Story perspectives

McClatchy Cuts 30 Reporters, Slashing Miami Herald Accountability

By Drooid · Sep 11, 2026, 11:16 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

McClatchy cut 30 reporters, eliminating a third of the Miami Herald newsroom.
The layoffs follow a 41% drop in consumer revenue that affected 13 McClatchy newspapers.
Charlotte Observer reporter Amber Gaudet was dismissed hours after publishing an accountability investigation.
Miami Herald deputy investigations editor Carol Marbin Miller said the cuts removed essential accountability beats.
Reporter who uncovered Governor Ron DeSantis’s $10 million child-welfare fund diversion was laid off.

History

Historical Context

In 2009, Tribune Company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, triggering the largest newsroom downsizing in U.S. print history ever to date. The company slashed 1,200 positions, including 300 investigative reporters at the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times, cutting $500 million in operating costs. Today, McClatchy’s 30-reporter cut at the Miami Herald and the dismissal of Amber Gaudet echo Tribune’s earlier elimination of accountability beats. Such recurring cuts erode investigative capacity, allowing political figures like Governor Ron DeSantis to evade scrutiny and diminishing public oversight and long-term democratic accountability.

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Story summary

McClatchy cut 30 reporters, eliminating a third of the Miami Herald newsroom.
The layoffs follow a 41% drop in consumer revenue that affected 13 McClatchy newspapers.
Charlotte Observer reporter Amber Gaudet was dismissed hours after publishing an accountability investigation.
Miami Herald deputy investigations editor Carol Marbin Miller said the cuts removed essential accountability beats.
Reporter who uncovered Governor Ron DeSantis’s $10 million child-welfare fund diversion was laid off.

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