Local newsrooms have witnessed declines in audience and advertising revenue of late. But what takes the cake is the latest round of cuts at major American television stations. Communities have long relied on those stations for essential weather updates, political news, and local and civic information.

For them, the new wave of layoffs is more than just a standard cost-cutting measure; it is a gut punch. This has ignited a fierce union backlash, with the SAG-AFTRA heads, including president Sean Astin, coming forward.

The intense labor union dispute has raised essential matters concerning the viability of community-based journalism, with SAG-AFTRA leaders chiming in.

Nexstar Media Group, which operates as the largest single owner of American local television stations, has decreased staff numbers across its major stations, which include KTLA in Los Angeles, WGN-TV in Chicago, and WPIX in New York. They have executed a company-wide initiative to eliminate established news staff members for cost reduction. SAG-AFTRA swiftly moved to condemn Nexstar's activities on Wednesday by highlighting the lack of priority put on public interest and talent. 

SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin publicly condemned the layoffs as an attack on local news and the people who serve communities with trusted reporting. Unions have raised objections against Nexstar's negotiation approach because they believe the company intends to reduce severance protections while introducing contract provisions to restrict workers from negotiating their rights.

“By laying off journalists across the country, Nexstar is eroding the resources and talent that local communities rely on for trusted news. These actions highlight the risks of media consolidation and underscore the urgent need for regulators and the company to prioritize the public interest and the professionals who serve it," Astin stated, per The Hollywood Reporter.

The current personnel changes happen while Nexstar attempts to complete its multi-billion-dollar deal to purchase Tegna, which would significantly expand its business operations throughout the United States. According to union representatives' arguments, this acquisition process is the root cause of job loss in newsrooms.

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Nexstar's bid to merge with Tenga has its own broader aspects and consequences.

While a Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery deal has already been haunting the collective consciousness of Hollywood, its local TV hemisphere is facing yet another $6.2 billion merger between two rival stations: Nexstar Media Group and Tegna. Unchecked media consolidation could come with real consequences as the deal keeps moving forward. The transaction has reportedly been green-lit by FCC chairman Brendan Carr.

“When business interests outweigh the public interest, communities face layoffs, shrinking newsrooms and fewer local stories,” FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez wrote about the layoffs in a social media post earlier this week.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is all in favor for the Nexstar-Tenga merger as he thinks this would eradicate fake news. He thinks those not in favor of the deal right now would come to understand its value in the near future.

“We need more competition against THE ENEMY, the Fake News National TV Networks. Letting Good Deals get done like Nexstar – Tegna will help knock out the Fake News because there will be more competition, and at a higher and more sophisticated level,” the president posted on Truth Social.

Now, with the layoff kerfuffle, the tensions over media consolidation deepen as the very survival of community-focused journalism is at stake. 

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What are your thoughts on the Nexstar lay-off? Let us know in the comments.