] The magazine switched to a quarterly publication schedule in 2018, though issues still generally explored a single theme.[106] The publication was put on hiatus in 2019 and relaunched five years later.[101] Vice magazine includes the work of journalists, columnists, fiction writers, graphic artists and cartoonists, and photographers.

Vice News

[edit]
Main articles: Vice News, Vice News Tonight, and Vice (TV series)

Vice News was Vice's current affairs brand. It consisted of ViceNews.com, and two HBO programs; the weekly documentary series Vice, and the nightly news series Vice News Tonight. Vice News focuses on coverage of events that may not be as well covered by other news sources. On 24 May 2016, Vice Media promoted Josh Tyrangiel to oversee a unified Vice News division consisting of Vice News, the weekly HBO Vice show, and the daily Vice News Tonight.[107]

Vice News creates content daily, distributing written articles and video on its website and YouTube channel.[108] In 2015, the channel won two Peabody Awards for its video series The Islamic State and Last Chance High.[109]

In 2013, HBO aired the first 10-episode season of a half-hour newsmagazine known as Vice, with Bill Maher as executive producer. The initial season saw international coverage for the season one finale that had Vice play an exhibition basketball game in North Korea with Dennis Rodman and the Harlem Globetrotters. The show was renewed for a second season, which aired in 2014 and won an Emmy award for Outstanding Informational Series or Special.[110] The show was picked up for two more 14-episode seasons by HBO in May 2014, which aired in 2015 and 2016. The program is currently in its fifth season, which was expanded to a total of 30 episodes.[14]

In October 2016, a second Vice News program, a nightly news program called Vice News Tonight, premiered. The program is slated to run 48 weeks each year, featuring pre-edited video and graphics segments covering global news, technology, the environment, economics and pop culture, while eschewing the use of live TV anchors.[111]

Following the violent protests by white supremacists, white nationalists and other groups at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Vice News Tonight broke from its normal newsmagazine format to devote an entire episode to a documentary film on the events. The episode aired the same weekend as the rally, 14 August 2017. Charlottesville: Race and Terror garnered critical praise, with Esquire urging readers to "watch it and share it".[112] In addition to featuring the video on its subscription streaming channels, HBO agreed to post the entire video on YouTube. Within two weeks, it had more than 44 million views between HBO and online platforms and received many positive reviews.[113][114][115][116][117] The episode received a Peabody Award for public service journalism in April 2018.[118][119]

On April 27, 2023 it was first announced that Vice Media was restructuring and downsizing its news division due to budget problems. This action included the cancellation of Vice News Tonight and other programs and the layoffs of dozens of employees. In a tweet made by the Vice Union, they criticized the company for repeated layoffs and expressed disappointment over the loss of entire teams. They described the layoffs as part of a pattern where Vice has let go of many who have significantly contributed to the company's success. The Union also condemned the manner of the layoff announcements, which were made via a livestream without opportunity for dialogue and where the executives scarcely acknowledged the ongoing layoffs. The Vice Union has affirmed its support for the affected employees, implying a divergence from the company's past identity as a respected media organization.[20][21][22][120]

Vice TV channel

[edit]
Main articles: Viceland and Vice (TV channel)

Vice's U.S cable television network, operated by Vice Media, primarily features documentary-style programs targeted toward millennials.[55][56][57] Originally known as Viceland, branded TV networks operate under partnership with local cable and free-to-air television providers in the following regions:

Region Partner
United States A&E Networks[121]
Australia SBS[122]
France Canal+ Group[123]
Netherlands Ziggo[124]
United Kingdom Sky, Virgin Media[125] (closed July 2020)[citation needed]
Serbia Prva TV
Belgium Proximus and Telenet
Spain and Portugal AMC Networks International Iberia[126]
New Zealand Sky Television[127]
Sub-Saharan Africa Econet[128]
Indonesia Jawa Pos Group[129]
Brazil Grupo Globo[130]
India The Times Group[131]
Israel Partner TV[132]

The channel is available through cable providers as well as OTT services.[133][134]

Viceland was formerly available as a dedicated channel in Canada, through a partnership with Rogers Communications; however, this channel was shut down in March 2018 due to low viewership.[135] In August 2018, Vice signed a new content deal with Bell Media to relaunch Vice-branded content in Canada on various Bell-owned properties including Much and CraveTV.[136]

In August 2019, it was reported that Vice media is moving Viceland toward news and away from entertainment and other lifestyle programming, and has plans to merge Viceland with Vice News.[19]

UnTypical

[edit]
Not to be confused with § Pulse Films.

Untypical,[2] formerly Vice Studios, is the film and TV production division of Vice Media. Since 2007, it has released documentaries and narrative films through the Vice Films label. Its first theatrical release was White Lightnin' in 2009.[137] On 8 December 2014, 20th Century Fox and Vice Media announced they would collaborate to finance, produce, distribute, market and acquire narrative films under the Vice Films brand.[138]

List of productions
Year Title Notes Type
2009 White Lightnin' Produced with UK Film Council, Film and Music Entertainment, Mainframe Productions, The Salt Company International and distributed by Momentum Pictures Documentary
2010 The Ride
2012 Reincarnated Produced with Snoopadelic Films
The Fourth Dimension Fiction anthology film
2013 Lil Bub & Friendz Documentary film
2014 Fishing Without Nets Produced with Think Media Studios Fiction film
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night Only as distributor together with other studios
2015 Chemsex Documentary film
2016 The Bad Batch Produced with Annapurna Pictures and Human Stew Factory and distributed by Neon Fiction film
2017 Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond – Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton Distributed by Netflix Documentary film
2019 Fyre Produced with Jerry Media, Library Films and MATTE Projects

Distributed by Netflix

Documentary film
2021 Flee Distributed by Neon, Participant (United States), Curzon Artificial Eye (United Kingdom) and Haut et Court (France) Animated documentary film

The Vice Guide to Everything

[edit]

The MTV series The Vice Guide to Everything, which premiered in December 2010, was a weekly news magazine featuring short video segments on various global issues, hosted by Shane Smith and roster of correspondents. The segments sought to cater to a younger audience with a more condensed, entertaining approach to the news.[139][140][141][142] The series aired until 2011.[143]

Virtue Worldwide

[edit]

On 26 January 2017, Vice announced the consolidation of its in-house agency Virtue with Carrot Creative, a digital and mobile agency Vice acquired in 2013, Pulse Films, a production company Vice acquired in 2016 into the new Virtue Worldwide.[144][145] Based in Brooklyn, New York, the combined 450-person global consultancy provides the services of a full agency network and multi-platform content creation studio. Virtue Worldwide will be led by CEO Lars Hemming Jorgensen.[3]

Relying on these in-house and acquired agencies, apart from its editorial operations, Vice works with advertisers to create global ad campaigns tailored to the company's younger audience.[146][147] The ads generate revenue from the production of the ad and placement within a given media property.[148] Vice maintains the separation between the production of branded and hard news content, while some critics contend that their operation "blurs the line between editorial and sponsorship".[149] This practice is sometimes referred to as "native advertising", due to how ads are often mingled with regular content.[150] Co-founder Alvi has also said that Vice has had "franchises that were underwritten by sponsors – that's our goal, to get a lot of our news franchises and stories and reports sponsored by advertisers. It's kind of the way news used to be in the fifties: 'Brought to you by Gillette' or whatever it was. We love that model."[151]

