Commentary

Media Job Losses Hit 7,700 As Gannett Starts Cutting

  • by December 9, 2019
Gannett last week started cutting jobs as the publisher seeks to cut costs following its merger with New Media Investment Group, parent of the GateHouse newspaper chain.

The company hasn't made any official announcement about the cuts, but anecdotal evidence indicates the publisher is handing out pink slips at newspapers and corporate offices.

Andrew Pantazi, a reporter at Gannett's Florida Times-Union and president of its employee union, is compiling a list of December layoffs on a Google Docs spreadsheet.

As of Friday afternoon, his list indicated about 160 non-newsroom jobs had been cut, along with 40 newsroom jobs. The layoffs were spread among 48 titles, although The Indianapolis Star lost about two dozens jobs in advertising and marketing.

Pantazi's list also indicates cutbacks in predictable areas, such as corporate IT, the kind of back-office jobs always vulnerable in a merger.

advertisement

advertisement

Gannett did not response to an emailed request for comment at press time.

The latest cuts bring the media industry's total job losses to 7,700 this year, according to a tally compiled by Business Insider. Its count consists of public announcements, press reports and information provided by unnamed sources — adding up to an awful year for staffers at newspapers, magazines and digital publishers.

Next story loading loading..