▁around ▁ 5 0 ▁employees , ▁particularly ▁surrounding ▁video ▁production . ▁CE O ▁Jim ▁Bank off ▁stated ▁previously ▁that ▁the ▁company ▁planned ▁to ▁exit ▁native ▁video ▁for ▁Facebook ▁due ▁to ▁" un re li able ▁mon et ization ▁and ▁promotion ". ▁The ▁mem o ▁announ cing ▁the ▁lay offs ▁argued ▁that ▁despite ▁its ▁success , ▁native ▁video ▁" won ' t ▁be ▁vi able ▁audience ▁or ▁re venue ▁growth ▁drivers ▁for ▁us ▁relative ▁to ▁other ▁invest ments ▁we ▁are ▁making ", ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁company ▁wanted ▁to ▁focus ▁more ▁on ▁pod cast ing ▁and ▁V ox ▁Entertainment . ▁The ▁lay offs ▁represented ▁around ▁ 5 % ▁of ▁V ox ' s ▁work force . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁V ox ▁Media ▁acquired ▁magazine ▁Ep ic , ▁which ▁would ▁become ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁division ▁called ▁V ox ▁Media ▁Studios , ▁which ▁had ▁also ▁absor bed ▁V ox ▁Entertainment ▁and ▁the ▁V ox ▁Media ▁Pod cast ▁Network . ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁V ox ▁Media ▁agreed ▁to ▁ac quire ▁and ▁merge ▁with ▁New ▁York ▁Media , ▁the ▁parent ▁company ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁magazine . ▁ ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁California ▁Assembly ▁Bill ▁ 5 , ▁which ▁was ▁passed ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁and ▁aim ed ▁at ▁impro ving ▁the ▁working ▁conditions ▁for ▁contract ▁workers , ▁V ox ▁Media ▁announced ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁terminate ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 0 0 ▁contract s ▁of ▁California -