Cutting Local Journalists, McClatchy Embraces AI Content
In announcing a deep round of layoffs across its 30-newspaper empire last month, McClatchy executives emphasized that they remain “deeply committed to local journalism.”
“That means investing in journalism that is differentiated, consequential and difficult to replicate; reporting rooted in our communities and strengthened by sources, investigation, verification, context and judgement,” Greg Farmer, McClatchy’s vice president of local news, wrote in an internal email.
Staff at the chain’s papers have good reason to question that commitment.
At the Idaho Statesman, for example, 10 out of 18 reporters were laid off, in addition to three out of the four editors at the historic paper. The staff of the 162-year-old outlet — older than the state it covers — has been reduced to just nine.
“We were presented with no kind of plan or roadmap for what the future looks like,” Idaho Statesman sports reporter and chair of the Idaho NewsGuild Michael Lycklama told Tech Policy Press.
…
Read the full article on Tech Policy Press.
