The following article appeared in The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C.
Need to subscribe — or upgrade your Ledger e-newsletter subscription? Details here.
8 newsroom employees are cut amid broader layoffs at McClatchy-owned publications
The Charlotte Observer publishes a daily e-edition as well as print editions three times a week. (Screen shot of Observer e-editions)
by Tony Mecia
The Charlotte Observer on Thursday laid off eight employees, or about 1/4 of its newsroom, in the latest job cutbacks in Charlotte’s media industry.
The company had made no public announcement of the cuts as of Thursday afternoon, but word started traveling in local media circles around midday Thursday of sweeping cutbacks at publications owned by California-based McClatchy Media, the parent company of The Charlotte Observer, the News & Observer in Raleigh, The State in Columbia, S.C., and others.
There were reports online of big cuts at McClatchy publications in Miami, Kansas City and Lexington, Ky.
“I’ve been informed this morning that I was one of eight people being laid off from The Charlotte Observer,” one of the paper’s breaking-news reporters, Jeffery Chamer, wrote Thursday on his LinkedIn page. “I wish I had something uplifting and optimistic to say, but I’m honestly scared and sad right now.”
Investigative reporter Amber Gaudet wrote on LinkedIn that she, too, was let go: “I’m incredibly sad and frustrated for myself and my talented colleagues. I fear what our communities will look like with no local journalists to act as watchdogs.” She said three of the four Observer staff planning to attend Thursday’s North Carolina Press Association dinner to receive journalism awards for their work found out that they were laid off. [updated 9/10/26 to include LinkedIn post]
The Charlotte Observer’s online staff directory lists 35 newsroom employees, so Thursday’s cuts represent nearly 1/4 of the newsroom. The publication’s top two editors departed in a management shake-up in April, The Ledger reported at the time.
The Observer’s new editor, Matt Leclercq, did not reply to an email from The Ledger on Thursday. Neither did a McClatchy spokeswoman.
The cuts come after the closure of two Charlotte publications in the past year, Charlotte magazine and Queen City Nerve. The local news industry has struggled over the past 15 years to hang onto revenue from advertising and circulation.
Related Ledger articlee:
“The Charlotte Observer’s top 2 editors are leaving” (April 23)