Some of the brands that Vice has worked with are Google, Unilever, Bank of America, Samsung, Toyota, Levi Strauss & Co. and Intel.[152] However, some advertisers have been controversial; Edition Worldwide, a subsidiary of Vice UK, was called "highly irresponsible" by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and other anti-smoking groups for their work producing content for tobacco giant Philip Morris International. This was seen as unethical by anti-tobacco groups due to the young audience which Vice News usually attracts.[153][154] In March 2019, Vice accepted £5M from Philip Morris to promote e-cigarettes to young people.[155]

Other business operations

[edit]

Vice Media holds a range of online and offline properties. Digital channels include:

Name Years Genre
Vice magazine 1996- Culture
VBS.tv 2007-
Vice News 2013- News
Noisey 2012 Music
Motherboard 2010 Technology and science

Former business operations

[edit]
Name Year Genre Notes
Broadly 2015-2019[156] Women's interest and LGBT community
Munchies 2014-2022[157] Food and cooking
Vice Sports 2014-2020[1] Sports
i-D 2013-2023[158] Fashion Sold to Karlie Kloss[158]
Garage 2016-2021[159] Arts
Amuse 2015-2020 Lifestyle
Vice Impact 2017-2020 Advocacy
Waypoint 2016-2023[160][161] Video games
Tonic 2016[162]-2018 Health and wellness
Free 2018 Personal finance
Refinery29 2019-2024[100] Culture Sold to Sundial Media Group[100][163]
  • ^ Launch refers to year where the first Vice-produced video was released on their respective YouTube channels.
  • ^ In 2014, Vice Media took over the YouTube-funded channel The NOC, which was launched in 2012.

Global expansion

[edit]

Vice Media has steadily acquired media properties and firms and closed deals in order to expand its global operations.

In June 2014, it was reported that Time Warner was negotiating to acquire up to a 40% stake in Vice Media;[164] among the company's plans were to give Vice Media control over the programming of HLN—a spin-off network of CNN which had recently struggled in its attempts to re-focus itself as a younger-skewing, social media-oriented news service. However, the deal fell through as the companies were unable to agree on a proper valuation,[165] and Vice Media chose to partner with A&E Networks for a 10% minority stake.[50] A&E's co-owner Disney made a second investment of $200 million.[51]

On 30 October 2014, Vice Media announced a CDN$100 million joint venture with Rogers Communications that to facilitate the construction of production facilities in Toronto, as well as the introduction of a Vice-branded television network and digital properties in Canada in 2015. Rogers CEO Guy Laurence described the proposed studio as "a powerhouse for Canadian digital content focused on 18- to 34-year-olds" that will be "exciting" and "provocative." The content of the partnership will be aimed primarily toward digital platforms.[166][167]

In November 2014, Vice Media announced that Alyssa Mastromonaco, who formerly worked in the Obama administration, would come on board as the company's chief operating officer in January 2015,[168] and that James Schwab, who had previously advised Vice and DreamWorks on media deals, would be joining as co-president.[169]

In June 2016, at the Cannes Lions Awards, the company announced its planned expansion into over 50 countries, including partnerships with The Times of India Group and Moby that will see Vice enter the India and Middle East markets with digital, mobile and linear operations.[170] New Viceland channels have already launched in Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa.[171][172]

In late 2016, Vice announced a news and content expansion into the Indonesian market, with the goal of reaching the country's roughly 100 million young adults aged between 18 and 34 years. As of 7 November 2016, Vice had struck digital and cable programming deals with Google and Indonesian television network Jawa Pos TV to broadcast its original lifestyle, culture and news content.[129][173]

On 1 March 2017 at Mobile World Congress, Vice announced new content deals with mobile operators in multiple regions, including an extensive Asia Pacific expansion and renewed partnership with Verizon's Go90 branch. The new deals will bring Vice's content into more than 80 global territories by the end of 2017.[59]

Shane Smith of Vice Media during Mobile World Congress 2017

On 22 March 2017, Vice Media finalized a deal with French digital media studio Blackpills for the creation of a line-up of original short-form programming, set to premiere on Vice's digital video hub, video.vice.com. Blackpills would enlist international filmmakers including Luc Besson, Bryan Singer, and Zoe Cassavetes in the creative effort. Vice London subsidiary Pulse Films contributed original content to air on video.vice.com, and Viceland in both the US and Canada aired Blackpills' first series, French/Canadian co-production You Got Trumped: The First 100 Days starring Donald Trump impersonator John Di Domenico and comedian Ron Sparks.[174]

Later in March 2017, while in India, Shane Smith discussed his partnership with the Times Group. The company launched Vice India as well as their agency business, Virtue.[175] Smith also revealed that the company had "held India back as a launch partner because it's so important to get it right. We didn't just want to come in, set up a studio and go. We wanted to have a plan, make sure we did it correctly."[176] In June 2017, Vice announced a partnership with Brazilian media giant Grupo Globo that will see Vice grow its existing presence in the region through increased local production capabilities and increased mobile programming.[177][178]

In November 2017, Vice announced the launch of a new Asia Pacific office with a dedicated CEO to oversee programming and business operations in India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and elsewhere in the region.[179] The headquarters, in Singapore, will include "studio space that will be used for original documentary, drama, and film projects as well as by Vice's branding agency, Virtue."[180]

In March 2021, the Pedestrian Group announced a multi-year deal to become the Australian digital publishing home of the brand.[181][9] In January 2022, a new team of five, headed by Brad Esposito, was announced to head up Vice Australia and New Zealand.[182] In July 2024, it was reported that Vice Australia would shut down amid a restructuring at Pedestrian.[183]

In April 2025, Vice acquired Cuba Pictures, a drama producer based in the United Kingdom, from Curtis Brown.[184]

Ventures, acquisitions, and mergers

[edit]

Vice Music

[edit]

Vice Records or Vice Music, launched in 2002, is Vice's in-house record label. It has released albums and singles by the following artists through various major label distributors:[185][186][187]

Old Blue Last Pub

[edit]
The Old Blue Last pub in 2012
Old Blue Last at Wikimedia Commons

In 2004 Vice acquired a pub and music venue in Shoreditch, East London named The Old Blue Last,[188] in which a live music program entitled Live at the Old Blue Last is filmed. After Vice bought the Old Blue Last in 2004,[189] it underwent a series of improvements, with most taking place in 2010.[190] In 2012, Vice began selling beer under the Old Blue Last label.[citation needed]

i-D magazine

[edit]

Vice acquired British fashion magazine i-D in December 2012,[191][192] with Vice president Andrew Creighton calling it "one of the only fashion publications in the world we actually respect."[193] Fashion model Karlie Kloss acquired i-D magazine from Vice in November 2023.[158]

VRSE.farm

[edit]

In 2015, Vice announced it invested an "undisclosed sum" in VRSE.farm, a virtual reality company founded by acclaimed director Chris Milk. The announcement came alongside a debut VR experience at the Sundance Festival, a "virtual-reality journalism broadcast" made in partnership with Spike Jonze and Vice News.[194]

Pulse Films

[edit]
Not to be confused with § Vice Films.

