Elected Officials, Employees, Community Groups Join Forces to Keep Quality Journalism at Knight Ridd

More developments and updates on the community campaigns and the progress of the TNG-CWA/The Yucaipa Companies bid are posted and updated at www.knightridderwatch.org.

Washington, D.C. -- At the 12 former Knight Ridder newspapers that have been put up for sale by the McClatchy Co., elected officials, community leaders, employees and readers are rallying around their community newspapers and expressing concern that the sale could mean an end to comprehensive and diverse local coverage of the news that readers and communities deserve.

The Newspaper Guild-CWA, with financial partner The Yucaipa Companies, has submitted a bid for the 12 newspapers that would maintain community voice, quality journalism and the excellence of reporting that the 12 newspapers have demonstrated, said TNG-CWA President Linda Foley. TNG-CWA represents employees at eight of those properties.

Here is a roundup of some support activities to date:

In California, home of the 155-year old San Jose Mercury News, more than one thousand supporters to date have signed onto a statement urging the newspaper's new owner "to preserve its excellence and learn of our community's expectations for its daily newspaper." 

"Without an experienced news-gathering and advertising sales staff, the quality of the newspaper's coverage and effectiveness as an advertising tool would be diminished. Without vibrant, in-depth reporting of valley life, residents and workers will not be as well-informed or have the information they need to engage fully in civic life," the statement said.

Signers include U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren (D), former San Jose Mayor Susan Hammer, and Carl Guardino, president and chief executive officer of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, along with other corporate leaders, administrators, academics and others representing the diversity of the San Jose community, said Luther Jackson, executive officer of the San Jose Newspaper Guild.

Supporters also have expressed concern about how the sale is being conducted and called on McClatchy to ensure that the sales process is transparent and open.

In a letter to McClatchy's chairman and chief executive officer Gary B. Pruitt, California State Controller Steve Westly called on McClatchy to give fair consideration to the proposal submitted by The Yucaipa Companies and The Newspaper Guild-CWA. That proposal "has considerable support in the communities served by these newspapers and from prominent leaders in the news industry," Westly wrote. He also called on McClatchy to ensure that the TNG-CWA bid receives "all the relevant information they need to make a fair offer."

U.S. Representative Mike Honda (D-Calif.) also contacted Pruitt, calling for a fair and open sale process and urging McClatchy to give fair consideration to the Yucaipa bid. More information on San Jose actions is available at www.savethemerc.com.

At the 157-year old St. Paul Pioneer Press, employees and community supporters are contacting McClatchy CEO Pruitt, urging him to keep his public commitment to excellent journalism in the sale of the newspaper. The St. Paul Chamber of Commerce also is looking into the sale, and the community is gearing up for an April 6 rally outside the newspaper headquarters. Among those scheduled to attend: St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch.

Separately, U.S. Representatives Jim Oberstar (D) and Mark Kennedy (R) urged the U.S. Justice Dept. to review McClatchy's acquisition of Knight Ridder properties, raising concerns about the impact of the sale on the Twin Cities area and possible effect on competition between the two newspapers. McClatchy owns the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. More information on the St. Paul campaign is available at www.savethepioneerpress.com.

In Philadelphia, U.S. Representative Chaka Fattah (D) has urged McClatchy to sell the properties to a "worker friendly" company. Business, civic and elected officials also are expressing concern about the potential effect of the sale not only on the quality and commitment to local coverage of the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News, but about the possible serious harm to the economy of the region.

The mayors of Duluth and Superior, Minnesota, have written to McClatchy CEO Pruitt to support the employee and community effort to save the Duluth News Tribune.  

Employees at the Akron Beacon Journal were joined by 150 community supporters at a rally March 28, in Akron, Ohio, that included Mayor Don Plusquellic; Marco Sommerville, president of the City Council; President Clair Dickinson and Vice President Tom Teodosio and members of the Summit County Council; Tom Sawyer, former House member and candidate for the U.S. House and many more.

The Summit County Council unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the union's bid for a "worker friendly" buyout of the Knight-Ridder Newspapers, including the Akron Beacon Journal, and "the creation of a ground-breaking employee-owned media company offering the chance to create a place where employees want to work and invest" and an opportunity to keep alive the legacy of Akron's quality newspaper. The City Council is scheduled to consider another resolution of support next week.

At The Monterey Herald, in Monterey, Calif., more than 100 supporters so far have signed on to the campaign to keep the quality newspaper, dedicated local reporting and commitment to the community. U.S. Representative Sam Farr (D), State Assemblyman John Laird, and other elected officials are joining citizens, teachers, business leaders and heads of many civic organizations in registering their support for keeping a strong local voice in Monterey.

The Salinas City Council is expected to take up a resolution soon supporting the Monterey Herald employees and the TNG-CWA/The Yucaipa Companies bid. More information is available at www.savetheherald.com.

For more information on local actions, contact these TNG-CWA leaders:

Darren Carroll, TNG-CWA, 612-925-3887

Akron: Andale Gross, unit chair, Akron Beacon Journal, 330-996-3743

Duluth: Steve Kuchera, president, Lake Superior Newspaper Guild, 218-279-5503

Grand Forks: Tu Uyen Tran, Grand Forks Herald, 218-779-6478

Monterey: Joe Livernois, unit chair, Monterey Herald, 831-753-6753

Philadelphia: Henry Holcomb, president, TNG of Greater Philadelphia, 215-928-0118

St. Paul: Scott Carlson, unit chair, St. Paul Pioneer Press, 651-228-5490

San Jose: Luther Jackson, executive officer, San Jose Newspaper Guild, 408-436-0761