Wehco Media Inc., the owner of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette based in Little Rock, has announced plans to lay off 74 employees, amounting to a 30% reduction in the newspaper’s workforce. The layoffs will primarily affect production, circulation, and advertising staff, according to a company statement issued Tuesday by Managing Editor Stacy Hawkins.
The newsroom staff of approximately 100 employees will remain intact, the company added. Mark Lane, president of Wehco’s newspaper division, emphasized that the layoffs were structured to avoid impacting the newspaper’s content. "We’re very purposeful about maintaining a newsroom that we feel Arkansans deserve," Lane told *Arkansas Business*. "The eliminations were in departments that would have no impact on the reader."
Additionally, Wehco Media will cut 28 positions, or roughly 25% of the workforce, at its Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette operation. Of these, 13 employees from the newsroom, which currently employs over 40 individuals, will lose their jobs.
The company attributed the decision to declining print circulation and shrinking advertising revenues, combined with shifts toward digital media consumption. In its announcement, the company described the cuts as necessary for restoring profitability.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has faced financial challenges similar to those affecting the newspaper industry nationwide, as print publications grapple with changing reader habits and revenue declines. Wehco Media has been making efforts to transition to digital products in recent years while maintaining statewide news coverage.