Pulse Films was founded in 2005 by Thomas Benski and Marisa Clifford.[195] It specializes in producing feature films, music documentaries and drama-documentaries.[195]

In March 2016, Vice acquired a controlling stake in UK television and film production company Pulse Films, to bolster its original programming efforts.[196][197] A year later Pulse Films produced original content for exclusive release on video.vice.com, Vice's digital video hub, including the series Pillowtalk,Twiz and Tuck Bucket List.[198] The division had offices in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Berlin and Milan as of 2022.[9] Vice acquired commercial and music video production studio London Alley Entertainment in 2025 and merged it with Pulse Films to form Vice Commercials and Branded Entertainment.[199]

Garage magazine

[edit]

Vice acquired UK magazine Garage in July 2017 to expand its foothold in the youth market, and announced plans to launch a digital channel focused on art, fashion and literature.[200]

Villain

[edit]

In May 2018, Vice announced the acquisition of experiential events company Villain at its NewFronts presentation, but did not reveal what they paid for it. Villain is based in a 15,000 ft warehouse near Vice's headquarters in Williamsburg, NYC. The company works with a host of major brands, including PepsiCo, Toyota and Red Bull.[201]

Unionization

[edit]

On 7 August 2015, the roughly 70-person writing staff of Vice Media US voted to unionize, joining the Writers Guild of America, East. Vice management quickly recognized the union. The successful union drive followed similar efforts at Salon, Gawker and The Guardian.[202][203]

Then, in September 2017, employees and freelancers who "work on video content for Vice.com, cable channel Viceland, and Vice programming on HBO" unionized through Writers Guild of America, East and the Motion Pictures Editors Guild.[204] At the time, a leader from one of the unions said: "We have built a constructive relationship with Vice management and applaud the company for continuing to respect the right of its employees to engage in collective bargaining."[205]

On 2 May 2017, Vice Media ratified a three-year collective bargaining agreement with 170 employees of the company's Canadian division who had joined the Canadian Media Guild union in 2016.[206]

In February 2016, staff members at Vice UK called for unionization with an officially recognised trade union by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ). Staff members said this was following the steps of Vice US (which unionized with the Writers Guild of America, East[207]), in order to allow the staff to "share in the success of the company", to strengthen job security by Vice providing better contracts, to address "pay issues ... so everyone gets a fair deal, including freelancers" and enhance career progression opportunities.[208]

This proposition was rejected by Vice UK; the company refused to recognise the NUJ, but instead said that they were free to set up an internal staff council. Vice chief executive, Matt Elek, claimed the NUJ had displayed "a concerning lack of transparency from them about who they are purporting to represent here [and had] not been able to provide us with any numbers to demonstrate the degree of support they have in this office", adding that: "The NUJ are used to working with old print media businesses and structures – they are not used to innovative, digital workplaces like this where the culture has always been to encourage flexibility and allow people work across different departments."[209]

In response, Michelle Stanistreet (General Secretary of the NUJ) said: "The accusation that the NUJ has not been transparent in its discussions with Vice management is simply untrue" and characterized opposition as "union busting."[210]

The NUJ submitted a new request for recognition in March 2019. Following talks at Acas, the company agreed to recognise the NUJ for purposes of collective bargaining on 25 July 2019.[211]

Office expansion in Brooklyn

[edit]
Vice Media expanded its offices to 55 Washington Street in Dumbo, Brooklyn

In July 2014, Vice Media announced it would be moving its headquarters to a new building in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where their New York office had been since 1999. According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, the move would allow them to double their current office size and hire about 500 new employees.[212]

Following this announcement, the two music venues occupying the building, Glasslands Gallery and Death By Audio, soon announced the news they would be closing. Following the announcement from Glasslands management in October 2014 that the arts venue would close at the end of 2014, thereby making it the third Williamsburg music space to close through Vice Media's expansion—alongside 285 Kent and Death By Audio—Big Shot Magazine claimed that the Brooklyn music community had received a "proverbial kick in the groin."[213]

After a series of articles covering the venues' eviction, BrooklynVegan reported on the deals that led to Vice Media moving into the new office, including terms buying out tenants and covering past overdue rent, that contradicted some press around the renovation of the building and Vice Media's dealings with the current tenants. Regardless, as the article puts it, "The concept of 'Vice vs. DIY' in Williamsburg is officially a thing."[214]

After expanding into the Glasslands Gallery and Death by Audio space in 2014, Vice further expanded its Brooklyn footprint by leasing a 74,000 square foot property at 55 Washington Street. The new property houses agency acquisitions Carrot Creative along with other Vice corporate staff.[215][216]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Vice Media

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia

Vice Media is a multinational media company founded in 1994 in Montreal, Canada, by Shane Smith, Suroosh Alvi, and Gavin McInnes as the punk zine Voice of Montreal, which evolved into a global brand producing content on youth culture, alternative lifestyles, music, drugs, and geopolitics through magazines, websites, television channels, and documentaries. The company pioneered a gonzo-style immersive journalism approach, dispatching young reporters without traditional safeguards into subcultures and war zones to capture raw, unfiltered narratives that resonated with millennials and Gen Z audiences, distinguishing it from establishment media. Its signature aesthetic—ironic, hedonistic, and countercultural—drove rapid expansion from a niche print publication to a digital empire with bureaus in over 30 countries, partnerships like HBO's Vice series, and the Viceland cable network launched in 2016. Peak valuations reached $5.7 billion in 2017 amid hype over digital-native media, but unsustainable spending on real estate, talent, and content production amid a digital ad market downturn led to Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in May 2023, with debts exceeding $500 million. Acquired that June by a creditor consortium led by Fortress Investment Group for approximately $350 million, Vice underwent layoffs, including shuttering its Brooklyn newsroom, and shifted focus to profitability through licensing and studio content. By 2025, it secured a $75 million credit facility to expand Vice Studios' scripted and unscripted slate, revived print editions of VICE Magazine after a seven-year hiatus, and maintained operations under new leadership amid ongoing challenges in the fragmented media landscape. Vice's defining characteristics include its embrace of provocation and authenticity over objectivity, yielding acclaimed investigations into topics like and corporate malfeasance but drawing rebukes for glorifying vice, exploiting subjects, and blurring lines between and —criticisms amplified by founder McInnes's later associations with far-right groups after his departure. The outlet's left-leaning bias, as rated by media watchdogs, reflects broader institutional tilts in , yet its collapse underscores causal failures in overleveraged growth models rather than ideological flaws alone, serving as a for venture-backed media ventures.

History

Founding and Early Publications (1994–2005)

Vice Media originated in October 1994 as Voice of Montreal, a free alternative punk magazine launched in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, by Shane Smith, Suroosh Alvi, and Gavin McInnes. The publication was initially funded through a Canadian government welfare-to-work program aimed at social integration, providing the founders with resources to produce content on local underground scenes. It distributed copies gratis at venues like record stores and parties, emphasizing raw depictions of youth subcultures including punk rock, hip-hop, drugs, and crime. In 1996, the founders bought out the original publisher, Alix Laurent of Interimages Communications, and renamed the magazine Vice—dropping the "o" from "Voice" amid a fabricated legal dispute with The Village Voice staged for publicity. This rebranding solidified its identity as an irreverent outlet for edgy, gonzo-style journalism that mocked mainstream norms and delved into taboo topics like sex, violence, and addiction with unfiltered humor and irony. Early issues featured provocative guides, such as "The Vice Guide to Shagging Muslims," and party photography, appealing to disaffected urban youth alienated by conventional media. By 1999, following investment from Canadian entrepreneur Richard Szalwinski—secured through Smith's aggressive pitches—the operation relocated to , New York, marking a shift toward U.S.-centric growth amid the dot-com era's flux. The magazine maintained free distribution at hipster haunts like Max Fish while navigating post-bubble debts, yet built cult appeal through its ethos. Expansion included international editions and merchandise; by 2002, a high-profile U.K. boosted visibility, leading to Vice Records for music releases and book publishing ventures. Through 2005, grew to reach approximately 900,000 readers across 22 countries, remaining primarily a print publication with localized content on global countercultures, while McInnes's contributions to its transgressive tone waned as Smith assumed greater leadership. The era established Vice's reputation for immersive, vice-glorifying reportage that prioritized experiential authenticity over polished objectivity, distributing issues via street teams and events rather than traditional newsstands.

