NEPTUNE, NJ – Journalists at three New Jersey newspapers owned by Gannett Co., Inc. have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, signaling a potential work stoppage unless the media giant agrees to a new contract by the end of the week. The vote, held on Monday by the AOO-MCJ Guild—representing workers at the Asbury Park Press, Courier-News, and Home News Tribune—passed with 95% approval and saw a 90% turnout among union members.
The decision reflects growing frustration with Gannett, which the union accuses of negotiating in bad faith.
“Our members are fed up,” said Mike Davis, a reporter at the Asbury Park Press and the union’s acting chair. “Local news depends on journalists, and we’re tired of waiting for Gannett to recognize our worth. It’s time they face the consequences.”
The guild has highlighted several grievances, including Gannett’s implementation of artificial intelligence policies that allegedly disrupt working conditions without union input.
They also claim the company has retaliated against employees for union involvement and has withheld raises from most journalists for over six years. Gannett, which owns more than 200 newspapers nationwide, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This labor unrest comes as Gannett’s financial outlook dims. The company’s stock (NYSE: GCI) has fallen approximately 10.8% over the past three months, from $5.58 on November 25, 2024, to $4.98 as of February 24, 2025, according to Yahoo Finance data.
Meanwhile, print circulation at its New Jersey properties has plummeted. The Asbury Park Press now prints 11,513 weekday copies, down 89.3% from its 2007 figure of 107,000, per Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) reports. The Courier-News has dropped to 1,337 daily copies (a 95.9% decline from 32,000 in 2007), and the Home News Tribune prints 2,144 copies, a 95.6% decrease from 48,000 in 2010.
Once a dominant regional media powerhouse with a three-story state-of-the-art headquarters, massive privately owned printing facility, and dozens of brick-and-mortar local bureaus throughout Ocean and Monmouth County, the Asbury Park Press has dwindled to a handful of reporters operating remotely, based in a rented office space. The company has since sold off all of its major assets.
These declines mirror broader industry trends. The Pew Research Center reports that total U.S. daily newspaper circulation fell 40% from 37.8 million in 2015 to 22.7 million in 2022, with further drops likely since. Digital subscriptions have grown but haven’t fully offset the losses, leaving companies like Gannett under pressure to cut costs—often at the expense of staff, according to unions.
This isn’t the first labor action against Gannett in New Jersey. In November 2022, journalists at six of its papers—including the Bergen Record, Daily Record, and New Jersey Herald—staged a one-day strike four days before the midterm elections. They walked out again on June 5, 2023, the day before the state’s primary election, protesting stalled contract talks. Those actions involved the larger NewsGuild-CWA, which also represents the AOO-MCJ Guild.
The current standoff could spread beyond New Jersey. Unionized workers at three Gannett-owned newspapers in New York—specific titles undisclosed but likely including papers like the Democrat & Chronicle in Rochester—have also threatened walkouts, suggesting a coordinated push against the company’s labor practices.
For the AOO-MCJ Guild, the fight is about survival. “We’re not just bargaining for ourselves,” Davis said. “We’re standing up for the readers who rely on us to keep their communities informed.”
With a deadline looming, the next few days will determine whether New Jersey’s newsrooms stay operational—or grind to a halt.
The real question is, if journalists stop reporting at the Asbury Park Press, will anyone actually notice?
