Brian Merchant on Hiring

media layoffs in 2024 LA Times (20% of staff) TIME (15% of staff) Pitchfork (all of it, pretty much) Sports Illustrated (all of it) National Geographic Business Insider (8%) NBC News it's still January

4.4K likes281 repliesPosted Jan 25, 2024

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Viral score

Based on absolute engagement — the platform doesn’t expose follower counts here, so large accounts score higher.

From likes, comments.

Why it worked

Leads with a specific number, which is concrete enough to be worth a second of attention.
Uses short lines and white space, which makes a long post feel quick to read.
Follows a clear Hook → Context → Landing shape, so the reader always knows where they are.
Ends on a short line that is easy to quote and repeat.
Short enough to read in full without expanding, which removes a step before the point lands.

The mechanics

Hook: Leads with a number
Structure: Hook → Context → Landing
Style: Short lines with heavy white space, built to be scanned.
Tone: punchy
Written for: Hiring managers and founders

Analysis by ViralLoop — not written by the original author.

Topics

Hiring

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