Digital and Media Expansion (2006–2017)

In 2006, Vice Media initiated its pivot toward digital video content, launching VBS.tv as a joint venture with Viacom's MTV Networks to produce and distribute short-form documentaries and series targeting youth audiences. This move marked a departure from its print roots, emphasizing immersive, on-the-ground reporting in areas like conflict zones and subcultures. By 2007, the company further diversified its online offerings with specialized channels such as Motherboard for technology coverage, Noisey for music, and The Creators Project for arts and innovation, which helped build a dedicated digital audience through viral video distribution. Vice's media partnerships accelerated in 2011 with a development deal alongside HBO for a weekly news magazine series aimed at younger viewers, described as a "60 Minutes for millennials," which premiered in 2013 and expanded Vice's reach into premium cable television. Financial backing followed, including a $70 million investment from News Corp in 2012 that valued the company at approximately $1 billion, enabling further content production and international licensing. In 2014, A&E Networks invested $250 million for a 10 percent stake, pushing Vice's valuation to $2.5 billion and supporting the launch of Vice News, a dedicated video journalism outlet focused on global underreported stories. The period saw significant global and infrastructural growth, with Vice establishing or expanding offices in cities like , , and , alongside a major headquarters relocation to 55 Washington Street in Brooklyn's neighborhood in 2014 to accommodate growing staff. In October 2014, Vice News announced openings in seven additional markets—, , , , , , and —to produce localized content. This expansion culminated in the 2016 debut of , a cable network rebranded from H2 in partnership with A&E, broadcasting Vice-produced programming to capitalize on its digital success in linear TV. By 2017, under CEO Shane Smith, Vice had scaled to operations in over 30 countries, leveraging these initiatives to attract advertisers drawn to its millennial demographic, though reliant on video views and sponsorships rather than traditional ad models.

Financial Challenges and Bankruptcy (2018–2023)

In 2018, Vice Media faced early signs of financial strain as investor confidence waned amid a softening digital advertising market. , a major backer, wrote off $157 million of its investment in , signaling doubts about Vice's growth trajectory. In December, Vice's operations reported pre-tax losses of £3.9 million, with revenue declining 33% to £17.3 million, attributed to broader industry pressures including platform algorithm changes reducing . By February 2019, Vice announced layoffs affecting approximately 10% of its global workforce, or about 250 employees, as part of a to prioritize profitability and shift focus toward and over unprofitable digital operations. In May, Disney fully wrote off its remaining $353 million stake, prompting Vice to raise $250 million in debt financing to cover operational shortfalls. Despite these setbacks, the company pursued expansion, acquiring in October and valuing the combined entities at around $4 billion, though analysts later critiqued this as overoptimistic given persistent revenue dependencies on volatile ad platforms. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated Vice's vulnerabilities in 2020, halting live events and production while amplifying reliance on digital ads squeezed by platform dominance. In May, the company laid off 155 employees total—55 in the US and about 100 internationally—primarily in digital and video units, citing "prior assumptions about our business no longer applying" due to traffic declines and ad revenue drops. Into 2021 and 2022, Vice struggled with profitability targets under CEO Nancy Dubuc, who assumed leadership in 2018 to steer toward a sale but encountered mounting losses from high operational costs and failure to diversify beyond ad-driven models. In August 2021, the company raised $85 million in funding, with founder Shane Smith ceding majority control to investors. By late 2022, Vice missed its $700 million revenue goal by over $100 million, prompting another round of approximately 100 layoffs amid stalled acquisition talks and vendor disputes over unpaid bills reaching $10 million. Financial distress culminated in early 2023, with Vice securing over $30 million in emergency debt financing from in February to stave off immediate collapse, alongside the closure of and loss of 30 jobs there. Dubuc departed as CEO that month, unable to deliver promised profitability. On May 15, Vice filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to facilitate an orderly sale, listing assets and liabilities each around $500 million to $1 billion; the process concluded with creditors, led by , acquiring the company for $225 million in June, a fraction of its 2017 peak valuation of $5.7 billion. This outcome reflected deeper structural issues, including overexpansion into unprofitable verticals and inability to adapt to declining digital ad yields, as noted by media analysts who argued Vice lacked a viable path to audience-owned revenue streams.

Post-Bankruptcy Restructuring and Current Operations (2023–present)

Vice Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 15, 2023, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, amid $834 million in outstanding debt that exceeded recent valuation talks. The filing facilitated a sale of its assets to a of existing lenders, including , , and Monroe Capital, which bid $350 million—far below Vice's prior $5.7 billion peak valuation—and assumed certain liabilities. The transaction, approved by the court on June 23, 2023, and closed on July 31, 2023, effectively wiped out previous equity holders, including major investors like , while preserving core operations under new ownership. Post-acquisition restructuring emphasized cost-cutting and a pivot from direct digital to a studio model focused on content licensing and production partnerships. In November 2023, Vice consolidated into two primary divisions—Vice Studios and —amid additional layoffs affecting dozens of employees, building on prior staff reductions. By February 2024, the company announced it would cease publishing original content on Vice.com, laying off several hundred workers—roughly equivalent to its remaining editorial staff—and redirecting efforts toward distributing through third-party media partners and advertisers. This shift reflected broader industry challenges in digital , with Vice prioritizing debt repayment and scalable production over in-house website operations. As of 2025, Vice operates under the lender consortium's ownership with a leaner structure, emphasizing Vice Studios for content creation and partnerships with broadcasters. In June 2025, Dixon transitioned out after serving as CEO since the sale, replaced by Stotsky, a former executive with experience in marketing and ad sales, who is steering a turnaround focused on expanding studio output and streams. Recent hires, such as communications chief Emily Spence in September 2025, signal efforts to rebuild external relations amid ongoing financial stabilization. The company maintains brands like and but with reduced global footprint, having shuttered some international editions during the process.

Organizational Structure and Business Operations

Core Media Properties

Vice Media's core media properties, following its 2023 bankruptcy and subsequent acquisition by a of lenders including , , and others, have shifted emphasis toward premium television production and broadcast, with digital operations licensed to external partners. The company's primary assets now include , a cable entertainment network, and Vice Studios Group, its global production arm, while under the vice.com banner operates through a that preserves Vice's branding but outsources management. Vice TV, formerly known as , is a basic cable channel launched on February 29, 2016, as a between Vice Media and A&E Networks, with A&E holding a 51% stake and operational control. The network airs original documentaries, series, and unscripted programming focused on , music, drugs, and global issues, such as the series on and The VICE Guide to Right Now blending news and entertainment. As of 2024, Vice TV remains a cornerstone of Vice's revenue, distributing content across linear TV, streaming, and international platforms, with expanded programming blocks including the newly launched VICE Sports brand in December 2024, featuring seven original series co-produced for primetime slots. Vice Studios Group, restructured in April 2024, serves as the production entity overseeing five premium labels: Pulse Films (UK-based, specializing in music videos and commercials), UnTypical (U.S. unscripted content), Vice Studios Canada, Vice Studios , and a dedicated news production unit. This group produces content for , third-party broadcasters, and streaming services, including award-winning documentaries and series distributed globally; for instance, it has handled projects like those under Pulse Films, which Vice acquired elements of in prior years and expanded with the 2025 merger of Alley Entertainment into Vice Commercials for advertising production. The studios emphasize immersive, on-the-ground , generating revenue through licensing and co-productions rather than direct digital . Digital properties, centered on vice.com, encompass Vice's legacy online channels such as (a and magazine acquired in 2012), (technology reporting), and remnants of specialized verticals like Noisey (music) and Munchies (food), though many have been scaled back or integrated post-restructuring. In May 2024, Vice entered a with Savage Ventures to relaunch vice.com, retaining branding and editorial oversight while Savage manages operations and ad sales, aiming to revive audience engagement amid prior declines in digital traffic and ad revenue. , once a flagship for with Emmy-winning documentaries, was effectively shuttered in early 2024, with its staff dissolved and resources redirected to production; limited news content persists under the digital umbrella but without dedicated infrastructure.

