The short answer

The E.W. Scripps Company eliminated 431 positions on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, according to a memo from president and CEO Adam Symson reported by TheWrap and The Desk, and a company press release filed with the SEC on October 28. TheWrap reported that the company confirmed the 431 cuts are about 10% of its workforce before that day. The cuts are job losses, with some union employees offered buyouts instead of layoff notices, per The Desk. The company says it is creating more than 100 new local reporting and community roles at the same time, per the Symson memo as reported by TheWrap.

What happened

Symson sent a note to employees on October 27, per TheWrap, which said The Desk first reported the cuts. Scripps then issued a press release on October 28, filed as an exhibit to a Form 8-K, saying it had completed 431 workforce reductions and that about 850 employees had been affected in 2026, nearly 20% of its headcount at the start of the year. The release ties the cuts to a transformation plan meant to produce $125 million to $150 million of enterprise EBITDA growth by 2028 and about $100 million in annual run-rate savings by year end.

Who is affected

The cuts hit technical and news production roles, per The Desk as reported by Editor & Publisher. Non-union technical workers in IT and broadcast engineering received layoff notices, while union reporters, photographers and graphic designers received buyout offers because of their collective bargaining agreements, per sources quoted by The Desk. Employees reported notices and buyout offers at stations in Detroit, Cincinnati, Las Vegas, Denver, Phoenix and West Palm Beach, per The Desk, and WVXU reported that between 11 and 16 people lost jobs at WCPO-TV in Cincinnati, including half of its 12-person photo staff and two producers. Scripps operates about five dozen local TV stations, per The Desk. No state WARN notice for this round appears in the sources used here, and the company did not publish a breakdown by station.

When it takes effect

Notices went out on October 27, 2026, per TheWrap and The Desk, and the company's October 28 release describes the 431 reductions as completed. The release says the savings will be most visible starting with fourth-quarter results.

What the company said

Symson wrote that most of the major restructuring needed for the company's future operating model has now taken place, especially in local newsrooms, per TheWrap and Editor & Publisher. He said more role eliminations are expected during the three-year transformation, "but not at the scale of those in 2026," per TV Tech. He said the new roles are designed to produce more field reporting and expand local journalism across broadcast, streaming and digital, and that Scripps aims to fill as many of them as possible with affected colleagues, per TheWrap and Editor & Publisher. On the August earnings call, Symson said Scripps was leaning into AI, automation, technology and the centralization of some roles, per TheWrap and Poynter.

Severance and support

No severance terms were published. The Desk reported that some union employees received buyout offers, without amounts.

Earlier cuts at E.W. Scripps

  • Early August 2026: Scripps eliminated 268 jobs across the company, about 6% of its workforce, per its August 6, 2026 second-quarter press release filed with the SEC, and per Symson's memo reported by The Desk. On the August earnings call, Symson said the company had eliminated 432 positions and 126 open roles since the start of the year, per TheWrap. The second-quarter release lists $35.8 million in restructuring costs for the quarter.
  • September 9, 2026: Scripps eliminated 27 jobs in local market and sales leadership, including seven station general managers, as it moved to 11 regional managers, per WVXU and TV Tech.

Questions people ask

How many jobs did Scripps cut in October 2026?

431 positions, per CEO Adam Symson's October 27, 2026 memo as reported by TheWrap and The Desk, and per the company's October 28 press release. TheWrap reported the company confirmed that is about 10% of its workforce before the cuts.

Which jobs were cut at Scripps?

Technical and news production roles, per The Desk as reported by Editor & Publisher. Non-union IT and broadcast engineering workers got layoff notices, and union reporters, photographers and graphic designers got buyout offers, per The Desk.

How many Scripps employees have been affected in 2026?

About 850, nearly 20% of the company's headcount at the start of the year, per the October 28 press release. That includes 268 jobs cut in August and the 431 cut in October.

Is Scripps adding jobs too?

The company says it is creating more than 100 new positions, including local reporting and community connection roles, and wants to fill as many as possible with affected employees, per the Symson memo as reported by TheWrap and Editor & Publisher.

Will there be more Scripps layoffs?

Symson wrote that more role eliminations are expected during the three-year transformation but not at the scale of 2026, per TV Tech and Editor & Publisher.

Sources