Key facts
- McClatchy announced nationwide layoffs on September 10, 2026.
- The company cited changing subscriber interests and the need to align resources with audience engagement.
- McClatchy is implementing artificial intelligence content tools.
- The Lexington Herald-Leader lost 13 journalists, including reporters, sports reporters, visual journalists, and an editor.
- The Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild reported 17 layoffs in Idaho and Washington, representing a third of its unionized workers.
- The Miami Herald, Kansas City Star, and Charlotte Observer were also affected.
McClatchy, the owner of The Miami Herald and a subsidiary of the Chatham Asset Management hedge fund, began announcing significant layoffs across its newspapers nationwide on September 10, 2026. The company stated that subscriber interest did not support its current level of investment and that it is reshaping its newsroom structure to align resources with changing subscriber interests and audience engagement. This restructuring includes a focus on journalism that subscribers value and can have the greatest impact.
At the Lexington Herald-Leader, the majority of positions were eliminated, with 13 journalists notified of layoffs. These included seven news reporters, three sports reporters, two visual journalists, and one editor, leaving only two reporters to cover city and state government. Among those laid off was enterprise reporter Alex Acquisto, who noted the layoffs were a loss for Kentucky.
McClatchy has also been pushing for the use of artificial intelligence content since the beginning of the year, launching a tool to summarize articles and create different versions for audiences, which faced pushback from journalists. Initial reports indicate widespread layoffs at other prominent McClatchy newspapers, including the Miami Herald, Kansas City Star, and Charlotte Observer. The Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild reported that 17 journalists were laid off at McClatchy newspapers in Idaho and Washington, representing a third of its unionized workers. The Society of Professional Journalists’ Louisville chapter issued a statement expressing solidarity with the laid-off journalists.