McClatchy cuts more than 90 jobs across 17 U.S. newspapers

McClatchy laid off more than 90 unionized journalists and media workers across 17 U.S. publications on Thursday, September 10, 2026, according to The NewsGuild-CWA and reporting by The Associated Press.

The cuts affected about 30% of the workers McClatchy has represented by The NewsGuild-CWA. The affected publications include The Miami Herald, The Sacramento Bee, The Kansas City Star, The Charlotte Observer and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The reductions are also a local-information issue. The eliminated positions included reporters, editors, photographers, video staff and audience employees. In several markets, the affected work involved government, investigations, education, breaking news and transportation.

Which newspapers and jobs were affected

The NewsGuild said the layoffs reached 17 publications. The union’s account said the cuts included more than traditional beat-reporting positions, with photography, editing, video and audience roles also affected.

At The Miami Herald, the reported losses included staff connected to Miami City Hall and Broward County coverage. In Charlotte, Axios Charlotte reported that the cuts included an editor, two investigative reporters, a photographer and four reporters covering education, breaking news, growth and transportation.

The NewsGuild also cited the loss of government-accountability reporting at The Kansas City Star. At the Idaho Statesman, Boise State Public Radio reported that McClatchy laid off 10 journalists and three editors, a reduction of more than half of that newsroom.

What McClatchy says

In an internal memo cited by The Associated Press, McClatchy said subscriber interest and changing audience behavior no longer supported the company’s previous level of investment. The company said the results required it to make a different business choice because the status quo no longer worked.

That is McClatchy’s stated rationale, not an independently established explanation for every individual position. The NewsGuild and affected workers have criticized the cuts, arguing that reducing staff will remove reporting capacity from communities that rely on the newspapers for accountability and public-service information.

The available reporting confirms the scale and reach of the layoffs, but it does not establish that every affected community will experience the same level of coverage loss.

Why readers may notice

When a dedicated beat disappears, coverage may shift to fewer reporters, shared regional teams or occasional stories rather than routine attendance at public meetings. Readers could see less frequent reporting on schools, local government, infrastructure, transportation, public safety and elections.

The cuts may also reduce the time available for follow-up reporting, photography, investigations and explanatory work. Those are potential consequences, not a confirmed uniform outcome across all 17 publications.

Readers should watch for changes in beat assignments, meeting coverage, publication products and the use of centralized or shared reporting teams. Further company or union announcements may clarify how the affected newspapers plan to maintain coverage.

Sources

• Associated Press: McClatchy makes deep cuts at Miami Herald and newspapers across nation
• The NewsGuild-CWA: McClatchy laid off 30% of its unionized workers
• Axios Charlotte: What Charlotte loses from the Observer layoffs
• Boise State Public Radio: McClatchy lays off more than half of Idaho Statesman newsroom