The Star Tribune is cutting 65 jobs, roughly 13% of its 495-person workforce, according to a leaked memo from publisher Steve Grove obtained by Racket MN on June 2, 2026. The newsroom takes 25 of those cuts out of its ~200-person staff. Affected employees were notified on June 3.
Grove framed the cuts as a structural pivot, citing the paper's digital subscriber base now running at roughly twice the size of print and 25% subscription growth year over year. The memo also floats exploring a foundation ownership model "similar to other for-profit newsrooms owned by foundations" to open the door to philanthropic funding under owner Glen Taylor.
The cuts arrive in a sector where legacy newspaper operations continue to shrink even as digital readership grows. The 2026 Media & Entertainment layoff cohort already includes CNN, CBS News, the BBC, Washington Post, and Sony Pictures.