When Isha Trivedi, a government reporter for the Tacoma News Tribune, found out she was one of dozens of McClatchy journalists being laid off last week, she said she was in shock.
A total of seven journalists were laid off from McClatchy-owned papers in Washington state, and ten journalists in Idaho were also laid off, according to a statement from the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild, the union that represents journalists at the papers.
“It's one thing to talk about layoffs in our industry. I feel like they're quite common. But I never really thought that it would happen to me, and so when it did, I didn't really know what to think,” Trivedi said.
McClatchy owns papers in Tacoma, Bellingham, Olympia, the Tri-Cities and Boise.
“These severe cuts will hobble these news organizations and leave the public throughout the Northwest less informed about the events and decisions that affect them, and with fewer people holding the powerful to account,” the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild wrote in a statement.
McClatchy did not respond to requests from NWPB for comment. Over 90 staff from McClatchy-owned papers across the nation were laid off. Reporting from Poynter said that the company called the layoffs a restructuring.
Journalists at McClatchy papers in the Northwest went on strike earlier this year during contract negotiations. The journalists were concerned that the company wasn't making headway on their desire for AI protections. McClatchy has used AI content on its news sites.
The union and company eventually ratified a collective bargaining agreement, which included wage increases and better protections around how AI would be used in the newsroom.
Puneet Bsanti is another Tacoma News Tribune reporter who was laid off last week. She wonders what might be missed after she’s left the paper. Bsanti covers East Pierce County, which includes Sumner, Eatonville and Orting.
“ In my opinion, every town, every city deserves to have fair, accurate news coverage,” Bsanti said. “And the fact that they laid me off, and that there is going to be that gap is really concerning, and I think people should be concerned about a risk of that area being a news desert.”
Both Bsanti and Trivedi want to stay in the industry, but they acknowledge the uncertainty.
“ Our industry is contending with a lot of serious and existential questions surrounding AI and technology and those are all very real and pressing, and I don't envy the executives who are faced with making decisions,” Trivedi said. “But I also know that journalism is essential for the public good and we strive to serve the communities that we live in.”
Read the audio transcript here.
