This archive report was first published on 14 November 2019.
On November 14, 2019, shareholders voted to approve a deal that would join Gannett and GateHouse Media, the two largest newspaper chains in the United States, creating a newspaper colossus that is likely to result in thousands of layoffs.
The combined company will have a print circulation exceeding eight million, according to researchers at the University of North Carolina.
The merger is expected to reach formal completion on Tuesday, with Michael Reed, the chief executive of New Media Investment Group, named the head of the new Gannett.
Executives have not specified how the expected annual cost savings of up to $300 million a year would come about, while insisting that the deal would “enhance quality journalism.” Job cuts, in newsrooms and other areas, are likely.
The president of a union that represents newsroom employees around the country condemned the merger, stating that it is bad for journalists, readers, and the future of local journalism.
