Yahoo Hong Kong is shutting down its news operation in line with “strategic assessment and long-term business planning.”
Above The Line, a PR company representing Yahoo Hong Kong, told HKFP on Tuesday that the tech firm “will begin a phased shutdown of its media content operations in Hong Kong starting in April, with completion targeted for later this year, reflecting ongoing adjustments across our global business in line with long-term priorities.”
An employee at Yahoo Hong Kong’s news content division confirmed to HKFP that the company would stop publishing original reports from April.
Instead, it will only publish content from its news partners, a deal that will last until the end of June.
According to its website, Yahoo Hong Kong’s partners include local media outlets NOW News, Oriental Daily and international news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The Yahoo employee said the company has about 40 to 50 staff members, including those working on content, sales and advertising.
About two-thirds will lose their jobs, he said, adding that those affected have already received their layoff notices. Their last day will be March 31.
The news was announced during a Tuesday morning meeting involving US management, who participated via video call, the employee told HKFP.
The company’s PR firm denied the shutdown was related to the political atmosphere in Hong Kong.
“This reflects our strategic assessment and long-term business planning,” the firm said via email.
He added that Yahoo’s mail and search engine services will continue to operate.
Highest trust rating
Yahoo Hong Kong was established in 1999, five years after Yahoo was founded in the US as a web portal offering online search and email services.
It relied on partners for content until 2021, when it began producing original reports.
Its focus on original content allowed Yahoo Hong Kong to fill a void left by independent outlets Apple Daily and Stand News, which were shut down that year in the wake of the Beijing-imposed national security law.
According to in the Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report 2025, which analyzes news consumption trends, Yahoo Hong Kong’s weekly online reach ranks third, just behind TVB and HK01.
Yahoo Hong Kong also received the highest trust rating, tied with Ming Pao.