Acquisitions, Ventures, and Global Reach

Vice Media expanded its portfolio through targeted acquisitions in digital publishing, production, and media. On December 18, 2012, the company acquired i-D magazine, a London-based style publication founded in 1980, to bolster its and cultural content offerings and launch a video-driven channel. In March 2016, Vice secured a majority stake in Pulse Films, a UK-based specializing in films, TV, and branded content, with full ownership achieved on March 17, 2022, integrating it into Vice Studios Group. On October 2, 2019, Vice acquired , a women-focused company, in a transaction valued at approximately $400 million, mostly in stock, aiming to diversify its audience demographics. Subsequent divestitures reflected financial restructuring post-Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in May 2023. Vice sold i-D to model Karlie Kloss's Bedford Media on November 14, 2023, as part of streamlining non-core assets. Refinery29 was divested to Sundial Media Group, owner of Essence magazine, in April 2024. Key ventures included Vice Studios Group, the company's production arm launched to develop film, TV, and documentaries, incorporating entities like Pulse Films and Vice Studios Canada for multi-genre content. In 2016, Vice formed a with A&E Networks to launch , a cable channel focused on youth-oriented programming. More recently, on May 9, 2024, Vice partnered with Savage Ventures, a Nashville-based operator, in a to relaunch vice.com and digital properties, emphasizing immersive cultural content. Vice achieved global reach by establishing operations in over 35 cities worldwide, enabling localized content production and distribution. Headquarters remained in , New York, with key offices including an EMEA hub in . This expansion facilitated international editions and partnerships, adapting Vice's gonzo-style to regional markets while leveraging digital platforms for broader dissemination.

Labor Relations and Internal Operations

In 2017, Vice Media faced multiple allegations of and a pervasive "boys' club" culture, with former employees reporting incidents of groping, unwanted advances, and a hostile environment for women during work trips and in offices. The company's co-founders, including Shane Smith, acknowledged in an internal letter that Vice had "failed" its employees by tolerating abusive behavior, leading to at least four confidential settlements totaling undisclosed amounts for claims involving harassment or by executives and staff. These revelations highlighted operational shortcomings in HR protocols and management oversight, particularly at Vice's in-house advertising arm, , where insiders described systemic , including derogatory comments and exclusionary practices toward female colleagues. A class-action lawsuit filed in February 2018 by former employee Elizabeth Rose accused Vice of systematically underpaying women compared to men for similar roles, with disparities reaching tens of thousands of dollars annually based on internal audits she conducted. The suit, covering approximately 675 female staffers, was settled in March 2019 for $1.875 million, without Vice admitting liability, amid broader scrutiny of gender inequities in media firms. Vice employees unionized under the (WGAE) in 2019, securing a contract that addressed workplace safety, anti-harassment reporting, and job protections, though coverage lapsed after the closure of Vice's digital news operations in 2022. The union criticized patterns of abrupt firings and inadequate severance, notably in 2021 when 17 staffers from Vice Digital and were laid off as part of a content, dubbing such cuts a "macabre annual ritual." Union representatives demanded improved terms for laid-off workers, including extended healthcare and payout timelines, amid complaints of "unconscionable" executive bonuses following staff reductions. Following Vice's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on May 15, 2023, over 100 employees were laid off in the preceding months, with staff expressing concerns over delayed salaries and severance amid asset sales to investors like . Executives received bonuses exceeding $1 million the day after April 2023 layoffs, exacerbating perceptions of inequitable internal operations. In February 2024, CEO Bruce Dixon announced "several hundred" additional job cuts—impacting roughly a third of the remaining 900-person workforce—and the cessation of original content publishing on Vice.com, shifting to a licensing model that further destabilized . These moves reflected ongoing operational inefficiencies, including overreliance on hype-driven expansion and failure to adapt to declining digital ad revenue, resulting in repeated workforce reductions without corresponding union-led strikes but with persistent grievances over .

Journalistic Style and Content Production

Aesthetic and Reporting Techniques

Vice Media's reporting techniques emphasize immersive, first-person narratives akin to , where reporters embed themselves in subcultures, conflicts, or fringe activities to provide experiential accounts rather than detached observation. This approach, pioneered in its early print days and expanded into video by the mid-2000s, often involves undercover participation or prolonged on-site presence, as seen in dispatches from war zones, underground economies, or youth countercultures, prioritizing raw access over traditional sourcing hierarchies. Aesthetically, Vice employs a gritty, visceral visual language characterized by handheld camera work, minimal editing for authenticity, and ironic graphic overlays that evoke punk zine origins, fostering a sense of immediacy and rebellion. In video productions, such as those under Vice News launched in 2014, this manifests in long-form documentaries with unpolished footage and subjective framing, aiming to immerse viewers in the chaos of events like urban riots or illicit trades. Print and digital content similarly feature bold typography, collage-like layouts, and sardonic captions to underscore a countercultural ethos, distinguishing it from mainstream media's polished neutrality. These techniques integrate across formats, with reporters often doubling as on-camera narrators to blend personal voice with footage, as in early series exploring global hotspots or domestic vices, yielding content that prioritizes emotional proximity over analytical distance. By 2017, this evolved into multi-platform outputs, including VR experiments and podcasts, maintaining immersion through sensory overload rather than linear exposition.

Specialized Outlets and Coverage Areas

Vice Media expanded into specialized digital verticals starting in the early , targeting niche interests within such as music, , , , and gender issues to complement its core news and magazine content. These outlets produced immersive, often gonzo-style reporting aligned with Vice's provocative aesthetic, focusing on subcultures and underrepresented topics. Noisey, launched around 2013, specialized in music coverage, including artist profiles, festival recaps, and industry critiques, emphasizing genres like hip-hop, electronic, and to engage millennial listeners. In 2019, Noisey was absorbed into Vice's main editorial structure amid cost-cutting but retained its branding for music-specific content. As of 2024, it continues as a key digital property under a , producing videos and articles on emerging artists and cultural trends. i-D, acquired by Vice in December 2012, focused on fashion, street style, and identity, blending high-end editorials with subcultural photography and essays on trends like sustainable clothing and diverse modeling. The outlet maintained editorial independence initially, publishing biannual print issues alongside digital content until shifting more toward online in later years. Broadly, introduced on July 28, 2015, covered women's experiences through investigative pieces on topics like reproductive rights, violence, and cultural representation, aiming to amplify feminist perspectives often overlooked in . It produced video series and articles until its dissolution in 2019 as part of Vice's broader content consolidation. Other verticals included for technology and science reporting, delving into hacking, AI ethics, and gadget culture with on-the-ground investigations; and Munchies for food and culinary scenes, featuring chef spotlights, street eats, and drug-influenced gastronomy explorations. These specialized areas collectively emphasized experiential over traditional analysis, prioritizing visual and insider access to foster audience loyalty among 18-34-year-olds. By the early 2020s, financial pressures led to integrations, reducing standalone operations while preserving streams.

