The Fresno Bee cut seven reporters as parent company McClatchy slashed newsroom positions at newspapers across the United States, Poynter reported.

Poynter also reported that 90 total positions have been cut.

Those laid off at The Bee included recently hired City Hall and watchdog reporter David Taub; longtime videographer and photographer Craig Kohlruss; longtime staffer Bryant-Jon Anteola; bilingual reporter Maria G. Ortiz-Briones; and accountability reporter Melissa Montalvo, who also contributed to City Hall coverage.

A Bee source said those who will be cut received four-week layoff notices.

The reductions stretched from Fresno to the Miami Herald, Charlotte Observer, Idaho Statesman, and Lexington Herald-Leader.

Showbiz411 reported that 30 reporters were let go from the Miami Herald, while Idaho News 6 reported 10 cuts at the Idaho Statesman. The Charlotte Ledger reported eight newsroom employees were cut from the Charlotte Observer, and The Lexington Times reported 12 employees were removed from the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Neither McClatchy nor Fresno Bee leadership returned GV Wire’s requests for comment.

However, a high-ranking former McClatchy executive told GV Wire that some of the reporters who received layoff notices believed they are being axed because of their opposition to using AI-generated stories.

Alleged Email Shares McClatchy Showing News Market Changes

In an email to employees posted on X by @katie_robertston, McClatchy said the local news marketplace had changed dramatically as audiences gained more choices, distribution became fragmented, and content became more abundant.

NEW: Huge layoffs across McClatchy newspapers today, with some newsrooms gutted by a third. An internal email from management says consumer revenue has dipped 41% and “we cannot continue investing where subscriber interest does not support the investment” pic.twitter.com/Uhne0z7TSj

— Katie Robertson (@katie_robertson) September 10, 2026

The company said it had deliberately maintained its investment in local news reporters over the past five years, believing continued investment in journalism would strengthen its relationship with subscribers and its business.

But McClatchy said consumer revenue declined 41% during that period while local news expenses remained largely flat.

“The results are clear and require us to make a different choice,” the company said.

‘Reshaping Our Newsrooms and Reducing Positions’

McClatchy said it was “reshaping our newsrooms and reducing positions” to more closely align resources with what subscribers value.

The company said the layoffs affected employees who had contributed to McClatchy, its journalism, and the communities it serves.

“We are making these changes because the status quo no longer works,” McClatchy said. “We cannot continue investing where subscriber interest does not support the investment.”

The company said it plans to focus resources on journalism that is differentiated, consequential, and difficult to replicate, with reporting rooted in local communities and strengthened through sourcing, investigation, verification, context, and judgment.

McClatchy said subscriber behavior and data would help determine where it invests while maintaining that credibility and accuracy remain “non-negotiable.”

“We remain deeply committed to local journalism,” the company said. “That commitment must adapt as our audiences and the marketplace change.”

(GV Wire’s Bill McEwen contributed to this story.)

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