Idaho journalism took a huge hit in late January when the Idaho Statesman had one of their editors ripped away from them after advocating for proper tools for one of her employees.
McClatchy, the corporate owners of the Statesman, fired Christina Lords on Jan. 25 after she took to Twitter, and later deleted the tweet, because an investigative reporter on her team no longer had access to Excel.
As student journalists, this impacted us deeply because this is an omen of the state of the profession we are about to go into. This shows the arena we’ll be entering, where we might have to fight for the basic tools we need to do our jobs and spread the information we gather.
McClatchy never released a clear answer as to why Lords was fired, claiming it was a “personnel matter” and specific details couldn’t be shared. But they did release a statement in a letter, written by McClathy’s Senior Vice President for News Kristin Roberts, on Jan. 26 saying they have “never terminated anyone’s employment because they were vocal about concerns or because they advocate for staff.”
In the same letter, McClatchy cast the blame on to anyone but themselves while calling out their journalists at the Statesman for spreading false information, stating “information on social media is often incomplete” and “McClatchy journalists do in fact have access to the tools they need… including access to Google Workspace and, where needed, Excel.”
McClatchy did offer Lords a conditional return to the newsroom, and she declined because she felt uncomfortable with the stipulations presented.
“I appreciate the gesture to find common ground more than I can say, but the best thing for me is to take a break from this company,” Lords stated on Twitter. “I can’t thank you enough for the support.”
In a letter of protest to McClatchy, the Idaho News Guild, the union representing the Statesman newsroom, stated the issue was not just with the inappropriate firing of Lords, but with the several open positions left unfilled for months in the middle of a pandemic.
“This is a devastating blow to the morale of a newsroom that is already chronically understaffed,” the letter stated. “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 in the Idaho Statesman willing to lose before McClatchy stops undermining our journalism?”
Robert’s letter stated the reason so many of the positions were left unfilled was to prevent furloughs and layoffs, which is a trade they thought “fit the moment.”
Lords was an incredibly valuable asset to Idaho journalism, with some of her work receiving national acclaim, awards and even impacting changes in state law. She visited The Argonaut newsroom through video calls numerous times to give her advice to people who will work alongside her in the profession and possibly, one day, take her place.
Lords’s previous position at the Statesman has been posted, along with
To editors here at The Argonaut, Lords is someone we all looked up to. What happened to her is unjust and it has unfairly impacted all of Idaho, especially those she worked with. We will stand alongside the Idaho Statesman and the Idaho News Guild to advocate for justice in journalism, including reporters having access to basic tools needed for their jobs.