Criticisms, Controversies, and Ethical Issues

Bias, Sensationalism, and Journalistic Standards

Vice Media's journalistic output has been characterized by a consistent left-leaning bias, as assessed by multiple media analysis organizations. rates it as Left-Center biased due to story selection and wording that moderately favor liberal perspectives, such as critiques of through lenses sympathetic to millennial disillusionment or portrayals of former President Trump as self-serving in foundation operations. similarly classifies Vice as skewing left, based on linguistic patterns and political framing in its content. This orientation aligns with Vice's roots in countercultural youth journalism, often emphasizing progressive social issues like drug decriminalization and while underrepresenting conservative viewpoints, though not to the extent of outright fabrication. Sensationalism permeates Vice's reporting style, rooted in its gonzo-inspired immersion techniques that prioritize visceral, first-person narratives over detached analysis. Critics, including a 2013 New Yorker profile, have accused the outlet of amplifying —such as graphic depictions of , war zones, or subcultures—to captivate audiences, sometimes at the expense of contextual depth or balance. For instance, early pieces glamorized hard drug use and fringe lifestyles in ways that blurred reportage with endorsement, fostering perceptions of exploitation for viral appeal rather than informative rigor. This approach, while innovative in accessing underrepresented stories, has drawn charges of ethical shortcuts, including selective editing of interviews to heighten drama, as alleged by former insiders critiquing the conflation of fact and opinion. Regarding journalistic standards, Vice generally adheres to factual reporting but falls short of high benchmarks due to occasional lapses and structural incentives favoring engagement. deems it Mostly Factual, citing use of credible sourcing like the , yet downgrades it for a failed fact check on November 18, 2016, amid broader variability in verification processes. The outlet's hybrid model, blending editorial content with branded partnerships, has raised concerns about blurred lines between advertising and news, potentially compromising independence—a echoed in analyses of its pivot from print zine to multimedia empire. notes reliability issues tied to expressive headlines and analysis-heavy pieces that introduce subjectivity, reflecting a departure from traditional objectivity in pursuit of cultural relevance. Despite producing acclaimed investigative work, such as on global conflicts, these elements have contributed to perceptions of Vice as more lifestyle provocateur than stringent watchdog, particularly as audience metrics incentivized hype over sustained accountability.

Management Failures and Financial Mismanagement

Under co-founder and former CEO Shane Smith, Vice Media engaged in aggressive expansion that prioritized growth over profitability, including the 2016 launch of the linear TV channel and entry into 51 international territories by that year. This approach, coupled with the 2019 acquisition of , strained resources as the company missed its $1 billion annual revenue target set for 2016 and incurred losses, such as £3.9 million in its operations by 2018. Smith's personal sale of $100 million in equity in 2014 further highlighted a focus on short-term gains amid unsustainable scaling. Financial mismanagement escalated with the accumulation of , including a $250 million raise in May 2019 from lenders such as and , even as major investors like wrote off $353 million in 2019. Despite a peak valuation of $5.7 billion in 2017 and rejection of a $3.5 billion offer in 2016, Vice failed to control overhead, expanding to around 3,000 employees before initiating layoffs, including a 10% workforce reduction (250 jobs) in 2019. Following Smith's 2018 exit, subsequent leadership persisted with high costs, paying executives $11 million from May 2022 to May 2023 while issuing bonuses amid financial distress and vendor payment delays. These decisions contributed to the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on May 15, 2023, enabling a $225 million bid acquisition by its lenders and rendering prior equity worthless. Observers note that while digital ad challenges affected the industry, Vice's downfall stemmed primarily from unchecked spending and strategic errors rather than inherent model flaws. In December 2017, The New York Times reported that Vice Media had reached confidential settlements with four women involving allegations of sexual harassment or defamation by company employees, including claims against high-level executives who allegedly groped or propositioned female staffers during work events. The company acknowledged in a statement that it had "failed as a company to create a safe and inclusive workplace for our own people," admitting to a pervasive "boy's club" culture that tolerated such behavior, with co-founder and then-CEO Shane Smith overseeing an environment where complaints were often dismissed. In response, Vice suspended chief digital officer Mike Germano and creative director Andrew Creighton in January 2018 pending investigations into their alleged misconduct, including unwanted advances and retaliatory actions; Germano was later fired. These revelations contributed to leadership changes, including the appointment of as CEO in March 2018 to address the fallout from the #MeToo-era allegations, which exposed systemic tolerance of harassment despite Vice's public image as a progressive media outlet. Separately, in April 2018, a former Vice producer filed a claiming the company failed to ensure her safety during a 2016 assignment in , where she was sexually assaulted by a local guide after Vice staff allegedly pressured her to proceed despite risks; the suit alleged negligence in providing adequate protection or support post-incident. Vice faced a class-action in February 2018 from former employee Ambar Navarro alleging systemic gender-based pay discrimination, claiming women were consistently paid less than male counterparts for similar roles, with disparities averaging 30-40% based on internal . The case, covering approximately 675 female employees from 2012 to 2018, settled in March 2019 for $1.875 million without admission of liability, distributing payments averaging around $2,800 per claimant after legal fees. On the reporting side, Vice encountered defamation litigation from ShotSpotter (now SoundThinking), which in October 2021 sued the company for $300 million over a 2021 article and video alleging the gunshot-detection technology manipulated data and generated false positives to inflate sales; the suit claimed these assertions were fabricated, damaging ShotSpotter's contracts with cities. A Delaware Superior Court dismissed several claims in June 2022 for failing to plead sufficiently under First Amendment standards, though Vice later retracted specific allegations of evidence alteration in response to further scrutiny. Similarly, electric vehicle maker BYD filed a federal suit in April 2020 against Vice over a March 2020 article accusing the company of labor abuses and unsafe practices in its supply chain; Vice's motion to dismiss was granted with prejudice in 2021, with the court finding the statements protected opinion rather than verifiable fact.

Cultural Impact and Legacy

Innovations and Achievements

Vice Media distinguished itself through an immersionist journalistic approach, immersing reporters directly into subcultures, conflict zones, and unconventional scenes to produce raw, experiential narratives that contrasted with conventional detached reporting. This style, often employing lightweight DSLR cameras for agile, on-the-ground footage, enabled coverage of underreported global events and countercultures, influencing subsequent practices by prioritizing visceral storytelling over polished production. A key innovation was the 2007 launch of VBS.TV, Vice's broadband video network dedicated to short-form documentaries, which predated widespread online video adoption by major outlets and established Vice as an early leader in distributing accessible, ad-supported digital content focused on edgy, exploratory themes like travel guides and urban exploration. Vice's achievements encompass substantial recognition for journalistic excellence, including multiple News & Documentary for Vice News productions. In 2022, it secured 10 such Emmys, spanning categories like outstanding for "The Price of Purity" and outstanding and coverage. The following year, Vice received nine Emmys, affirming its output in investigative and specialized reporting. In 2024, won a Award in television reporting for the "VICE Special Report: Insider Wagner," highlighting on-site investigations into operations. The HBO partnership yielded further milestones, with the documentary series , debuting April 2013, earning two Primetime Emmys for its blend of long-form reporting on topics like and . , launching in 2016, extended this model with daily dispatches, contributing to and reinforcing Vice's role in adapting broadcast-quality news for millennial viewers via digital and cable platforms.

