• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, April 13, 2025

Gannett, the largest newspaper chain in the country, has its critics. But one laudable thing it has done, in the eyes of some, is  pursue diversity on its staff, going to far as to fight off legal challenges to it.

But now Gannett is partially pulling back, in apparent reaction to Donald Trump’s executive order on DEI. Gannett will no longer publish statistics on the makeup of its different newsrooms.  

That doesn’t mean it is giving up on inclusion. 

“While we will no longer publish workforce demographic metrics or sustainability and inclusion reports, Gannett is deeply committed to our ethical business model,” says Lark-Marie Antón, chief communications officer of Gannett, in an email. 

In one sense, Gannett is choosing to keep its head down. However, it will “strive to reflect the communities we serve—a place where people feel inspired to join, empowered to contribute and excited to stay at Gannett,”  the company says on its web site. 

Granted, the climate has changed. Trump’s executive order on DEI states, “In the private sector, many corporations and universities use DEI as an excuse for biased and unlawful employment practices and illegal admissions preferences, ignoring the fact that DEI’s foundational rhetoric and ideas foster intergroup hostility and authoritarianism.” 

You have to wonder: Is Gannett simply caving?

Honestly, this reporter was never a big fan of the statistics. They weren’t always easy to understand, and there were critics who thought they were inaccurate, one way or the other.  

But the company was honest—it wasn’t afraid to report that in some newsrooms, there were few minority employees, as I recall.  

And the firm has faced legal challenge to its equitable  hiring practices. Last year, a federal judge dismissed claims that Gannett discriminated against white employees with its diversity initiative. 

The class-action plaintiffs had charged that persons of Asian, Hispanic American Indian and Black or African ancestry, and members of other groups, received preference over white employees at Gannett publications in New York State.

However, U.S. District Judge Rossie D. Alston disagreed.  

“To the extent that the 2020 Inclusion Report is the Policy, courts have recognized that ‘the mere existence of a diversity policy, without more,’  is insufficient to make out a prima facie case of discrimination,” the judge wrote.  

Gannett will surely face other challenges, and its sincerity will be tested. Until then, we give the last word to CEO Mike Reed. 

““We embrace a culture where each individual’s unique perspective unlocks our collective potential, empowering an environment where everyone can thrive and make a difference.”