McClatchy executive speaks to nervous McClatchy employees, says "Bee newspapers are safe"

As word of the financial problems facing McClatchy newspapers circulates across the McClatchy chain of newspapers, employees nervously await word of possible layoffs, cutbacks, and sale of assets. Ray Steele spoke with employees of the Fresno Bee earlier this week. A Bee employee had this summary of Steele's comments:

However on a good note, the publisher, Ray Steele, came to speak with us on Wednesday and he said that the first newspapers owned by McClatchy were the Bees, so if anything does happen, The Fresno Bee is safe, along with Sacramento and Modesto.

It's not obvious what "safe" means but I presume Steele meant the Bee newspapers will not be sold off to another buyer. Looking at this list, there are only 3 Bee newspapers in McClatchy's chain of 31 daily newspapers. (I wonder if Steele was one of the McClatchy executives who went to McClatchy's editor and publisher conference in San Diego, where possible sale of assets was discussed.) Biography of Ray Steele here.