By KAREN VELIE
McClatchy gutted newsrooms throughout the United States on Thursday, including laying off five journalists who were working for the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
The layoffs include three reporters, one photographer and opinion editor Stephanie Finucane, according to a post by Kathe Tanner – one of the discharged reporters. Tribune editor Joe Tarica did not respond to a request for more information about the layoffs.
As part of a restructuring plan, McClatchy cut journalists from papers throughout the country.
At union papers, more than 90 reporters were cut at 13 papers. While union newsrooms reported the layoffs, the number of workers dismissed from nonunion papers is not publicly available.
In California, McClatchy cut 10 reporters at the Sacramento Bee and seven journalists at the Fresno Bee.
While consumer revenue fell 41%, McClatchy’s expenses remained flat, according to an internal memo to staff.
For years, the Tribune has reduced print copies and staff while McClatchy is shedding outlets.
In 2019, The Tribune slashed one day a week of print, eliminating its Saturday edition, after its parent company McClatchy reported a net loss of $42 million in the first quarter of the year.
A year later, McClatchy filed for bankruptcy. Later in 2020, the hedge fund Chatham Asset Management purchased the newspaper publisher and obtained ownership of its 30 news organizations. It later merged with a lifestyle magazine and a retail distributor.
In March, McClatchy began rolling out AI bots that allow “Bee editors to produce summarized and repurposed versions of its reporters’ work under new headlines, ”according to the Wrap.
In July, McClatchy sold two of its Georgia papers to the National Trust for Local News. The nonprofit news publisher has purchased more than 50 news outlets, and is planning to buy more. Major donors include George Soros’ Foundation to Promote Open Society and the Knight Foundation.
Generally, the more media the better. But in this case, the demise of the Tribune would benefit both the community and journalism.
The hiring of a group of pup reporters, most under 25 years old, was bad enough. But then training them to be activist journalists pushing Joe Tarica, Tom Fulks and Clive Pinder’s agendas has been a disaster. They threw truth out the window with a focus on an agenda of supporting criminals like Adam Hill and Helios Dayspring. Instead of facts, they rely on name calling and misrepresentations.
I didn’t know the Trib was still publishing…
There reporters lost touch with reality a long time ago , Matt fountain as the last good and honest reporter . Now all they do is push fake news for people like ty Lewis . Can we say suckers or what. If you check with the public records you can not I was never starved a restraining order but they said i was . All to cover up Lewis misconduct as a public offical . Gut the office No they should just close it up all together. Who’s laughing now Joe.. serves you right .
And I thought they hit bottom when they brought in sub-PAR.
Well, that explains the numerous Fresno area and valley news leads lately.
YOU were patronizing that trash with clicks?
(finger wag) Tsk tsk
Don’t claim to be a republican and act like a democrat please.
There is simply less and less appetite for the radical leftist viewpoint and the local community and Country shifts to the right after seeing the destruction the leftist ideals bring when implemented. You actually don’t even have to read the editorial and news stores by the Tribune, to know their bias/slant/take on any issue. The Phrase “Go Woke, Go Broke” can be tossed around, but frankly, the knee jerk Right AND Left is just as insufferable to read and listen to these days. Hopefully the voices of reason will be rewarded in the marketplace, and if not, the left can count on it’s Open Boarders George Soros to save the day.
Right/left is a divide and conquer technique. You can’t be happy with how the “right” has handled the economy recently, can you? $6 gas as a result of war that never should have happened.. They all dine in the same cafeteria and ride their own private subway in Washington D.C.
@Andy…you will get down voted in this place with that kind of crazy talk. The “right” people here actually believe that they are morally and intellectually superior to the “demonic” left. Critical thinking is rare here. It’s just an echo chamber that cannot see that the emperor has no clothes.
Never want to see people lose their jobs… but in the case of the TT, no tears are being shed. Especially for Finucane…. the epitome of mean leftist bias. Next is Tarica… who can go the way of Cuddy, Fulks et all. Very sad…. but they had it coming. Too bad the days of the Fairbanks are long gone. But so is real journalism. Except, of course, for CCN!
As to Finucane et al, good riddance! Go woke, go broke! Let Soros waste his tainted money on scrap paper for birdcage flooring, gun cleaning, and pig pens.
No Tribune “paper” anymore for the birdcage. I pick up a New Times for free, don’t read the cannabis shop ads, and separate the pages to line the floor of the cage.
Welp, so much for that idea. I don’t often pick up NT but i’ve heard it can be fairly balanced at times.
It’s pure garbage as well.