Media companies Gannett and GateHouse merged late in 2019 creating the largest newspaper chain in the United States.
GateHouse purchased Bloomington’s local newspaper, The Herald Times, about 9 months before the two companies merged, meaning the paper now falls under Gannett’s ownership.
Katrice Hardy is the Gannett Midwest Regional Editor and executive editor of the Indianapolis Star. She says when Gannett and GateHouse merged in November, it meant layoffs to consolidate resources.
To handle strained finances during the pandemic, Hardy says Gannett has used furloughs.
The Herald-Times editor and sports editor both lost their jobs in Gannett’s most recent round of layoffs at the end of April.
Hardy says the company prioritized keeping reporters and photographers.
“We still have, people with seasoned experience, they love the community. That’s not going to change. We still have onsite editors. That won’t change. I think where we’re focused right now is how we can elevate our work, how we can do more with the resources we have.”
Hardy says Gannett is committed to producing content the community needs, and wants to let local reporters and community members drive discussions on coverage.
"We have to focus on the key issues the community is looking to us for," Hardy says.
Hardy adds that being under the umbrella of a large news chain allows many local papers to keep print operations going in a time when revenues for newspapers are falling.
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