Factors Contributing to Decline

Vice Media's decline accelerated in the early , culminating in a Chapter 11 filing on May 9, 2023, with over $500 million in debt and assets valued between $100 million and $500 million. The company was subsequently acquired for $350 million by a led by , which focused on licensing content rather than sustaining operations. This followed years of aggressive expansion, including a $1.4 billion valuation in 2017 driven by investments from and others, which masked underlying operational weaknesses. A primary factor was overexpansion and extravagant spending, as Vice pursued a multimedia empire with high-cost ventures like a $600 million headquarters in Brooklyn, global acquisitions, and premium cable channel deals that failed to generate proportional returns. Management's hype of audience metrics—claiming 300 million monthly unique visitors at peak, often inflated through non-traditional counting—led to unsustainable valuations and investor expectations, while actual monetizable traffic declined amid platform algorithm changes on sites like Facebook and YouTube. By 2022, revenue had stagnated at around $500 million annually, insufficient to service debt from prior funding rounds totaling over $1 billion. Shifts in the digital advertising landscape exacerbated these issues, as Vice's reliance on low-margin programmatic ads and eroded with the rise of privacy regulations, ad-blockers, and a post-2020 economic slowdown in media spending. The company's pivot to long-form video and TV production, including a $450 million deal in 2019, yielded Emmy wins but inconsistent profitability, as younger audiences fragmented toward short-form platforms like , diminishing Vice's once-dominant millennial reach. Internal critiques highlighted a departure from core gonzo-style reporting toward corporate-friendly content, alienating original fans and complicating advertiser partnerships amid scandals. Leadership instability compounded the decline, with co-founder Shane Smith's 2018 step-back as CEO paving the way for executives criticized for prioritizing growth over fiscal discipline, including mass hiring that ballooned headcount to 2,500 by 2019 before repeated layoffs totaling over 1,000 staff by 2023. In February 2024, the new owners halted publishing on Vice.com, shifting to a studio model focused on licensed content for third-party platforms, resulting in hundreds more job cuts and signaling the end of its independent digital flagship. These moves reflected broader industry contraction but were uniquely tied to Vice's failure to adapt its disruptive ethos to scalable, revenue-positive models without diluting brand authenticity.

Broader Industry Lessons

Vice Media's insolvency in May 2023, following a valuation peak of $5.7 billion in 2017, underscored the perils of pursuing hyper-growth through without achieving profitability, a pattern that ensnared multiple ventures reliant on inflated audience metrics rather than . The company's accumulation of over $1 billion in , including a $450 million from in 2019, fueled expansions into linear television and global offices, yet these initiatives yielded persistent losses exceeding $100 million annually by 2022, demonstrating how unchecked scaling can exacerbate cash burn amid volatile markets. A core lesson lies in the misalignment between content virality and viability; Vice's emphasis on provocative, youth-oriented reporting generated high —peaking at 300 million monthly unique visitors in —but failed to convert this into stable ad dollars as platforms like and Meta captured programmatic revenue, reducing direct sales efficacy by up to 50% industry-wide during economic slowdowns. This exposed the of assuming digital buzz equates to enduring commercial value, particularly when integrations blurred ethical lines, deterring premium brand partnerships and contributing to a 2023 creditor sale at $350 million—less than 6% of its prior valuation. Management missteps amplified these structural flaws, as executive decisions prioritized lavish expenditures—such as a $100 million —and hype-driven projections over , leading to repeated layoffs (over 400 staff cuts by 2023) and unmet lender covenants tied to $400 million in loans. Industry observers note this as emblematic of "fail-upward" leadership in media startups, where founders like Shane Smith transitioned from countercultural innovators to corporate operators without adapting to fiscal realities, a dynamic that eroded investor confidence and hastened collapse. Broader implications for include the necessity of diversified revenue beyond advertising dependency; Vice's pivot attempts toward and events faltered against social media's free distribution dominance, signaling that content firms must integrate proprietary platforms or subscriptions early to mitigate algorithm-driven traffic risks. Moreover, the brand's evolution from niche irreverence to mainstream assimilation alienated its core demographic while failing to attract advertisers wary of controversial content, illustrating how cultural drift without audience retention undermines long-term viability in fragmented markets. Ultimately, Vice's trajectory warns against mistaking innovation for insulation from economic cycles, urging the sector toward rigorous over speculative expansion.

