McClatchy fired Christina Lords, the Idaho Statesman’s top editor, Monday after she publicly advocated for more resources for the newsroom — a newsroom decimated under McClatchy leadership.
With the email form below, you can tell the Idaho Statesman’s corporate parent company that was wrong and that she must be reinstated. It will go to McClatchy’s CEO, its vice president of news and the Northwest regional editor.
The Idaho NewsGuild submitted the following letter to McClatchy leadership Monday afternoon, asking for Lords’ immediate reinstatement:
To Tony Hunter, McClatchy CEO; Kristin Roberts, Vice President of McClatchy News; and Stephanie Pedersen, Northwest Regional Editor:
The journalists of the Idaho NewsGuild are writing to formally protest the abrupt and inappropriate firing of editor Christina Lords.
Lords was fired Monday, Jan. 25, after publicly advocating for resources for her employees. In a Jan. 22 tweet, Lords described her frustration in being unable to secure access to Microsoft Excel for a new investigative journalist, while asking the community to subscribe to and support the Idaho Statesman.
Lords later deleted the tweet, but was terminated effective Monday. In a newsroom meeting, McClatchy executives refused to answer basic questions about Lords’ firing and the policies that informed the decision.
To fire an editor for advocating for resources and encouraging people to subscribe is a remarkably disappointing decision by McClatchy management. This is a devastating blow to the morale of a newsroom that is already chronically understaffed. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees are struggling due to McClatchy’s refusal to fill open positions and provide necessary resources. How many more people is the Idaho Statesman willing to lose before McClatchy stops undermining our journalism?
Lords was a driving force behind several Statesman projects that received national acclaim, changed laws and won numerous awards. She has advocated for employees to pursue fellowships and investigative projects. She championed McClatchy’s push to grow subscribers, drive page views and increase revenue for the company. She is a fifth-generation Idahoan who is highly respected in our community.
This is unacceptable and has a chilling effect on McClatchy journalists who advocate for themselves, their newsrooms and their community. We call on the company to immediately reinstate Lords with full pay and benefits, that she receive a formal apology from McClatchy leadership and that the company review its social media and disciplinary policies.
Sincerely,
The Idaho NewsGuild
Idaho NewsGuild 