GateHouse buys Oklahoman Media Company, lays off staffers

GateHouse has bought The Oklahoman Media Company for an undisclosed amount, NewsOK reported.

The sale was set to close on Oct. 1.

Thirty-seven staffers were laid off, Poynter reported. Some 15 of those were estimated lost in the newsroom, Poynter reported. Two people agreed to retire.

After a mandatory meeting, employees were reportedly informed by email that they had been cut, Poynter said.

"The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City) has served its readers with great ambition and integrity since before statehood. We're proud that GateHouse Media will be able to continue The Oklahoman's heritage," said Kirk Davis, CEO of GateHouse Media.

“GateHouse has the scale and broad expertise needed to keep The Oklahoman strong well into the future. It was important for us to sell to a strong company that is 100 percent devoted to ethical journalism,” said Chris Reen, publisher of The Oklahoman and president of The Oklahoman Media Company.

Reen will stay with Denver-based The Anschutz Corp. Jim Hopson of Gatehouse will step in as interim publisher, NewsOK reported.

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