Journalists Call McClatchy Cuts a 'Bloodbath' — 90+ Jobs Lost, Local Oversight at Risk

McClatchy has eliminated more than 90 positions across 17 of its newspapers, a move journalists and unions say will weaken local reporting on schools, city halls, wildfire response and business practices.

What Happened

According to reporting compiled by Common Dreams and statements from the NewsGuild-CWA and the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild, the cuts affected outlets in Washington, Idaho, California, Kentucky, the Carolinas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Missouri and Texas. Union leaders and reporters warn the reductions go beyond headcount: entire beats that provide civic oversight have been eliminated or drastically scaled back.

Local Impact

In Washington state alone, at least seven reporters were laid off from The Bellingham Herald, The News Tribune, The Olympian and the Tri-City Herald. Union representatives say Tacoma was left without "even a single dedicated journalist tracking city hall, Pierce County government, or local schools." Other losses reportedly include an environmental reporter covering communities near the Canadian border and a Spanish-language journalist serving Eastern Washington’s Hispanic communities.

"A damn bloodbath," Spokesman-Review reporter Alexandra Duggan wrote on Bluesky, adding: "Journalism is so needed. Cutting investigative reporters, city reporters… Idaho and Washington will be worse off."

Broader Cuts and Context

The Washington cuts form part of larger reductions: roughly a quarter of The Modesto Bee’s newsroom was eliminated, about half of the Pulitzer Prize-winning newsroom at the Lexington Herald-Leader was cut, the Miami Herald lost its city hall reporter, and El Nuevo Herald’s writing staff was severely reduced.

McClatchy management told staff in an internal email that subscriber revenue fell 41% over five years while local news costs remained mostly unchanged, and that the company is "reshaping our newsrooms" to align resources with subscriber demand. Critics, including former reporters and union leaders, say the explanation ignores management and ownership decisions since McClatchy's 2020 bankruptcy and subsequent takeover by Chatham Asset Management.

"When corporate plans fail, McClatchy executives run and hide while our workers and this community suffer all the consequences," said Idaho Statesman sports writer Michael Lycklama. Former Miami Herald reporter Aaron Leibowitz called the company message a "disingenuous spin from McClatchy’s hedge fund owners."

Why It Matters

Reporters affected by the cuts covered hospitals, tracked state and local officials, monitored wildfire season, reported on prep sports and underserved communities, and investigated local business and environmental claims. Those beats are crucial for uncovering misuse of public funds, holding officials accountable, reporting during disasters and exposing corporate or environmental wrongdoing.

Observers also warned the reductions will decrease local coverage of corporate conduct and environmental issues — areas where in-depth, on-the-ground reporting often uncovers greenwashing, wasteful practices or undisclosed ties between finance and fossil fuels.

Examples Of Reporting At Risk

• Investigations into rising carbon emissions and logistics issues at large retailers such as Inditex (Zara’s parent).
• Coverage of regulatory efforts in the U.S. and Europe to curb greenwashing.
• Local reporting that exposed wasteful in-store disposal practices and other sustainability failures.
• Scrutiny of banks and other financiers that continue fossil-fuel lending despite public climate pledges.

The cuts underscore a broader industry concern: when local newsrooms shrink, communities lose the "eyes and ears" that monitor public spending, disaster response and corporate conduct — with long-term consequences for civic life and public trust.