• by Melynda Fuller , October 21, 2019

In memos sent to staff last week, McClatchy leadership announced a series of upcoming changes to the company that included layoffs.

McClatchy president-CEO Craig Forman revealed the plans, with a follow-up memo from vice president of news Kristin Roberts, the Poynter Institute reported. 

According to Forman, approximately 1% of the company’s 3,000-person workforce will be laid off in the restructuring. Those being laid off have been notified. 

Forman also announced the company’s next CFO, following the retirement of Elaine Lintecum in June 2020. According to the memo, McClatchy’s board of directors is expected to name Chief Accounting Officer and corporate controller Peter Farr the company’s next CFO.

Forman’s memo laid out a plan to create East and West operating segments, led by Sara Glines in the East and Gary Wortel in the West. Glines and Wortel will oversee print operations, local and state legislative issues, community relations, facilities and strategic initiatives.

McClatchy’s market leaders will also “have a direct reporting line to their functional leadership, be it advertising, news, finance or another functional area.”

Across news, print design and production will be removed from newsroom workflow, and the company will create shared editing teams “that span our communities to be more nimble and effective at night, weekends and during breaking-news events. At its core, this change will preserve a bedrock of how we practice local journalism: keeping reporters on the ground, living in and connected to the communities and people we serve.”

Forman noted that no reporting positions will be impacted.

“While we move to more shared editing in our regions and along topic areas, every newsroom, no matter the size, will continue to be led by a strong assignment editor,” Forman stated.

Nick Johnson, head of advertising, will now report directly to Forman and has new digital leaders on his team.

Forman stated: “Nick’s team has created a channel structure to serve advertising customers in a digital market and has transformed how our advertising colleagues are organized, sell and collaborate.”

Robert’s memo addressed Cynthia DuBose, senior editor for special projects, and her expanded role as leader of an audience growth team. DuBose will establish strategies with the organization’s news leaders and work to drive growth teams across the country to meet set goals, while deepening the relationship between the news division and business side of the company.

A news leadership team, which includes regional editors and leaders of teams that serve all newsrooms, has been working on  initiatives for next year. Plans are expected to be rolled out in a few weeks.

The company will also centralize print planning.