The Idaho Statesman just lost 60 percent of its newsroom

McClatchy laid off 10 journalists and three editors at the Idaho Statesman on Thursday. Michael Lycklama, who chairs the Idaho News Guild and covered sports there for twelve years, said he got an email that morning about an HR meeting starting thirty minutes later.

The number that stopped me is his. Twenty years ago that newsroom had 100 people in it. It is about to have nine.

McClatchy told employees subscriber revenue has fallen 41 percent, and cut at least 90 journalists across thirteen papers. The company said it is focusing resources on journalism, subscriber value and what serves local communities.

I will say the obvious thing about my own trade once and then leave it. For a long time, part of how a business here became known was getting written about. A new location, an expansion, a hire, an award. Nine people cannot cover that, and they should not have to. The Statesman was never anybody's marketing channel.

So businesses here will have to be findable on their own, which is roughly what I do for a living, and I would still rather have the reporters.

Lycklama's point was not about business anyway.

The result of that is our community will get less of the news they need. And more politicians, more companies, more shady business will get away with more things because there are fewer watchdogs in this community.

That is the part worth sitting with.

Reported by Boise State Public Radio, 11 September 2026.