McClatchy, owner of The Miami Herald, The Sacramento Bee and 28 other newspapers, made deep job cuts on Thursday across the country. At The Herald, more than 30 roles were cut — more than a third of the editorial staff — while El Nuevo Herald was almost eliminated. In the Pacific Northwest, 17 journalists were laid off at The Bellingham Herald and The Idaho Statesman.

At The Lexington Herald-Leader, 13 of 23 newsroom employees were cut. A current employee said at least 90 journalists were laid off at dozens of publications. Carol Marbin Miller, deputy investigations editor at The Miami Herald, called the layoffs “a blood bath.” Greg Farmer, executive vice president of local news, stated the cuts were due to dropping consumer revenue and flat expenses, not AI use.

McClatchy will focus on differentiated, consequential journalism. Almost 40% of local newspapers have shut down in two decades per a 2025 Northwestern report. McClatchy operates in 14 states, was sold to Chatham Asset Management in 2020 after bankruptcy, and has undergone recent layoffs, including closing its D.

C. bureau and breaking-news desk in late 2025.