IDAHO — McClatchy Media, the parent company of the Idaho Statesman, is laying off journalists at several newspapers in Idaho and Washington, including 10 in Idaho.
The Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild says that McClatchy is laying off 33% of its unionized workers at the Idaho Statesman, The News Tribune in Tacoma, the Tri-City Herald, The Olympian and the Bellingham Herald.
The cuts include 10 journalists in Idaho and seven in Washington, according to the guild, with the affected Idaho Statesman employees’ last day set for Oct. 11.
The layoffs come less than four months after Idaho Statesman journalists walked off the job over wages, contract negotiations and concerns about McClatchy’s use of artificial intelligence. The May 26 walkout included reporters, photographers and columnists, according to the Idaho News Guild.
RELATED | Idaho Statesman journalists walk off the job over wages, AI concerns, and contract negotiations
In a statement on Thursday, the guild said the layoffs will reduce local news coverage throughout the Northwest.
“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 guild said.
The guild criticized McClatchy’s decision, saying the company was prioritizing short-term profits over the communities its newspapers serve.
Idaho News 6 has reached out to McClatchy Media for comment and has yet to hear back.
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