WEHCO Media plans to eliminate 74 jobs at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette by the end of 2026, a workforce reduction the newspaper publisher attributed to falling print circulation and advertising revenue.
The cuts will affect about 30% of the company’s workforce, according to information provided Tuesday. The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette will lose about 25% of its employees, including 13 newsroom positions. The reductions will primarily involve production, circulation and advertising jobs.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette said no newsroom employees at that newspaper are expected to be affected. The company said employees whose positions are eliminated and who remain with WEHCO Media through Dec. 28 will receive separation pay based on their years of service.
“The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has made the difficult decision to have a reduction in workforce in order to sustain operations,” Mark Lane, president of WEHCO Media’s newspaper division, said.
Employee assistance
Employees affected by the reductions also will receive paid time away from work to search for other employment, along with flexibility and other assistance services, the company said. WEHCO Media provided employees with nine weeks’ advance notice that their jobs will end at the close of the year.
The publisher said its decision followed changes in the newspaper industry, including continued declines in printed newspaper circulation and advertising revenue. The company said it determined that its existing operations could not continue without reducing its workforce.
- 74 jobs are scheduled to be eliminated by the end of 2026.
- The cuts represent about 30% of the company’s workforce.
- The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette will eliminate 13 newsroom positions as part of its reductions.
Subscribers will continue receiving both the print and digital editions of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, WEHCO Media said. The company said it is working toward a business model that will allow the newspaper to continue its statewide journalism operations.
WEHCO Media’s announcement comes as newspaper publishers continue shifting resources from print distribution and advertising toward digital operations. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has not announced a change to the editions available to subscribers as a result of the planned layoffs.
