First, Gannett merged with GateHouse (owner of the Norwich Bulletin) with talk of thousands of layoffs in newsrooms around the country. Then, word came that McClatchy is so weighed down with pension debt that they may need to declare bankruptcy within the next year. And, finally, yesterday brought news that Alden Global Capital has now become the biggest shareholder of Tribune Publishing, owner of the Hartford Courant.
The Tribune announcement is sending chills down the spines of reporters at the Hartford Courant. Alden “has a well-established history of harming media institutions and journalists” according to the Chicago Tribune’s Guild.
As Courant reporter Daniela Altimari noted in a Tweet yesterday, this news should be equally disturbing for readers of the Courant, who have already seen the impacts of a shrinking newsroom on the Courant’s coverage of state and local news.
For a more in-depth look at all three of these recent media moves, check out this article by CNN’s Brian Stelter.
