Really grim journalism news on Thursday as McClatchy executed its most severe layoffs in years.
More than 90 journalists across the country were affected according to estimates by the unions representing journalists at various papers owned by McClatchy, which is owned by private investment firm Chatham Asset Management. The cuts included reporters, photographers and videographers and affected coverage ranging from government and education to accountability to sports. At least 13 papers across eight states lost staff.
(Including Tacoma’s News Tribune)
The Miami Herald was hit particularly hard: 20 journalists were laid off and 10 vacant positions were eliminated. Herald deputy investigations editor Carol Marbin Miller told Fu that the paper lost its city of Miami and city of Miami Beach beats.
Marbin Miller added, “Now, they can move chess pieces around, but how do you do that when you have no chess pieces left? As I understand it, this would be 30 overall slots (eliminated) in a newsroom that was already under 80 positions. So if this is accurate, we’re looking at a job loss of greater than 30%.”
When Marbin Miller first joined the Herald in 2000, the newsroom had roughly 300 journalists. With the layoffs and eliminated vacant positions, it will have fewer than 50 — a blow to the city’s largest media outlet.
Marbin Miller said, “Right now we are circling the drain, and that scares the hell out of me.”
