On Monday morning, staff at the Arizona Daily Star walked into a newsroom now fully owned by USA Today Co. — formerly known as Gannett Company, Inc.
It’s the country’s largest media conglomerate which oversees more than 100 local news outlets.
The Star, founded in 1879, had gone through several rounds of layoffs in recent years under its previous owner, Lee Enterprises. Lee bought the paper in 2005 and, in 2009, welcomed then-Gannett Publishing as a 50/50 co-owner.
Reporters at the Star shared publicly and with AZPM directly on Monday that they’re optimistic about the new leadership.
Long-time columnist Tim Steller posted on Facebook that he is “feeling hopeful” about the change.
USA Today Co. also owns the Phoenix-based Arizona Republic. When then-Gannett’s printing facility in Phoenix closed last year, more than 100 employees were laid off as printing moved to Las Vegas. The Daily Star has also been printed in Las Vegas since then.
Asked to comment on the ownership change, the media giant directed AZPM to a press release which states its resources will be put toward efforts that have the greatest local impact.
“By finding innovative ways to strengthen the long-term sustainability of journalism, this agreement underscores our unwavering commitment to the success of local news,” said Michael A. Anastasi, senior vice president of Local News for the USA TODAY Network in the release.
The Star’s executive leadership has not responded to AZPM’s request for comment.
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