Democrat & Chronicle journalists protest ahead of shareholder meeting

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Journalists at the Democrat & Chronicle are participating in a nationwide protest on Monday to align with Gannett’s annual shareholder meeting.

The striking workers are calling on shareholders to withhold their vote on the company’s chairman and CEO Mike Reed. The union representing the journalists says newsrooms have been hollowed out, local news coverage has dwindled, and benefits have shrunk under Reed’s leadership.

The union sent a letter two weeks ago calling for a vote of no-confidence against Reed. More than two dozen newsrooms and hundreds of journalists across the country are expected to take part on Monday.