The Associated Press, the news wire service used by media outlets around the country and around the world, announced this week that it would cut 8% of its staff as it navigates buyouts and a changing media landscape. 

AP CEO Daisy Veerasingham informed staff of the layoffs on Monday, saying the cuts are part of an adjustment to a time of transformation in the media sector. Several major U.S. news organizations, including Gannett and McClatchy, have announced in recent months that they would no longer use Associated Press content.

“Our customers — both who they are and what they need from us — are changing rapidly,” Ms. Veerasingham told staff. “This is why we’ve focused on delivering a digital-first news report. We now need to accelerate on this path.”

AP, which is technically a news cooperative that licenses its news coverage to member organizations, including The Washington Times, retains just under 3,300 employees, meaning the cuts will impact around 264 staffers.

However, Ms. Veerasingham said the cuts would not seriously hurt the service’s journalism, with fewer than half of the cuts affecting AP’s newsroom. Ms. Veerasingham said AP would extend voluntary separation agreements to eligible employees based on length of service and department.

The AP’s cuts come amid similar layoffs at media companies this year. Publications large and small have announced significant cuts or closures as advertising revenue dries up and readers remain reluctant to pay for news subscriptions.

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.