References

  1. https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/vice
  2. https://www.zippia.com/vice-media-careers-43631/history/
  3. https://worldpressinstitute.org/from-the-voice-to-vice-a-short-history-of-vice-media/
  4. https://www.peterfisk.com/gamechanger/vice-media/
  5. https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2140061/how-vice-media-went-start-us57-billion-global-behemoth
  6. https://thebrandhopper.com/2023/07/14/vice-media-a-look-at-media-groups-history-business-units/
  7. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/15/business/media/vice-bankruptcy.html
  8. https://www.npr.org/2023/05/15/1173260377/vice-media-bankruptcy
  9. https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/vice-medias-sale-fortress-investment-led-group-gets-court-approval-2023-06-23/
  10. https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/22/media/vice-acquired-bankruptcy
  11. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/22/vice-media-fortress-bankruptcy-auction.html
  12. https://www.axios.com/2025/08/07/vice-media-news-studios-credit
  13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ScIx16gqE
  14. https://www.thefp.com/p/how-vice-tanked-6-billion-to-bankruptcy
  15. https://newrepublic.com/article/179276/vice-magazine-history-layoffs-digital-media-bubble
  16. https://adfontesmedia.com/vice-bias-and-reliability/
  17. https://www.techdirt.com/2024/02/27/the-vice-media-collapse-was-entirely-the-fault-of-incompetent-fail-upward-brunchlords/
  18. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/06/inside-vice-media-shane-smith.html
  19. https://cmf-fmc.ca/now-next/articles/vice-the-voice-of-a-generation/
  20. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/mar/30/pressandpublishing.tvandradioarts
  21. https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/vice-and-alternative-anglos
  22. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/15/business/media/vice-media-to-expand-video-content.html
  23. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/vice-media-partnering-hbo-60-236559/
  24. https://airmail.news/issues/2020-10-24/vice-gets-squeezed
  25. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/30/business/media/time-warner-ends-negotiations-to-buy-stake-in-vice-media.html
  26. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/vice-news-expand-operations-seven-742012/
  27. https://www.thegazelle.org/issue/141/the-rise-of-vice
  28. https://pressgazette.co.uk/media_business/why-did-vice-go-bankrupt/
  29. https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/vice-media-layoffs-250-employees-1203125890/
  30. https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/vice-media-layoffs-155-employees-covid19-1234607610/
  31. https://nypost.com/2020/05/15/vice-media-reveals-more-layoffs-as-coronavirus-slams-digital-operations/
  32. https://www.wsj.com/articles/vice-media-set-to-miss-revenue-projection-by-over-100-million-amid-stalled-sale-talks-11671487286
  33. https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/05/02/the-fall-of-vice-media-in-big-numbers/
  34. https://nypost.com/2023/02/24/nancy-dubuc-out-as-vice-media-ceo-after-5-year-run/
  35. https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/vice-media-group-files-chapter-11-protection-facilitate-sale-2023-05-15/
  36. https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/vice-media-closes-sale-post-bankruptcy-investors-fortress-soros-monroe-1235683295/
  37. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vice-media-group-completes-sale-to-lenders-301889255.html
  38. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/jun/22/vice-media-acquired-fortress-investment-group
  39. https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/vice-media-layoffs-consolidates-two-divisions-1235785835/
  40. https://deadline.com/2023/11/vice-layoffs-1235597967/
  41. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/feb/22/vice-media-layoffs-cease-publishing
  42. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-68377742
  43. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/vice-media-layoffs-buzzfeed-news/
  44. https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/emily-spence-vice-media-chief-communications-officer-1236505303/
  45. https://nypost.com/2025/06/16/business/vice-media-hires-former-nbc-marketing-exec-as-ceo-as-it-plans-studio-focused-turnaround/
  46. https://www.wsj.com/business/media/vice-media-hires-former-nbcuniversal-executive-for-studio-focused-turnaround-f3a32289
  47. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/vice-media-emily-spence-1236359543/
  48. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/15/vice-media-files-for-bankruptcy-to-enable-sale-to-lenders-including-soros-and-fortress.html
  49. https://variety.com/2024/digital/news/vice-digital-joint-venture-savage-ventures-vice-news-1235997565/
  50. https://www.sportsvideo.org/2024/12/13/vice-media-launches-vice-sports/
  51. https://deadline.com/2024/04/vice-media-unveils-new-creative-structure-for-global-production-biz-elevates-jamie-hall-danny-gabai-to-co-presidents-of-newly-formed-vice-studios-group-1235898302/
  52. https://www.c21media.net/news/vice-media-to-grow-content-investment-after-raising-75m-with-new-credit-facility/
  53. https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/vice-media-relaunch-digital-platform-partnership-with-savage-ventures-2024-05-09/
  54. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/vice-media-shane-smith-1235837714/
  55. https://www.vice.com/en/article/vice-acquires-i-d-magazine/
  56. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/dec/18/vice-media-buys-i-d
  57. https://variety.com/2022/tv/global/vice-pulse-films-full-control-1235208132/
  58. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/vice-buys-majority-pulse-films-878816/
  59. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/02/business/vice-media-refinery29.html
  60. https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/vice-media-acquires-refinery29-1203356073/
  61. https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/karlie-kloss-acquires-id-magazine-vice-media-1235790828/
  62. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/karlie-kloss-i-d-magazine-vice-media-1235646935/
  63. https://www.vicestudiosgroup.com/
  64. https://www.weforum.org/organizations/vice-media-inc/
  65. https://www.vicemediagroup.com/contact/
  66. https://www.builtinnyc.com/company/vice-media
  67. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/23/business/media/vice-sexual-harassment.html
  68. https://www.npr.org/2017/12/25/573415908/former-vice-female-employees-say-they-endured-harassment-on-the-job
  69. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/vice-says-it-failed-employees-as-misconduct-incidents-emerge
  70. https://www.businessinsider.com/vices-media-carrot-insiders-describe-a-culture-of-hostility-to-women-2018-2
  71. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/13/business/media/vice-media-lawsuit.html
  72. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/feb/13/vice-media-sued-pay-discrimination-claim-elizabeth-rose
  73. https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/vice-media-to-pay-1-875-million-to-settle-lawsuit-alleging-the-company-paid-women-less-than-men-1203173870/
  74. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/vice-media-agrees-187-million-settlement-paying-female-staffers-men-1197427/
  75. https://www.wgaeast.org/organize/digital/digital-shops/vice/
  76. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/vice-media-layoffs-1235003659/
  77. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/26/business/media/vice-media-layoffs.html
  78. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/vice-media-union-nancy-dubuc-layoffs-1235011432/
  79. https://www.businessinsider.com/vice-bankruptcy-staffers-layoffs-worry-salary-severance-pay-2023-5
  80. https://objectivejournalism.org/2023/07/vice-executives-float-while-workers-sink/
  81. https://variety.com/2024/digital/news/vice-cease-publishing-layoff-hundreds-ceo-1235919843/
  82. https://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/jan/01/virtues-of-vice-magazine-transformed-into-global-giant
  83. https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/froth-estate-vices-cult-immersion
  84. https://www.niemanlab.org/2014/01/vice-news-wants-to-take-documentary-style-storytelling-to-hot-spots-around-the-globe/
  85. https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/how-vice-became-a-video-success-story/s2/a550133/
  86. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/04/08/the-bad-boy-brand
  87. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/tv-radio-and-on-demand/broadcast-guidance/psb/psb3/12._vice.pdf
  88. https://medium.com/thoughts-on-journalism/how-vice-magazine-has-become-the-voice-of-a-generation-c3237bdcfc80
  89. https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/335183/vice-media-restructures-folds-noisy-broadly.html
  90. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/vice-takes-controlling-stake-garage-magazine-542051
  91. https://www.vice.com/en/article/welcome-to-broadly/
  92. https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/vice-news/
  93. https://notvice.com/everyone-is-laughing-at-vice-a82a33228b01
  94. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/vice-media-paid-executives-11-231321969.html
  95. https://simonowens.substack.com/p/it-wasnt-vices-business-model-that
  96. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42471133
  97. https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/vice-suspends-sexual-harassment-andrew-creighton-mike-germano-1202650838/
  98. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/30/business/media/vice-media-sexual-harassment.html
  99. https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/3/13/17111014/vice-media-sexual-harassment-nancy-dubuc-shane-smith-me-too
  100. https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/vice-media-sued-after-employee-assaulted-assignment-n867811
  101. https://journals.law.harvard.edu/jsel/2018/02/lawsuit-threatens-to-expose-vice-medias-vices/
  102. https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/shotspotter-lawsuit-vice-media-defamation-300-million-dollars/
  103. https://deadline.com/2021/10/vice-media-shotspotter-defamation-lawsuit-1234854558/
  104. https://law.justia.com/cases/delaware/superior-court/2022/n21c-10-082-skr.html
  105. https://www.soundthinking.com/press-releases/vice-media-retracts-allegations-that-shotspotter-altered-evidence/
  106. https://en.byd.com/news/byd-files-federal-defamation-lawsuit-against-vice-media-in-southern-district-of-ny-case-120-cv-03281/
  107. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/new-york/nysdce/1:2020cv03281/536230/37/
  108. https://d3.harvard.edu/platform-rctom/submission/virtue-in-vice-media-the-time-warner-of-the-streets-and-its-plan-to-occupy/
  109. https://unherd.com/2023/05/my-part-in-vices-downfall/
  110. https://www.advisoryexcellence.com/what-is-vice-media-we-explain-here/
  111. https://www.vicemediagroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-News-and-Docs-Emmy-WINS-Release.pdf
  112. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vice-media_last-night-vice-media-group-received-nine-activity-7113191778089922564-wW91
  113. https://www.vicemediagroup.com/press/awards/
  114. https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/vice
  115. https://moneyweek.com/economy/entrepreneurs/vice-bankruptcy-how-did-it-happen
  116. https://flashesandflames.com/2023/05/05/why-vice-failed/
  117. https://www.theverge.com/24094310/vice-media-layoffs-bankruptcy-shane-smith
  118. https://www.boldbusiness.com/society/lessons-learned-fall-vice-media/
  119. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/may/20/vice-and-buzzfeed-were-meant-to-be-the-future-of-news-what-happened
  120. https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/22/media/vice-lay-offs-stops-publishing-content-on-its-website
  121. https://fortune.com/2023/05/15/vice-media-bankruptcy/
  122. https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-demise-vice-media-disney-sale-bankruptcy-shane-smith-2023-3
  123. https://variety.com/vip/vice-media-downfall-offers-sobering-lessons-1235651959/
  124. https://www.newstatesman.com/comment/2024/02/vice-media-dead
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.