KC Star will dissolve, absorb business desk

As part of a massive newsroom reorganization, the Kansas City Star plans to dismantle its business desk and move those reporters into other areas.

The Kansas City Business Journal obtained a company memo from Editor Mike Fannin informing the editorial department. According to KCBJ, the memo outlined a plan to create a news department with four main beats: local and state government; business; crime and courts; and education.

Business reporters will join the news team effective July 27.

The move is part of an overall redesign, parent company McClatchy’s Co.’s 2020 Project, which will transform the Star into a fully digital newsroom.

“Going forward, we won’t assign stories to fill holes,” Fannin wrote. “We won’t shoot photos to fill holes. We’ll bless assignments based on their journalistic merit — and their ability to drive readership, engagement, credibility and impact. All of our content will be scheduled on a digital timeline.”

Read more from the Kansas City Business Journal.