Hundreds of Journalists Across the U.S. Take a Coordinated Lunch Out to Protest Gannett's Threat of Layoffs

Hundreds of workers employed by Gannett-owned newsrooms took a coordinated lunch break yesterday in response to a string of emails from upper management last week that threatened layoffs due to the company’s second quarter financials. According to Mike Reed, Chairman and CEO, Gannett must “responsibly and proactively [align] resources to our highest strategic priorities and [lower] costs to be in line with revenues.”

Unionized Gannett journalists across the country say the financial austerity at Gannett is a result of financial mismanagement on the part of the company and cannot be solved by further staffing cuts. The NewsGuild-CWA represents more than 50 Gannett-owned newsrooms across the country. Over half of those newsrooms participated in the “lunch out.”

“Many of the over 200 Gannett journalists, photographers, and employees that have organized with our local region have dedicated decades to their work, producing award-winning reporting while surviving endless rounds of layoffs, and subsidizing their employer by going without wage increases,” said Susan DeCarava, President, NewsGuild of New York. “Our members believe in the work they do and the importance of journalism to our democracy. We are all ready to fight for better terms and conditions in Gannett newsrooms and are committed to producing the news our communities need and deserve.” Read more here.