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.”
Be sure to put correct postage on those news tips
Jason Remington • September 12, 2026
It just didn’t look good for the Trib at that time. https://www.qzvx.com/tacomas-news-tribune-employees-working-from-home/
Wait for it! .... I told you so.
Jason Remington • September 12, 2026
Crystal ball predictions? No, it’s obvious. Video killed the radio star and this is inevitable. https://www.qzvx.com/news-online-on-air-will-replace-newspapers-sooner-than-later/
Choices
Jason Remington • September 12, 2026
At home, in the kitchen, barefoot. Just sayin’ men belong in the boardroom and women in the secretarial pool. https://www.qzvx.com/tacoma-news-tribune-phases-out-publisher-after-24-years/
Downsizing - How is that working out for you?
Jason Remington • September 12, 2026
This hit hard in 2021 — https://www.qzvx.com/tacoma-newspaper-downsizes/
NW Newspaper Guild Responds
Jason Remington • September 11, 2026
Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild
@PacNWGuild
The Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild is shocked and disappointed by
@mcclatchy ‘s decision to lay off 33% of its unionized workers at the Idaho Statesman, The News Tribune (Tacoma), Tri-City Herald, The Olympian and Bellingham Herald. This includes 10 journalists in Idaho, and seven across Washington.
These severe cuts will hobble these news organizations and leave the public throughout the Northwest less informed about the events and decisions that affect them, and with fewer people holding the powerful to account.
These are journalists who investigated local hospitals, served as watchdogs over state and local government, showed up at every high school game, jumped in to cover breaking news like wildfires, covered news in overlooked communities, and monitored development in one of the fastest growing regions in the country. One of these papers will no longer have a dedicated reporter covering city hall. Another will no longer have anyone dedicated to covering the state capitol.
McClatchy has decided that short-term profits for a hedge fund matter more than the wellbeing of the communities that its newspapers are supposed to serve. That is a model that is destined to fail.