1/Very sad Media news. Am told @BuzzFeedNews will no longer be covering local news in the UK or Australia. About 10 staff in UK furloughed; their future unclear. They were told on a conference call after 4pm. Celeb news, social news and investigations will however continue...

2/ This is a verdict on the market, and their model - and not on their journalism. Under @benyt (now at @nytimes), @BuzzFeedNews did much outstanding work, not least in the UK. Several brilliant reporters there who will undoubtedly be picked up very soon...

3/ Ad-funded journalism is taking a battering everywhere. I don’t know much of their work in Australia, but @BuzzFeedNewsUK has been a strong, scooping, important voice, and British democracy will be much poorer for its passing (albeit a few skeleton elements will continue)

4/ Staff were told that @BuzzFeedNews needed to find savings of 20%, and the decision fell on the UK and Australia news operations. COVID-19 has claimed a high-profile journalistic institution here. There will be countless others, as I explained here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/entertainment-arts-52299925

5/ Two important points. It does mean that their political coverage in the UK will cease (aside from that generated by the investigations team); and @BuzzFeedUK will continue, it’s just the News division, @BuzzFeedNewsUK, which is finished.